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00:01Previously on Next Level Chef.
00:03From the 24 chefs here, only 15 of you
00:06will make you into the draft.
00:08Let's go, social media chefs.
00:10Does anyone need a ring light?
00:11Yeah.
00:12Dude, that's viral right there.
00:14They were nonsticky back in 1986,
00:16when Richard Blaze started growing his hair high.
00:18We team up, go after Gordon.
00:20An alliance.
00:21It's imperative that Gordon doesn't win for a third time.
00:24Well done, social media chefs.
00:26You are in the draft.
00:27And tonight, home cooks.
00:29Here we go.
00:30Go, go, go, go.
00:32I'd like to have Captain America on my team.
00:34I'm going to show you.
00:35What is that?
00:36Woo!
00:37Watch out.
00:37Oh, no.
00:38Oh, no.
00:38What is your major malfunction, private?
00:41He asked me if he wanted to do an alliance against you.
00:43What are you doing?
00:44Oh, my god.
00:59Here we go.
01:00Ah!
01:01Ah!
01:02I'm really excited.
01:04Oh, my god.
01:08I think I may have peed a little.
01:09Oh, my god.
01:10Oh, my god.
01:12Not the raggedy mops.
01:16Whoa.
01:16Whoa.
01:19Does any of this stuff work?
01:21What the hell is this?
01:22Oh, my god.
01:23Oh, my god.
01:24They have not undersold how much this kitchen sucks.
01:28Look at this food.
01:31This is just unholy.
01:33My grandma has this.
01:36And she's not living.
01:38Can I come renovate this kitchen, please?
01:41Oh, my god.
01:42Oh, my god.
01:42Oh, my god.
01:45Oh, my god.
01:47Oh, my god.
01:48What's up?
01:49How you feeling?
01:49Oh, my god.
01:52Oh, my god.
01:53Home chefs.
01:54Let's get it.
01:55First time in the basement.
01:56What you thinking?
01:57Oh, my god.
01:58Jeremy, you're up.
01:58Oh, my god.
01:59The dream wreck.
02:01My house looks just like this.
02:03You ain't take no girls over at your house.
02:06A lot of smiles there.
02:07Yeah.
02:07That smile is about to be wiped off her face.
02:09Yeah.
02:10All right, guys.
02:11Down to business.
02:12There are eight of you here.
02:14Only seven of you are going to cook your way out of this basement.
02:17For one of you, your audition is going to start and end here.
02:21The pressure.
02:22From there, six of you are going to make it to the top level.
02:25But only five of you are going to make it onto one of our teams.
02:30The stakes are so incredibly high.
02:34But I think that's what's giving me that drive.
02:36So I'm going to dominate the bottom.
02:37I'm going to dominate the middle.
02:38And you best believe I'm going to dominate the top.
02:41I'm going to dominate the top.
02:42Okay, you guys ready for your first challenge?
02:43Yeah.
02:44Awesome.
02:45At one time or another, cooking at home, we've gone into the refrigerator, right?
02:49You realize there's nothing but moldy cheese, wilted vegetables.
02:53So what do we do?
02:55You get creative, right?
02:57You head into that pantry.
02:58You see what random cans, boxes are in there.
03:01And you see what you can use.
03:03So that is going to be your first challenge today.
03:05Oh, my God.
03:07You will all have 20 minutes to create a delicious dish straight out of the pantry.
03:13Oh, my God.
03:14I'm hoping I can impress the judges.
03:16Line up.
03:17This is an audition, and I have to make it work.
03:20We're definitely in the trenches.
03:25All right, guys.
03:27Platform is on the move.
03:29Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
03:30It's going to be nothing but cans, jarred, boxed products.
03:35Go, go, go, go.
03:37Go, guys.
03:38Grab ingredients.
03:39Grab a protein.
03:40I love Spam.
03:41I've cooked that a lot.
03:43I was hoping to find some rice, find some seaweed.
03:46Oh, my goodness.
03:47But all I see is cornflakes.
03:52I see the bees, and I go for it.
03:55But this looks like dog food.
03:58I grab the mac and cheese.
04:00I'm Cheez Whiz.
04:01Oh, boy.
04:02This is going into Gordon Ramsay's mouth.
04:0510 seconds, guys.
04:06Boom, I grab salmon.
04:07I see kidney beans.
04:08I pick them up.
04:09I look at them.
04:10I'm like, should I keep these?
04:13I'm just going to keep them.
04:15Go, go, go.
04:15Put your stuff back.
04:16I got my lemon.
04:1720 minutes starts right now.
04:22What in the world?
04:24Mariam.
04:25Hi, Chef.
04:25What protein did you grab, Chef?
04:26Hello.
04:27I got clams.
04:28I'm going to make, like, a little ramen bowl with some clams.
04:31Where do you draw your inspiration from?
04:33So I have two kids.
04:34And for me to create food right off the bat after school,
04:37this is, this is it.
04:40Papa, I love ramen now.
04:42If you had asked me 10 years ago, like,
04:44Mariam, what did you do today?
04:45I'd be like, oh, I went to school and I took a nap.
04:47Now it's like, I barely got sleep last night.
04:50I'm on, like, five cups of coffee.
04:53Yeah, different person now.
04:56We're Punjabis, and the way Punjabis show people that they
05:00love them is through food.
05:03We don't believe in, like, one dish being on a table.
05:06We are, like, here's a whole spread.
05:08Being an immigrant myself, I take pride in all the struggles
05:12and all the ups and downs to chase that American dream.
05:14And I've grown so much, not only in my personal life,
05:18but in the kitchen as well.
05:21I think I was quite humble about being a good cook.
05:25But now I'm like, hell yeah, I'm good at it.
05:29We have those ramen packets.
05:30We have our meats out.
05:31This is, like, the best thing that I know.
05:33Girl, I totally get it.
05:34I used to make ramen and add an egg to it,
05:36some fresh scallions.
05:37At, like, seven years old, I thought I was a whole chef.
05:40A lot of these are parents.
05:41They cook like this three times a day,
05:42and they've got literally, you know,
05:43minutes to get this thing done.
05:45And we all know kids are the harshest critics.
05:47If they don't like it, they don't like it.
05:49Nick, how you doing, sir?
05:51Okay.
05:51Good, what'd you grab?
05:52So, I grab the beef.
05:55I'm going to do beef with mushroom.
05:59Come on, work and talk at the same time.
06:01Come on.
06:02Come on.
06:02Come on, Nick.
06:03I mean, typical attorney.
06:06He's on the clock.
06:07I have cheese and mac.
06:08I'm going to do broccoli, cheese, and mac.
06:10I'm going to have a little extra.
06:11I'm going to do a little garnishing with the beef.
06:13Wait, are you saying canned cheese, broccoli and cheese?
06:15Yes.
06:16Canned cheese?
06:16No.
06:18Canned cheese.
06:24Jimmy, what'd you grab?
06:25So, I grabbed some Spam, which is near and dear to my heart,
06:28but they're very salty.
06:29Kind of cut down the saltiness with some sugar on the corn
06:32flakes here.
06:32Sweetness does offset saltiness, so just be careful.
06:35Jimmy, the Navy fighter pilot, Top Gun.
06:38So, you must be used to cooking like this, right?
06:40Nothing but cans and jars.
06:41Most of the time, it involves being a little inebriated from the bar.
06:46I'm talking about cooking on the carrier, my friend.
06:49Yeah.
06:53I fly F-18s for the Navy.
06:57When you're getting launched from zero to 180 miles an hour in two seconds, it's one of the wildest rides
07:02and it really never gets old.
07:03I'm sure you've seen Top Gun and, you know, seen them fight.
07:07Sometimes the weather's bad and you don't get to fly every day, so me and a couple of my friends,
07:11we decided, hey, let's cook for all the air crew on board.
07:16That's kind of what sparked my cooking passion.
07:19You know, flying is something I love to do, but cooking is my passion.
07:22And I'm leaning right into it.
07:26Guys, five minutes down.
07:28This is you fighting your way into the draft.
07:33These pots are so small.
07:35They are not making it easy.
07:36That is for damn sure.
07:38Oh, my God.
07:39Ruma, talk to me about your dish.
07:41Yeah, it's gonna be like a, um, I don't really have a name for it.
07:45So what is it?
07:46Um, I don't know.
07:48The audition special, um, I have no idea.
07:52I don't know.
07:53I don't know what I'm making.
07:54It looks a little bit in the weeds.
07:55I don't know what that is.
07:56I don't think Ruma does either.
07:58I don't really have a name just because I didn't grab every single thing that I wanted.
08:01As long as Chef Arrington doesn't hear me say, I don't know, then I think we're in a good space.
08:06You need a North Star.
08:07You need a goal so you can work towards it.
08:09Absolutely.
08:10You know that.
08:10Yeah.
08:11I can almost 100% beat anybody at rock, paper, scissors.
08:14Oh, paper, scissors, shoot.
08:16No way!
08:18I am a technical sales manager.
08:21We sell robots.
08:23One, two, three.
08:25You got one with you?
08:26No, no.
08:27That would be cheating.
08:28I cook fast and aggressive and chaotic.
08:32I'm very competitive.
08:33But in a positive way.
08:34I'll do it with a smile.
08:35That should be my slogan.
08:36I'm going with a smile.
08:37Actually, I think we're onto something.
08:39Jot that down.
08:42Oh, I can't get this open.
08:45Cans and jars, not easy to work with, right, guys?
08:48That's delicious.
08:50Arnav, what you got cooking up over here, sir?
08:52Uh, we're going to do a shrimp pasta.
08:54I added a little bit of chili, some paprika,
08:56and I think washing the shrimp made all the difference.
08:59Got rid of that bitterness.
09:00Smart.
09:01Smart.
09:02He's tasting this stuff as well.
09:03Yeah, I got my eye on this kid.
09:05Natalia.
09:06Yes, hi.
09:06What'd you grab, chef?
09:07I'm doing a creamed corn and spicy crab mix.
09:12Okay.
09:12With pasta.
09:12Yeah.
09:13You want this pot boiling.
09:14Oh, my God.
09:15I need this pasta to cook.
09:17I can't get that can opener to work.
09:19Kathy, what did you grab?
09:21I grabbed the ground turkey.
09:23So I'll plate the stew on the bottom and serve meatballs right on top.
09:26Smelling very nice.
09:27Stay in control of that pan.
09:29We're coming up to eight minutes left, guys.
09:31Eight minutes.
09:31How the hell do you even work this?
09:34This is the worst can opener ever.
09:38I can't get that can opener.
09:39How does this can opener even work?
09:46Oh, medic.
09:48Medic.
09:49Medic.
09:50I am bleeding.
09:52Medic.
09:53This is the first cook.
09:54It's not what I need right now.
09:56Medic.
10:00Medic.
10:01Beautiful, thank you.
10:02Come on, guys.
10:03Don't forget, you got lots of eyeballs on you right now.
10:07Gordon and Richard, they're watching.
10:08They're watching us in the back.
10:09Absolutely, like a hawk.
10:16Five minutes left, guys.
10:17Oh, my God.
10:19That's good.
10:20You like this kid, don't you?
10:21Yeah, I like this kid.
10:21If you don't get Arnav in your first pick, you're probably not going to get him.
10:24I know I get the first pick.
10:26I'm going three and four.
10:27You want to keep that?
10:28Because maybe you want the first pick.
10:29Would you entertain a trade?
10:32I've got a different strategy this year.
10:34You're not doing a great job.
10:35You just revealed that you want Arnav.
10:37I mean, come on.
10:38It's obvious.
10:40Start thinking about how you're presenting this dish.
10:43You do not want to get left down here.
10:44It's going to be garnished on top.
10:48I'm still thinking, what am I going to do with these beans?
10:52I look at the beans.
10:54The beans look at me.
10:55And we have this stare-off like, what are we going to do?
11:03Whoopsies.
11:04Two minutes left, guys.
11:06Two minutes left.
11:06Start plating.
11:07Let's go.
11:09The reality is one of you is leaving this basement today and you're not going to the middle level.
11:15Trying to decorate with the canned cheese is really, really difficult.
11:21What's he do?
11:24Cheese whiz, Nick.
11:261-800-CALL-NICK.
11:28Five, four, three, two, one.
11:32Hands up, guys.
11:33Hands up.
11:34Nice job.
11:35That was bomb.
11:36Love you, man.
11:37Love you, man.
11:38Oh, well, it's a good one.
11:39It's not.
11:40Yeah.
11:44Shall we?
11:45No.
11:47Oh, my God.
11:48I'm standing just, like, feet away from Gordon Ramsay.
11:51That was very good.
11:52He's going to be trying one of my dishes.
11:54It feels like you're meeting God.
11:57All right.
11:57You guys ready to taste?
11:58Yeah.
11:59So we are going to start over here with Nick's dish.
12:02A beef stroganoff with broccoli and a sort of mac and cheese.
12:07Nick grabbed canned cheese.
12:09How old are you?
12:12He was right in front of me, Chef.
12:13Yeah, listen.
12:14This thing looks a bit crazy.
12:16But the beef stroganoff is actually delicious.
12:18And it pains me to be that polite to a lawyer.
12:21I'm joking.
12:22Flavor profile, really good.
12:23Cooking in the basement is definitely more stressful than being in a courtroom any day of the week.
12:30Next up, we have canned chicken.
12:33This is cooked by Megan, served in a sort of ragu.
12:37Really smart to use the egg, the only fresh thing you could find.
12:40I like that it's a one-pot meal sort of looking dish.
12:43And I love that there's this contrast of texture on there.
12:45Next up, we have Miriam's clam ramen.
12:49Clam ramen sounds pretty inspiring to me.
12:52And even the cream in it, that's a milky ramen.
12:54It's a pretty smart dish.
12:55Next, we have a ground turkey croquette.
12:58This is from Kathy, with a lentil ragu.
13:02The ragu is delicious.
13:04I love that.
13:06We have a crab and corn pasta from Natalia.
13:10I love the sweet crab and corn with the spice of the chili in this.
13:14This is smart.
13:15I can picture myself eating this on a hot summer day.
13:18Really, really nice job.
13:19We have a shrimp pasta with mango chutney.
13:24This was cooked by Arnav.
13:25The pasta and the pearls are delicious.
13:28Pretty good job.
13:30Okay, next up.
13:31This is from Jimmy.
13:33This is a corn flake crusted canned ham.
13:39Quintessential basement ingredients.
13:41Got to be careful because the canned ham is so salty.
13:43You balance it out with some sweetness.
13:45Went a little too far on the sweetness.
13:47It's very sweet.
13:50This dish is salmon with a lemon butter sauce cooked by Ruma.
13:58This is a bit strange.
14:00It just doesn't feel cohesive.
14:03For me, I'm struggling a little bit to understand the concept of the dish.
14:06What threw me off was the beans.
14:08These damn beans.
14:11We have a lot to talk about.
14:12Please talk amongst yourselves.
14:15Wow.
14:16A cracking start, by the way.
14:18That crab and sweet corn spaghetti.
14:20Oh, my God.
14:21Blew me away.
14:22The pressed ham with the sort of sugary flakes on the outside.
14:26That made no sense.
14:27The amount of sweetness threw me off.
14:29And the salmon.
14:30We got excited with the salmon.
14:31We were hoping it was going to go.
14:32Salmon dill.
14:33Tato chips, salmon dill.
14:34Oh, my gosh.
14:34Nothing was manipulated.
14:36It was a plate of just ingredients.
14:37Exactly.
14:38Yeah.
14:38Listen.
14:40It's got me thinking.
14:42What would I do with this person?
14:43Can they get better?
14:45But I wouldn't be upset if I had two home chefs on my team, for sure.
14:50Listen, he's starting to pick his team, okay?
14:52He's asking me already in the lounge, do you want to swap?
14:55I believe it.
14:55He asked me if he wanted to do an alliance against you.
14:57Oh, my God.
14:59What are you doing?
15:01Oh, my God.
15:08He asked me if he wanted to do an alliance against you.
15:11Naisha, what are you doing blowing up my plan on day one?
15:14Oh, my God.
15:18It's imperative that Gordon Ramsay doesn't win for a third time.
15:23I'm trying to make sure it's a fair competition.
15:25Straight fight to the end.
15:26Best chef wins.
15:28Okay.
15:29Wow.
15:29Okay.
15:30These guys can talk all they want.
15:32I will take them down.
15:33I will send Richard Blaze down to the basement where he belongs.
15:39Guys, line up, please.
15:41We have come to a decision.
15:43The first three chefs that have earned their way into that middle level are...
15:52Miriam, Megan, and Natalia.
15:55A-plus for me on this dish.
15:59So proud of myself.
16:01I did not.
16:04The next three chefs who are moving up to the middle level are...
16:09Arnav, Cathy, and Nick.
16:13Wow.
16:14Oh, wow.
16:15Feeling relieved.
16:16Glad to get past the first challenge with Squeezy Cheese.
16:23Ruma, Jimmy.
16:25Guys, there's two of you and only one spot left in that elevator.
16:29The final person moving into that elevator is...
16:35Jimmy.
16:38Please join the others in the elevator.
16:42Congrats, Jimmy.
16:46Ruma, one dish doesn't define you.
16:48It just wasn't your day-to-day.
16:50Yes, Chef.
16:50Keep your head up.
16:51Keep crafting.
16:53Absolutely.
16:53Good luck to you.
16:54Thank you so much.
16:55Thanks, Ruma.
16:59I hate losing.
17:01I hate it.
17:01I hate it.
17:03I hate it.
17:03I hate this feeling.
17:10Nick, how much you charge per hour?
17:14You'll know when you get...
17:15$700.
17:16You'll know when you get the bill.
17:19Welcome to the middle floor.
17:21Come over.
17:23The knives are razor sharp, guys.
17:26I just went from, like, the trenches to, like, middle class.
17:30And I like middle class.
17:31It's a fun place to be at.
17:35As talented home chefs, this challenge is to cook for a loved one on a special occasion.
17:43Yes, Chef.
17:44The objective here is to get yourself to the next level.
17:47You're two cooks away from entering the draft.
17:49There's a lot riding on this, okay?
17:50Yes.
17:51Okay, line up.
17:52Come on, let's go.
17:53A celebration dinner in our house is comfort food.
17:56I'm excited.
17:57I'm excited to do a dish that speaks to their hearts and their souls and their stomachs.
18:05The platform is moving.
18:08And go.
18:09Let's go.
18:10We're off.
18:11Let's go.
18:13I see some sea bass.
18:14And just as I'm about to grab it, Nick rips it off my hands.
18:18And then I have to grab turkey cutlet.
18:21Great.
18:22Turkey breast.
18:23There's ground beef there.
18:24Please let there be a steak.
18:26Please let there be a steak.
18:27Yes!
18:28And the whiskey right below it.
18:30Okay, 10 seconds gone, guys.
18:31Just under 20 seconds to go.
18:32I'm grabbing scallops.
18:33Now it's just kind of trying to figure out what to pair with it.
18:3610 seconds to go.
18:37All I see is green beans, so I grabbed them.
18:39They made me big and strong growing up.
18:41Mom made me eat my green beans, but I don't really know what I'm going to do with them.
18:44It's going, guys.
18:45It's going.
18:46You got a grab.
18:47Well done.
18:48Well done, well done, well done, well done.
18:5120 minutes starts now, yes?
18:53Get your pans on, start thinking about the dish.
18:56I'll be going to execute this.
18:58Jim, what did you get?
18:59Chef, I got some bay scallops.
19:01Nice.
19:01So I like to do scallops risotto for my wife.
19:03I made it for her last birthday, but normally I work with bigger scallops, and I didn't get risotto,
19:08so I'm making some fresh-made pasta.
19:10There was risotto rice on there.
19:11I missed it.
19:12You saw that, right?
19:12I missed it.
19:13I mean, I'd like to have Captain America on my team.
19:15So that's your first pick.
19:16Jimmy's your first pick.
19:17I'm not saying that.
19:18Okay, okay, okay.
19:19You're a pilot, so you're super focused, right?
19:21I am, yeah.
19:22I'm not focused on that dish.
19:23You know who I might not want on my team?
19:27You!
19:28What in the world?
19:29What do you mean?
19:30What in the world are you doing now?
19:31What, what, what?
19:32Richard Blaze, oh my gosh.
19:34Revealing an allegiance?
19:35I told you I didn't want an allegiance.
19:37Richard, people always get the allegiance, and then they stab that person in the back.
19:41I already see what you're up to, scheming.
19:43The alliance, it may be broken now.
19:48Arnav, what did you grab?
19:49Protein.
19:49I got a nice, beautiful pork loin, Chef.
19:51Oh, yes.
19:53I'm just trying to make this one for my brother.
19:54Growing up, my parents never ate red meat or like pork or anything like that.
19:59Right.
19:59So, whenever we did it, it was always for him.
20:01Love that.
20:05Mom, baby.
20:06Right, mate, who's this dish for?
20:08I'm cooking it for my husband.
20:09I grabbed the skirt steak and the whiskey.
20:11I'm gonna go ahead and I'm gonna make a whiskey garlic cream sauce in that.
20:14Love that.
20:14Get that cast-eye pan screaming hot.
20:16It's on.
20:16Really good color on that skirt steak.
20:18Let it rest if you're gonna slice it.
20:19I wrote a cookbook on cast iron.
20:21I'm determined to do it justice.
20:22I've got a copy of that cookbook.
20:23Shut up.
20:25Oh, my God.
20:27Oh, my God.
20:29I am, I am losing my mind.
20:32Gordon Ramsay has my cookbook.
20:35I am a very busy person.
20:39Back in 2017, I wrote an entire cookbook on cast iron cooking called Cast Iron Gourmet.
20:45Cast iron has really become a big part of my culinary identity.
20:48It's just, it's my favorite.
20:50It's my go-to.
20:51This will all stay and then we'll pop it up.
20:53I'm also a project manager at Sea-Tac Airport.
20:56I'm used to my brain going 15 different directions all at one time.
21:01Oh, I am exhausted.
21:03Like, let's be real.
21:04I live on Diet Coke and coffee.
21:07Fingers crossed.
21:08If you make the draft, I'd like you to sign that cookbook for me, please.
21:11Yes, chef.
21:12Eight minutes gone.
21:13That's just under 12 minutes to go.
21:14Looking good, bud.
21:15Looking good.
21:17Hi, chef.
21:17Natalia, feeling good?
21:18Yes.
21:19Tell me, what'd you grab?
21:20I grabbed a turkey breast cutlet.
21:21Where are we going with this?
21:22I think I'm going to Milanese it, and then I'm going to do like a pico de gallo on top
21:26of it.
21:27All right, give an insight to who this dish is for.
21:29Um, I think it's for my mom.
21:30She loves her pico de gallo, so I'm thinking of her.
21:34This one's yours.
21:36We're a Mexican family.
21:37Mmm.
21:39And there's parties for literally any occasion, even if you get fired, if you broke your leg,
21:46you know, like anything we have a party for.
21:49I grew up in LA, and I've always cooked for everyone, even when I was little.
21:55The basement will be my home just because it's so ratchet, and it's what I'm used to.
22:01I grew up, you know, in kitchens like that with limited ingredients, so I can make a meal out of
22:06anything.
22:07My personality is straightforward.
22:09It's very direct.
22:11I'll do what I want.
22:12I don't care.
22:14I'm a single mom.
22:15My daughter, she's sassy, and she has my attitude.
22:19I just want her to take life by the balls and just be like, you got this.
22:23Like, don't be afraid to do anything.
22:26Woo!
22:27That is spicy.
22:29Guys, we're halfway.
22:30Woo!
22:33Nick, what'd you grab?
22:34Sea bass.
22:35Today's my son's birthday.
22:36He loves fish.
22:38How old is he today?
22:3827.
22:39Is he following your footsteps?
22:40He's not an attorney, but he's following in my footsteps.
22:43He loves to cook.
22:44If you want to accuse me of practicing law and being passionate about cooking, then I'm guilty.
22:50I'm a state prosecutor, an assistant district attorney, and I have been doing it a very long time.
22:58Slow, slow, easy with love.
23:00I live in Brooklyn, New York, and I have the Italian passion.
23:06You know, I'm not an attorney here.
23:09I'm a chef.
23:11But I'm still ready for the battle.
23:14What are you doing with the capers?
23:15The capers are going to be part of the marination for the sea bass.
23:19Good.
23:19Good, good, good.
23:21Nick has this really slow sort of cadence to his cook.
23:25He doesn't get frazzled at all.
23:27Come on, baby.
23:27Come on, baby.
23:29Mariam, what'd you get?
23:30Chicken thighs.
23:31I'm making bandoori chicken and then bring it together with some yogurt sauce.
23:35Yeah?
23:35My kids love it.
23:36My husband loves it.
23:38What is that?
23:38It's heavy cream and green pepper.
23:40Great flavor in there, yes?
23:41I have a Pakistani breakfast.
23:42Pakistan, beautiful.
23:43Some of the best food in Pakistan.
23:46Absolutely spicy.
23:47Oh, my God.
23:47Yeah, fragrant.
23:48Amazing.
23:49We're eight minutes remaining.
23:52Let's go.
23:56Watch out.
23:58The whiskey light's on fire and I just see a fireball erupt.
24:03Oh, my gosh.
24:06I am panicking.
24:08Megan, focus.
24:09I'm thinking I have blown it on the second cook.
24:13What are you doing?
24:14I said get a pan hot.
24:16Don't burn the kitchen down.
24:22Watch out.
24:24Oh, my God.
24:25I am so embarrassed.
24:26Oh, you got it.
24:27You got it.
24:27Lower it down. Lower it down.
24:28Keep it together.
24:30You are a grown adult.
24:31Take a breath. Take a breath.
24:32She's a little frazzled right now.
24:34I kind of like this.
24:37We're down to five minutes.
24:39Yes, Chef.
24:41Right on up.
24:42Pork chop, yes?
24:43Yes.
24:43Get a little bit of butter in there.
24:44The pressure is definitely building.
24:45I'm like a frog inside of a pot of water and I can feel it slowly getting hotter and hotter.
24:49What's in there?
24:50Maple syrup, some vinegar, mushrooms, and apples.
24:53All those flavors go really well together.
24:55I got my eye on him.
24:59Nick, touch more oil in there.
25:01Yep.
25:01So that skin gets nice and crispy.
25:03I'm really confident in the way I cook my sea bass.
25:06Not my first rodeo.
25:09Oh, shoot.
25:11Jimmy, what are you doing?
25:13Some cut noodles here and I'm about to throw my scallops on.
25:17He's got to move.
25:18We might be in a Mayday, Mayday situation.
25:20There's one man that should know his timing is you, right?
25:22Let's go.
25:24This is like a, it's hard to think up there.
25:25You know, when he thinks you're dead.
25:27So, it's a quote I'm talking on.
25:28I had to say it, you know.
25:30Guys, with two minutes now, yes?
25:32Start to plate.
25:34You got it.
25:35Feeling good.
25:36Meg, it's filling the pressure.
25:37Yeah, I like this.
25:39Okay, plate that pork now.
25:41Right now.
25:4260 seconds to go.
25:44Last minute, guys.
25:48Uh, no!
25:49What is your major malfunction private?
25:53It can't be scallops and then a little bundle of pasta and then green beans on top of it.
25:58It's got to be together.
25:59Right.
26:00Nick, you cook that sea bass beautifully.
26:02The skin's crispy and you put it on the plate upside down.
26:06Five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
26:12Well done.
26:14Woo!
26:14My goodness to me.
26:16Nice work, guys.
26:17Well done.
26:19Richard Neisha, welcome back.
26:21How was that for you?
26:23You guys have leveled up since I saw you in the basement.
26:26You should be proud.
26:27So, let's kick off with sea bass done with a caper sauce cooked by Nick.
26:32A lot of capers in there, it's a little salty.
26:34Really classic pairings here.
26:36White beans, beautifully roasted peppers.
26:38I really just wish I would have had the opportunity to taste that crispy skin.
26:42Crispy now.
26:43All fish cooked on the skin get served skin side up.
26:47But I like the crispy side down.
26:49But I'm not gonna argue with Chef Ramsay.
26:51Next up, Megan.
26:53So, this is a skirt steak with a whiskey cream sauce and a rigatoni pasta.
26:58The cook on the steak is exceptional.
27:01Well done.
27:03Next up is a turkey breast Milanese cooked by Natalia.
27:09This is not a boring turkey dish.
27:11It's bright, it's fun, it's colorful, it's vibrant.
27:14It really shows off your personality.
27:15Thank you, Chef.
27:16Next up is Cathy's take on a fast track sort of ground beef bolognese.
27:23It's just a little restraint on the paprika.
27:26Yeah.
27:26Yeah.
27:28Our next dish is a pork cutlet cooked by Arnav.
27:31And it's got maple syrup glaze with apples.
27:35Great ingredients, but what you did with them, quite honestly, even better.
27:40Arnav, the pork's cooked beautifully.
27:42Well done.
27:42Great job.
27:44Next up is for Miriam.
27:45Her take on a tandoori chicken with yogurt.
27:49Lovely freshness coming off of homemade yogurt, girl.
27:52Incredible.
27:53The chicken's delicious.
27:54And that Pakistani foundation, what you grew up with, is evident here.
27:57And it's strong.
27:58Well done.
27:58And being able to represent Pakistan is something that I've always wanted to do.
28:05And then finally, chili-spiced bay scallops with homemade pasta by Jimmy, finished with green beans.
28:14I really love that you made that pasta by hand.
28:17Like, that's going the next level.
28:18The odd thing about this dish is that you have these barely cooked green beans on top of it.
28:24You want a pasta dish to be all together.
28:27All of you, give us a moment, because this is going to be our toughest decision yet.
28:31Excuse us.
28:32Oh, my God.
28:34Great job.
28:35Great job.
28:36Great job.
28:36How bloody delicious was that?
28:39Exciting food.
28:39Can we talk about the port loin?
28:40How good was that?
28:41The port loin was incredible.
28:42With the vinegar.
28:43Maple syrup and apples.
28:44Mark and Pierre White was kicking my ass at the age of 19.
28:47I was not cooking like that.
28:49How do you send somebody home?
28:50The dishes that weren't great were still really good, right?
28:53Yeah, 100%.
28:54What are you making your own pasta?
28:56Yeah, it didn't work out that great.
28:58I mean, the big decision, is it the sea bass or the scallops?
29:03Shall we?
29:05Okay, guys.
29:05Let's cut to the quick, shall we?
29:08The first three individuals that have made it to the top level.
29:13Congratulations goes to Natalia, Arnav, and Miriam.
29:19Well done.
29:20Thank you, guys.
29:21Make your way to the elevator, please.
29:22I love you.
29:23The next two are Megan and Kathy.
29:28Congratulations.
29:29Congratulations.
29:32Really well done, Megan.
29:33Excellent.
29:34Kathy, excellent.
29:34Well done.
29:37Jimmy and Nick, two really good dishes.
29:40Nick, the sea bass, the grabber smart.
29:43Jimmy, the scallops cooked beautifully.
29:46One dish did have the edge.
29:49The final individual joining the top floor is...
30:04The final individual joining the top floor is...
30:12Jimmy.
30:15Congratulations.
30:16Thanks, Chef.
30:18Oh, being on the chopping block twice in a row is not a good look,
30:22but I'm happy I'm moving on.
30:24Nick, you have no idea of the thousands of people that you beat to get here.
30:29Thank you, and continued success.
30:32Take care.
30:33Likewise.
30:34Yeah, cooking with Gordon Ramsay.
30:35I'll remember it forever.
30:37Back to life, but as a better chef.
30:45The very best of luck.
30:46Thank you, Chef.
30:47But you do have the best kitchen in America.
30:49Let's take a look at it.
30:50Let's go home, folks.
30:51Let's get them.
30:52Let's go.
30:52What do you think?
30:53A Michelin star kitchen with all the state-of-the-art appliances.
30:57Chef Blaze is talking, but I'm not hearing him because I'm just so mesmerized by the top kitchen.
31:03You got everything you've ever wanted.
31:05It's literally every chef's dream, and I get to live it.
31:09You'll have 20 minutes to cook a next-level dish that's going to prove to Gordon, Aisha, and myself that
31:14you can be on one of our teams.
31:17Only five of you are heading into that draft.
31:21Okay, line it up.
31:25Try to grab a protein that you're familiar with.
31:31Oh, my gosh.
31:32There's salmon.
31:34There it is.
31:35Natalia is not getting that salmon.
31:37I am way too competitive for this.
31:39I used to be a lumberjack for crying out loud.
31:41Someone doesn't have a protein.
31:43There's a lamb rack over here.
31:44I wasn't fast enough.
31:46Okay, good job.
31:47Ten seconds.
31:47Let's go.
31:48This is going to be the end of me.
31:49I can't cook a rack of lamb in 20 minutes.
31:52That's insanity.
31:54Five, four, three, two, one.
31:58It's moving.
31:59If you can grab him, it's yours.
32:00Okay, back to your stations.
32:02Your 20 minutes starts now.
32:04This is your moment to create a next-level dish.
32:07When you get launched off the aircraft carrier, you kind of don't really know what to grab.
32:11Kind of the same thing in the kitchen.
32:12Do I start the oven?
32:13Do I start boiling?
32:13Like, what do I do first?
32:15What am I doing?
32:15Come on, Jimmy. Come on.
32:16Jimmy, I'm expecting a top-level dish from a top gun, okay?
32:19Yes, chef.
32:20What do we got going on?
32:21So we got a nice beef filet.
32:22I'm going to make a live peppercorn sauce.
32:24Okay.
32:25I'm not sure if this is a potato.
32:27That's a potato.
32:27Okay.
32:30Just to be clear, Jimmy doesn't know what a potato is, but he drives a $20 million aircraft.
32:36Oh, that's hot.
32:38Gosh dang it.
32:40Mariam, what do we got going on?
32:42Just roasting this.
32:43Okay, so green beans, mashed potatoes, steak.
32:46What's the sauce going to be?
32:47I have some mint, I have cilantro, some garlic and oregano.
32:51To me, that sounds like a chimichurri.
32:53Yeah.
32:53Yeah, what do you think?
32:54I think I'm going to do that.
32:57Kathy, so this dish, you have the chop, you have this little bed of potatoes?
33:01Yes.
33:01Okay, I like that.
33:02I like that.
33:02This is something I would make at home.
33:05Nothing happens in my family unless Kathy says yes.
33:09My husband and I have been together for 12 years, and we have two beautiful kids together.
33:15At the end of 2019, we found out my husband had cancer, and that was also a really hard time.
33:24I was taking care of everybody and just being a caregiver and being a mom.
33:29In one of the darkest times of my life, I really leaned into cooking.
33:34It allowed me to escape from everything that I just didn't want to think about.
33:41So when I say that cooking saved me, it really, literally did save me.
33:48Is the pork chop on, Kathy?
33:50Yeah.
33:51Come on, I need it to sizzle.
33:55Arnav, what do you got going on, chef?
33:57Um, well, I got this beautiful saffron pasta.
34:00And then you have lobster.
34:01Have you cooked that before?
34:02Only time I've made lobster was when I was in fifth grade.
34:06Fifth grade?
34:06I steamed a lobster.
34:07I did it for Father's Day, actually.
34:09Listen, fifth grade was only a couple years ago, right?
34:11Yeah.
34:11So you probably remember that.
34:13This is not exactly a frat house cuisine, is it?
34:15No, not at all.
34:18I live in a frat house in Cornell.
34:20There's, like, 20 bachelors living there.
34:22You can imagine what that's like.
34:23We have access to a kitchen, and I'm always in there trying to cook with whatever leftovers we have.
34:29It's just, like, wonderful to see the 60 guys that you're super close with
34:33bite into this plate of food that I've made.
34:35So this is an Indian spice scallop.
34:39One of the things I do on campus is these pop-up dinners for people.
34:43For our next course, we have an achari mushroom or chicken.
34:46I will go around to people's dorms, do four to five courses.
34:50I'm a strong believer that if you really want to know someone, all it takes is one meal,
34:55and you could be friends for the rest of your life.
34:59Every protein needs to be cooking right now.
35:01Let's go.
35:02Chef, can I get some help with the water?
35:04Okay, so you want me to move it?
35:05Yes, please.
35:05I'm your sous chef now?
35:06Just this one?
35:08Protein's cooking.
35:09Yes, chef.
35:10Yes, chef.
35:11Okay, where are we going?
35:12I like your pace.
35:13I've got a filet of salmon.
35:14I'm from the Pacific Northwest.
35:15And along with these mushrooms, you wait.
35:16My soul is from the Pacific Northwest.
35:18Excellent.
35:19That's what I like to hear.
35:20So I like this.
35:20What is that, a salmon filet?
35:21I like Meg.
35:22Same.
35:23She's a really good cook.
35:24She is not scared.
35:25No.
35:2510 minutes left.
35:27Natalia, where's the lamb rack?
35:28I think it's ready.
35:29Back in the oven.
35:30Back?
35:31Back in the oven.
35:32Too bouncy.
35:32Back in the oven.
35:33You got time.
35:34You got time.
35:35Give it a little bit more heat.
35:36I like Natalia.
35:37I think she's looking good.
35:38Yeah, she's fierce.
35:39Come on.
35:40Kathy, get that pork chop in the oven.
35:42Richard, the pork's raw.
35:44I can touch it from here on the screen.
35:46It's raw.
35:48Butter, butter.
35:49Jimmy, should I be calling you by a call sign, by the way?
35:51Call sign's Biff, chef.
35:53Call sign's Biff?
35:54Biff.
35:56Like back to the future.
35:57Like back to the future, Biff?
35:58Yeah, chef.
35:58Am I McFly right now?
36:00We're going to go back in time?
36:01Let's go to the future where you're in the competition.
36:03How about that?
36:04I love that, Biff.
36:05OK, let's go.
36:07Five minutes.
36:08We're thinking about plating right now.
36:10Come on, get harder.
36:11I am starting to freak out a little bit if I'm going to get this pork chop done in time.
36:17Are we going to make it?
36:18Yeah, I'm not bad.
36:19All right, Kathy, pork chops in the oven?
36:21Correct.
36:22That sauce needs to reduce.
36:23Yeah.
36:23What's in there right now?
36:24Red onion, honey, and the red wine.
36:27Reduce that.
36:28And then I'm going to whisk in some butter at the end.
36:29And when you get ready to whisk in the butter, turn it off the heat.
36:32Yes.
36:32So that the butter doesn't split in there.
36:34Two minutes.
36:35It's time to plate.
36:36Big bowl, big bowl, big bowl.
36:38This has got to look elegant.
36:42Oh, my reduction is not coming out as planned.
36:49One minute left.
36:50Everyone should be plating.
36:54There's no time left for me to get this done.
36:5520 seconds.
36:58Oh, my God.
36:59What is that?
36:59Oh, my God.
37:00What is that?
37:01Five, four, three, two, one.
37:06Stop cooking, everyone.
37:07Good job, home cooks.
37:08Let's go.
37:09My eyeballs hurt.
37:14Gordon, Nyesha.
37:16Nyesha.
37:17Well done.
37:18OK.
37:19We are going to start with Jimmy's filet with a potato puree
37:22and a mushroom gravy.
37:26Filet mignon, spot on.
37:28Beautifully done.
37:30But unfortunately, it's sat on this rich bed of undercooked mash.
37:34It's lumpy.
37:37So this is lamb rack with potato and asparagus,
37:40cooked by Natalia.
37:44It's a really good dish.
37:45It really is next level.
37:47This is from Mariam.
37:48This is our New York strip with potatoes, green beans,
37:51and a chimichurri.
37:54Really great job.
37:55This New York strip is incredibly cooked.
37:58Next is the salmon with wild mushrooms and roasted carrots by Megan.
38:04Interesting you breaking out and not using a cast iron.
38:06You feeling OK?
38:09Our job is to critique.
38:10So would I have loved a pinot noir sauce
38:12with this Pacific Northwest take with the wild mushrooms
38:15and the salmon?
38:15Yes, but the salmon is cooked really, really excellently.
38:19Thank you, Chef.
38:20Next up, we have the butter poached lobster tail
38:23with saffron pasta.
38:25Arnav made that pasta by hand.
38:28What's your date of birth?
38:29September 2004.
38:30Oh, my goodness.
38:31What?
38:32Holy .
38:33Wow.
38:34Lobster's delicious.
38:35Butter poached.
38:36It's a sort of added luxuriousness.
38:38Really well done.
38:40Lastly, Cathy's pork chop with a red wine honey sauce.
38:44My heart is pounding because everything is riding on this dish.
39:10Pork is cooked beautifully.
39:13But the sauce needs work.
39:16The sauce just brings the whole dish down.
39:20OK, chat amongst yourselves.
39:22We need a few minutes to hash this out.
39:25Wow.
39:26Very good.
39:27That's some of the best cooked proteins I've ever witnessed.
39:30But if I had to say two dishes I wouldn't eat again,
39:34it would be the filet and the pork.
39:37I think that's right, but which one?
39:40This has got to be just the hardest decision for these guys.
39:44Shall we?
39:45I think so, we're sure?
39:46We need you.
39:48OK, guys.
39:50Before we reveal our decision,
39:52I want to give you all one final reminder
39:54of why you're here and what you're all fighting for.
40:07I wish there was a sick shirt up there,
40:09but only five of you can move on to the draft
40:11and be part of our teams.
40:13The first person who's earned their place
40:15to be on one of our teams is...
40:21Arnav.
40:22Well done.
40:25The second person is...
40:29Megan.
40:31Oh, my God.
40:32I'm going to sign my cookbook for Gordon Ramsay.
40:36The third person is...
40:38Natalia.
40:41So the fourth person who's headed into the draft is...
40:47Mariam.
40:48Good job, Mariam.
40:50OK, this one was tough.
40:56The final person who's moving on to the draft...
41:02is...
41:05Kathy.
41:10Nice work.
41:12Nice work.
41:13Good to have you ever.
41:15Jimmy, you're running around here like Captain America,
41:17to be honest.
41:18I know you're already proud of yourself,
41:20but you should be even more so after that cook.
41:22I appreciate it, Chef.
41:23We've loved what you stood for,
41:24what you've done for the country,
41:25but more importantly, keep that head up very high.
41:28Thank you, Chef.
41:28Coming into this, I kind of doubted myself.
41:30This puts you through the ringer,
41:32and I think I've grown a lot.
41:33Good luck.
41:34Once I go back home,
41:34it's just going to feel like a dream.
41:36I don't want to wake up, but I'm going to have to.
41:38Give them hell.
41:44The five best home chefs in America standing right here.
41:48This season, the home cooks are the best we've ever had.
41:52I'm just so excited to get to this draft and then get the team going.
41:56Because here's the thing, we get better too.
41:59I see greatness in a lot of these chefs,
42:01and I have to pick wisely.
42:04Well done.
42:05Well done, well done, well done.
42:06Good girl.
42:07Well done.
42:07Good girl.
42:09Good man.
42:10Congratulations.
42:11How do you feel?
42:12You good?
42:13I'm good.
42:14Amazing job.
42:14Thank you so much.
42:15Amazing job.
42:16Honestly, well done.
42:17Don't go on Richard's team.
42:20Congratulations.
42:21You feel good?
42:22There's so much.
42:23There is.
42:26Home chef's my ass.
42:28Professional chefs, well done.
42:32Man.
42:33Good job, guys.
42:38Next time on Next Level Chef.
42:40He's a professional chef.
42:41Let's go.
42:43It's bitten.
42:43You're professionals now want to see it.
42:45Oh, boy.
42:45What did I come here for to win?
42:47Right up, right up, right up, right.
42:48Pretty quick knife skill behind closed doors.
42:50I'm like, you.
42:51Do you know where the lighter is?
42:52I'm your mentor, not your bitch.
42:53Is that legal?
42:54There's a lot of running happening.
42:55What?
42:55I need something to get it.
42:57Not a lot of time.
42:59Oh, la, la.
43:00My hand is completely burned.
43:02Quiet your way back.
43:03You didn't come this far to only come this far, girl.
43:04Hell no.
43:05Great grab.
43:05That filet is so much more than a piece of meat.
43:08It's my ticket to a mentorship.
43:10Anyone else turned on right now?
43:12No.
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