- 2 hours ago
Next Level Chef Season 5 Episode 14
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00:00This is the most important burger
00:02in my life at this point.
00:03I will be sending home the short rib burger.
00:05Christian.
00:06Chop, chop.
00:07And tonight, we will have 30 minutes
00:09to create a fusion dish inspired by the cuisines
00:12of two World Cup countries.
00:14Mexico, Argentina, England.
00:17Argentina and Germany are very different cuisines.
00:19Um, what am I going to do with this?
00:21Please welcome Alexi Lalas.
00:23I believe that we will win!
00:25I believe that we will win!
00:51Good morning!
00:52Oh, we're being soccer today?
00:54What?
00:54Oh, wow!
00:55My favorite sport, man.
00:56Amazing!
00:57What the heck?
00:59Why is there a soccer field in the middle of here?
01:01I cannot take any more surprises right now.
01:04Nice, chefs. Good morning.
01:06Good morning.
01:07Welcome to the Next Level Stadium.
01:09Wow.
01:11Well, let's see right now.
01:12I really wish I had my Scotland jersey with me
01:13because I'd get out there and play a little sort of five-a-side together.
01:16Forget Scotland.
01:17You know I'm pulling for the red, white, and blue.
01:19Same.
01:20I would get out there. Let's go.
01:21But I just want to warn you, I'm pretty sure,
01:23since we're so competitive, I'd run circles around both of you.
01:26Just saying. I'm just saying.
01:29Are you kidding me?
01:32Come on.
01:35Listen up.
01:36Today, we are celebrating
01:37one of the most incredible sporting events in the world.
01:41The 2026 FIFA World Cup, airing on Fox this summer.
01:46How cool is that?
01:47Let's go, cool.
01:49The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup was in 1994.
01:54So, we've decided to bring in a legend from that team.
01:58Oh, s**t.
01:59Please welcome America's soccer star and Fox Sports lead analyst, Alexi Lalas.
02:05Yes.
02:07Hello.
02:08Hello, people.
02:10Hi.
02:10I grew up watching Alexi Lalas.
02:13Everything meaningful in soccer in the States, he's the face on the TV.
02:17Oh, my goodness me. Welcome to Next Level Stadium.
02:20This is awesome.
02:21You've got a busy summer ahead of you.
02:23Busy summer.
02:24The biggest World Cup in history.
02:25It's fitting to bring it back to the United States with our friends to the North Canada
02:29and our friends to the South of Mexico.
02:30I go back to 1994.
02:32I was literally running around as a spotty 25-year-old chef.
02:35Wow.
02:36Watching you on that pitch, extraordinary.
02:37It was a lot of hair ago.
02:41My God, Bob, a cross, cross, shot, and it's gone!
02:46Nice!
02:52How excited are you?
02:53It's here.
02:54I am jacked up.
02:55This is me jacked up.
02:56You smell that?
02:57That's a World Cup.
02:58A World Cup is a celebration.
02:59A World Cup is an adventure.
03:01The candle has been lit.
03:02We will see where it leads us.
03:04You know a little bit about competition.
03:06Obviously, you've been to the highest level.
03:08Do you have any advice for our competitors?
03:10Only five of them left.
03:12What do they need to do to bring this home?
03:13Whether it's on a soccer field or whether it's in the kitchen,
03:16if you don't believe in yourself, nobody else is going to.
03:19Ultimately, you have to say,
03:20I am here for a reason, and I'm going to kick some ass.
03:22That's right.
03:23There we go.
03:24One of the greatest things the World Cup does
03:27is bring nations together.
03:29So for today's top five challenge,
03:31you'll do exactly that.
03:33You'll have 30 minutes to create a stunning fusion dish
03:36inspired by the cuisines of two incredible World Cup countries.
03:41So let your imagination go wild.
03:43I'm kind of like the embodiment of fusion.
03:46Got Cameroon, German, Irish.
03:49I was born for this challenge.
03:51Now listen, that's the goal today, okay?
03:53Honor two culinary traditions in one united dish.
03:58And only 30 minutes to do it.
04:0130 minutes?
04:01Come on, at least give them a half.
04:0245 minutes is a half in soccer.
04:04You're not even going to give them a half.
04:05Would you like 45 minutes?
04:06Yes, sir.
04:07Yes, sir.
04:08No.
04:08Too bad.
04:10And Alexi's going to help us judge today.
04:12You got it.
04:13That's amazing.
04:14And listen, I listen to Alexi's podcast.
04:16He's a harsh critic, okay?
04:17I am.
04:18I am.
04:18So feed me.
04:19Feed me well.
04:21Right.
04:22Connor.
04:23Yes, sir.
04:23Thanks to that incredible winning dish last time around,
04:26you know you have that time token,
04:28which means you've got a big choice, young man, to make today.
04:31Are you going to keep that extra 10 seconds for yourself at the platform
04:34or take 10 seconds away from one of your fellow competitors?
04:41I'm going to take the 10, chef.
04:42You're going to take the 10 yourself?
04:44Yes.
04:44My best cooks have been the cooks with intentional grabs.
04:47So if I can bring that together today with the time token, I feel good.
04:51Gabrielle, you're cooking in the basement this time around.
04:54I'm ready.
04:55Anybody can cook in the penthouse.
04:56Don't you worry about it.
04:56It's going to be fine.
04:57I'm betting on you.
04:58Yes.
04:59Connor and Cole, you're on the top level today.
05:03Head to the elevator.
05:04And I'll see you there soon.
05:05Let's go, Connor.
05:06Let's go, Cole.
05:06You can do this.
05:07Believe in yourselves.
05:08We got this.
05:09Cole, let's go.
05:17Woo!
05:18Top kitchen, baby.
05:19Let's get it.
05:19Come on, now.
05:20I love fusion cuisine.
05:22It is everything that I'm about.
05:23But fusion can turn into confusion real quick,
05:26so I don't want to be confused at all.
05:28I want to have a solid plan and idea going into this cook for sure.
05:31I got the exact same.
05:33Let's go.
05:33We know exactly what we need.
05:41Oh, thanks.
05:42Oh, we get to look at each other.
05:44Yeah, there you go.
05:45Here it is.
05:49My very own kitchen.
05:50What a dream.
05:51God, I love this.
05:53This is my basement.
05:54I am so excited to run for that platform by myself.
05:59It's spooky down here.
06:00It's spooky.
06:04All right, let's go, Connor and Cole.
06:06Let's go.
06:06How we doing?
06:07How we doing?
06:08Listen, I love this challenge, right?
06:10I love sort of like the idea of really good fusion.
06:13So I know we can make this happen.
06:15Yes, Chef.
06:15There's a literal U.S. soccer chant that's, I believe that we can win.
06:19I believe that we can win.
06:21I believe that we can win.
06:26Let's go.
06:27What's up, Chef?
06:28Let's go, baby.
06:29Yay.
06:31What's happening?
06:34Let's go, girl.
06:36Let's go.
06:37Let's do it.
06:38You guys?
06:39You and me are done already.
06:40I feel great.
06:41First pick for Chef Ramsay.
06:44And now here we are in the basement together.
06:46Come on.
06:47This is a love story.
06:49This is what we've all been waiting for.
06:52And it's finally here.
06:53So grab that first basket, something classic.
06:56And then a second drop when that comes down, sort of weave it in.
06:59These guys are grabbing two baskets randomly.
07:02It's like a guessing game.
07:03They literally have to pivot and think quickly on their feet
07:05to come up with a fully uncompromising dish
07:08to blend both cultures on one plate.
07:10That's a hard task.
07:12I'm ready.
07:12We've got this.
07:13What a dream.
07:16All right, here we go.
07:17When the lights green, it's go time.
07:18Connor, you got an extra 10 seconds because of the time token.
07:21Here we go.
07:22We've got this time.
07:23It's go time.
07:24Your time starts right now.
07:27Chef, what do we got, dude?
07:29Argentina, state.
07:30England, USA, Argentina.
07:31I'm seeing gorgeous shrimp and seafood,
07:34but paella in 30 minutes.
07:37Hell no.
07:37Do you like fish or meat?
07:38That's a good way to start here.
07:39I gotta go USA.
07:39USA?
07:40I'm seeing chicken, USA.
07:42I have something in the back of my mind.
07:43You're saying USA, USA, USA.
07:47Go, go, let's go.
07:48Come on, call.
07:49Argentina, what's over here?
07:50All right, you got Argentina.
07:51Do you like seafood or meat?
07:53You got seafood up top.
07:55Spain, perfect.
07:56I love Spanish food.
07:57I feel like I have the perfect fixings
07:59for a paella type of situation.
08:01I love seafood.
08:02This is gonna go perfectly.
08:05Go, go, go.
08:06Go, go, go.
08:10Mexico, Argentina, England.
08:11I'm seeing this Mexico basket.
08:13I like pork, pineapple.
08:15Yes, okay.
08:16One down, one to go.
08:18I see this steak.
08:19I'm like, I want a ribeye.
08:20It's beautiful.
08:21Let's go to Argentina.
08:22Good job.
08:23I'm happy with this.
08:27Let's go.
08:27What is coming to us?
08:28Let's go, girl.
08:29Let's go.
08:30Let's go, let's go.
08:30Yes, England.
08:32What?
08:33That is incredible.
08:35Fish, malt vinegar, potatoes, mayonnaise, pickles.
08:40I immediately see the vision for the dish.
08:43Fish and chips, classic.
08:44It's a malt vinegar fries.
08:45Fish and chips with my guy?
08:47We are fired up about this basket.
08:51Let's do it.
08:52That is amazing.
08:53Wow, we got really lucky.
08:55All right, guys.
08:57World Cup fusion dish.
08:58Your 30 minutes starts right now.
09:00Let's go.
09:00Let's go, let's go.
09:01This is a great grab.
09:03Darian, what did you grab?
09:04Yes, I got some beautiful ribeye steak,
09:06some bell peppers, eggplant, potatoes.
09:09Nice.
09:09What are you thinking about the peppers?
09:10The peppers, I'm putting my chimichurri.
09:13Excellent.
09:14We need music on here, chef.
09:16Andy's a singer.
09:19Don't think I didn't look up your songs on Spotify.
09:21What?
09:21Uh-oh.
09:22Call me out, chef.
09:23Girl, I had to.
09:24I said, what is Andy all about?
09:26All right, Andy, what you got?
09:28I've got pork chop.
09:29I'm going to spice this up,
09:30make an amazing kind of tomato pepper sauce
09:33to go with it underneath.
09:35Yum.
09:35Flavors of Mexico.
09:36Yes, exactly.
09:38So what are you hoping for
09:39to go with your Mexican-flavored inspiration?
09:41I would love Italian, chef.
09:44Ooh, nice.
09:47What are we making?
09:48I grabbed Spain, chef.
09:49Right now I'm going towards a paella-type base.
09:52That's how my fusion's going to start,
09:53but I know I can get a lot of different things
09:55that can go well with that.
09:56So I love this.
09:57What are you hoping for with the next basket?
09:59I'm hoping for something that has, like, some spice.
10:01I'd love the idea of, like, a jambalaya or paella dish.
10:04Okay, so we know one thing.
10:06Paella, just like risotto,
10:07has got to start as soon as you can.
10:08Yes, chef.
10:10All right, Connor, what are we making?
10:12I got USA, baby.
10:13I'm going to do fried chicken from America.
10:14Okay, fried chicken.
10:15So what basket would you love to see next, then?
10:18You know, I think fried chicken is so, you know, versatile.
10:21There's Korean fried chicken.
10:22There's Japanese fried chicken.
10:24Pretty classic, right?
10:25Yes, chef.
10:25Hey, Connor and Cole, platform is on the move.
10:27Here come your second baskets, okay?
10:29What's going to work with Spain and the USA?
10:31I'm looking for Korean or Japanese,
10:34something to give me that sticky, icky fried chicken.
10:36I'm going to go Italy.
10:38The gods have spoken.
10:39Italy, America, chicken parm.
10:41That's kind of classic.
10:43Canada, Germany, Brazil, and South Korea.
10:46I'm looking for something spicy, something punchy,
10:48something that can really give this paella an edge.
10:51Five seconds left.
10:52Here's South Korea.
10:53Korea, yep, perfect.
10:55I see a little gochuchang in there.
10:56I know gochuchang can go pretty well inside of this paella.
11:01Platform's on the move again, guys.
11:03What are you going to use to fuse into your dish?
11:05You have Canada, Germany, and Brazil.
11:07I'm going to take Germany.
11:09I've got the bratwurst and the beer,
11:10so we're crowed.
11:12Challenging.
11:13I'm here for it, though.
11:14There's Brazil and then Canada.
11:17Okay, let's think, think, think, think.
11:18Five seconds.
11:20This is a game time decision.
11:21Let's go.
11:22Now, now, now, now.
11:23Potato, cheese, sausage.
11:25Canada seems like the simplest basket.
11:28Okay, okay, okay.
11:30Cheese curds.
11:32Oh, gosh.
11:34I've never had a Mexican-Canadian fusion dish in my life.
11:39Literally shaking.
11:40That was a terrible decision.
11:42Oh, my goodness.
11:44Looking at that Brazil basket go down,
11:47I made the wrong call.
11:50Here we go.
11:51Here we go.
11:52Second one.
11:53Here we go.
11:53We have got...
11:54Brazil.
11:55Uh, Brazil.
11:57Okay.
11:58Okay.
11:58England and Brazil.
11:59Oh, my goodness.
12:00England and Brazil.
12:02Perfect combination.
12:03You heard it here first.
12:05I mean, that is a perfect soccer game.
12:07Let's get that absolutely true.
12:09Wow.
12:12Okay, okay, okay.
12:13What can we do with Canada?
12:15Let's do some boiled potatoes
12:18and make a puree out of it.
12:20And the sausage, I'm going to slice that up,
12:22put it into my sauce.
12:24I'm like, oh, this...
12:25This is going to be fire.
12:27Ooh, I like it.
12:28I like it.
12:28I'm just getting excited.
12:2920 minutes remain.
12:30Only 20 minutes.
12:31All right, Cole, what did you grab here?
12:33I grabbed South Korea, chef.
12:35It's kind of what you wanted, isn't it?
12:35So I'm going to do, like,
12:36almost like a gochujang paella type of situation.
12:38Let's go, Cole.
12:39That sounds fire.
12:40Let's get the rice going.
12:41Yes, chef.
12:42Let's get the rice cooking.
12:44Okay, Connor, so what did we get?
12:45What is our second basket?
12:46Italy.
12:47My first thought is fried chicken parmesan.
12:49Let's go.
12:50I love it.
12:50I love it.
12:51American cheese.
12:52Italian-American.
12:53These are some of the most classic,
12:54quintessential dishes on the planet.
12:56So if I can't do something with this, come on.
12:59Tomato sauce has got to cook,
13:00and you've got to get your chicken breaded,
13:01and you've got to get that cooking as well, right?
13:03Connor, you've got a lot of work to do, right?
13:04Yes, Sam.
13:10Okay, Andy, you grabbed Canada.
13:13How is that influencing your dish of fusion?
13:16I'm excited.
13:17I'm going to do this fresh salsa with some grilled pineapple
13:21with a little maple syrup.
13:23Bringing sweetness into the maple syrup.
13:25Nice.
13:25Yes, and then a potato puree,
13:28and then a tomato-y sauce,
13:31and I'm going to bring in the sausage in that sauce as well.
13:34Nice, chef.
13:34Kind of chunky, rustic.
13:36Yes.
13:36Excellent.
13:3722 minutes left, guys.
13:39I just want to get my pork going.
13:42Treat that pork with kindness.
13:46Did you grow up eating a lot of fish and chips?
13:48Fish and chips, that was a staple.
13:50Oh, my God.
13:51That was a, I mean, absolute staple,
13:52and a massive treat as well.
13:54I'll be honest, I've never had Brazilian fishy chips, but...
13:56We're going to do it today.
13:57Today is the day.
13:58Today is the day.
13:59I feel like I can toss this sausage with my peas.
14:02Yes, nice idea.
14:03I have never cooked a Brazilian sausage before,
14:05but tossing it in with the peas is a great pairing.
14:09I see the cachaça, and I'm like, the what?
14:12The co-what?
14:13Like, what is this?
14:14That's like a local alcohol,
14:16so maybe the batter,
14:18just a little splash in the batter as well.
14:19Okay.
14:20Okay.
14:20We've already got this beer batter going.
14:22Why not toss a little in there
14:25and then use it as a deglazing agent?
14:27Nice.
14:28Nice, nice, nice.
14:30Okay, okay.
14:31Hello.
14:32Oh, this is the basement, huh?
14:34This is the dungeon.
14:35It smells of authenticity, though.
14:37You love it?
14:37This is real cooking here.
14:39This is great.
14:39Exactly.
14:40Exactly that.
14:40What do we got going here?
14:41So, first basket was an incredible English box
14:44with traditional fish and chips,
14:45and then followed by...
14:46Brazil.
14:46Brazil.
14:47Brazil-England?
14:48Yes.
14:49What do you think?
14:50I had a nickel for every time a Brazil-England fusion disc
14:52was requested.
14:53It smells good.
14:54It looks good.
14:55Oh, yes.
14:56I'm going to go upstairs, right?
14:56Okay.
14:57Thanks, my man.
14:57All right.
14:57Good luck.
14:58See you later.
14:59Take care.
14:59Come on.
15:00Score that goal.
15:02Guys, we're halfway down.
15:0315 minutes to go.
15:04Wow.
15:05We're just a time girl.
15:07Hello.
15:08Hello.
15:09Hey.
15:09Welcome.
15:10There he is.
15:10To the middle level.
15:11How are you doing?
15:11I'm doing fine.
15:12How are you guys doing?
15:13Feeling it today?
15:14Alexi, he said you were throwing an apron on
15:16and helping him in sushi.
15:18That would be great.
15:21Andy has Mexico and Canada.
15:22Wow.
15:23Our host countries.
15:24The United States, Canada, and Mexico
15:25hosting the World Cup this summer.
15:27Exactly.
15:28That's right.
15:28Love that.
15:29Obviously, you've been to Mexico and Canada.
15:31Yes.
15:31Have you been to Argentina or Germany?
15:33I've been to Argentina and to Germany.
15:35Amazing.
15:36And, you know, all over the place.
15:37Guys, Alexi's been to every country on this floor.
15:40Wow.
15:41And he'll be tasting your dishes,
15:42so here to impress.
15:43Right, guys?
15:44Well, I'm already impressed.
15:45Dari, you ever played soccer?
15:46All my life in Jamaica.
15:48Defender, you know?
15:48Reggae boys.
15:49Reggae boys.
15:50Are you happy with your picks?
15:53I see the wheel's turning.
15:55It's turning.
15:56Okay.
15:56All right, yeah.
15:57It's turning for sure.
15:58All right, good luck.
15:59You don't have a lot of time.
15:59Let's go.
16:00Let's go.
16:00Let's go.
16:01Okay.
16:03How are you fusing your countries together?
16:05What's the flavor profile?
16:06So I'm going with the chimichurri.
16:10Yep.
16:10For Argentina.
16:12You know, Germany.
16:14Argentina and Germany are very different cuisines.
16:18It's just two kind of difficult countries to appear together and make sense on a plate.
16:24What the f*** do you do with that?
16:26You know, I cook fusion in a daily, but I've never done German and Argentina.
16:31So I'm like, holy crap.
16:35What am I going to do with this?
16:36I'm going to try to figure out what I'm going to do here.
16:43The two absolute you're going home is undercooked rice or undercooked chicken, right?
16:48Yes, chef.
16:48Those are the two things that are going to absolutely destroy us.
16:51Oh.
16:53Lex, I love it.
16:54Look who it is, man.
16:55Look who it is.
16:55I smell the rarefied air of the penthouse, the top floor.
17:00Okay, what do we got going here?
17:01Right here, I have a Korean and Spanish style paella.
17:05Korea and Spain.
17:07Yes.
17:07Oh my goodness.
17:08All right, two teams that are definitely going to be playing in the World Cup this summer.
17:12Spanish cuisine is sort of like Spanish football.
17:14It looks really simple, but it's really not.
17:16There's a lot of small details.
17:17There's a lot of layers.
17:18There's a lot of layers and complexity, but ultimately there's a beauty to it.
17:21Yes.
17:21Yeah, get that stock in there and let's get a cookie.
17:23Okay.
17:24I really don't have time to chit-chat.
17:26Love you, Alexi.
17:27But I'm trying to focus on getting this stuff cooked or else I won't have anything for you to taste.
17:33Over to Connor.
17:33It's a pleasure, man.
17:34Connor is like an iconic California kid, so he's making American fried chicken parmesan.
17:39We live around the corner, so this better be good or else I'm going to heckle you.
17:43I've seen Alexi Lala's heckle with the best of them, so that's just a little extra motivation
17:48for my to be pristine because I'm not trying to get roasted by that man today.
17:53I grew up watching you and seeing you on the TV, so I got extra fire in the tank and
17:57it's
17:57an honor to cook for you today, Alexi.
17:58The pressure is on, Alexi.
18:00We're in the 90th minute.
18:01We got 12 minutes of stoppage time left here.
18:03That's right.
18:04We got to push.
18:04I see no sweating at all here, though.
18:06Both of these contestants know what they're doing.
18:08It's very, very obvious.
18:09I'm sweating.
18:10I've lost two inches off the hair already, Alexi, so...
18:12All right.
18:13Keep going.
18:13Don't let me interrupt you.
18:15And I cannot wait to taste this.
18:16All right.
18:16It's a pleasure.
18:17Thanks, Alexi.
18:17We appreciate you, man.
18:19Alexi, I believe that we will win.
18:20I believe that we will win.
18:23I believe that we will win.
18:25I believe that we will win.
18:28Man, what a treat.
18:32All right, Darian, where are we going?
18:33So I'm going to roast these potatoes up, you know, Germany.
18:36Yep.
18:36Got the rustic vibe going on, too.
18:38Sauerkraut, it's sort of fermented cabbage.
18:42You see that pickly sort of flavor?
18:44It would be in the chimichurri.
18:45It would be really nice in your chimichurri.
18:47Absolutely.
18:47So I'm going to use my Sauerkraut in the chimichurri.
18:49I've never done anything like this before, but fusion, that's what I do best.
18:54That's what my entire restaurant is about.
18:56And I'm feeling good about this.
18:59Ten minutes to go, y'all.
19:01Yes.
19:02That's it.
19:03And then turn that pan and sambay in.
19:05There you go, f***ing careful.
19:06Woo!
19:09I'm going to burn my eyebrows off.
19:11Bloody hell, pals.
19:12The basement is the vibe today.
19:15I feel bad for the other levels.
19:17Whatever happens after this, this is going to go down as my best day.
19:20I'm telling you, girl.
19:21Together in the basement.
19:22And I've given birth twice, so.
19:25Oh, my gosh.
19:26We're total besties, Gordon and Gab.
19:29We should do this again, you and I.
19:31Right?
19:31We're a good team.
19:33When do you want to meet up?
19:35I'm ready whenever.
19:37We are the A team.
19:39Come on.
19:39Yes.
19:40Yes, Chef.
19:42Eight minutes left, everyone.
19:44Eight minutes, heard.
19:46Okay, what's going on, Cole?
19:47Feeling a little behind, Chef.
19:49What are we behind on?
19:50Um, the rice.
19:51Got it.
19:51I need it to be cooked all the way in the next five minutes so I can drop my seafood
19:54in there.
19:55Okay.
19:55Do we have more stock to go in there?
19:57Heard, Chef.
19:58Okay.
19:58It was always going to be last minute.
20:00Okay, boom.
20:02Okay, uh, chicken is frying.
20:04Yes, Chef.
20:05It is?
20:05It's getting close.
20:06Okay.
20:06It looks really good, dude.
20:08Thank you, Chef.
20:08It looks really good.
20:09You got the cheddar cheese sliced so that it's going to melt on top.
20:12Yes, Chef.
20:12Got my cheeses right there.
20:13Dude, I'm excited about this dish, man.
20:14I'm excited, too.
20:15My sauce is a little salty, but I think it's going to be good in the mix.
20:17Dude, you're locked in, man.
20:18I love it.
20:19Locked in, man.
20:19I'm here to freaking bring it all.
20:21You got this, Connor.
20:22Okay, let's go.
20:25Get that pork out of that pan.
20:28Are you slicing your pork?
20:29No, Chef.
20:30I'm going to keep it whole.
20:32Darian, how are your potatoes?
20:34Delicious.
20:34It's actually really good.
20:36See if you want to taste some of these?
20:37I would love it.
20:37So, this is my chimichurri I made with the sauerkraut with that brightness.
20:42Delicious.
20:42Thank you, Chef.
20:43Keep going, Darian.
20:43Keep going.
20:46That fish is cooked beautifully.
20:50This is a winner, man.
20:51Yes, it is.
20:52Let's move to the top.
20:53This is not a Gordon Ramsay fish and chips.
20:55This is Gabrielle's fish and chips, yes?
20:56This is Gabrielle's fish and chips.
20:58Come on, girl.
21:00Four minutes left.
21:02The number one thing is that rice has got to be cooked.
21:04The chicken has to be cooked.
21:05I want to be the mentor that keeps both of you up top.
21:08Okay, the rice is working in extra time.
21:11Yes, Chef.
21:12I am sitting here with this rice, and it's just not getting to where I need it to get.
21:16I'm afraid that it's not going to be cooked all the way.
21:19Is the rice cooked?
21:20Talk to me, Cole.
21:21Not yet, Chef.
21:26Three minutes left.
21:28Three minutes.
21:28Cole, that rice has got to get cooked.
21:31We got to go, okay?
21:32Yes, Chef.
21:33Two minutes, guys.
21:34Start plating.
21:35Think about how these different countries plate differently, right?
21:39And how we're fusing the looks together.
21:41Yes, Chef.
21:41Yes, Chef.
21:43Love that.
21:44On you go.
21:45Love that.
21:46Woo!
21:47Here it comes.
21:48Platform's moving, girl.
21:49Let's go.
21:50All the way.
21:50We're going all the way.
21:53Wow, look at that.
21:54Love it!
21:56Thank you, Chef.
21:5820 seconds, guys.
22:00We're not missing the platform, right?
22:02Platform's here.
22:05There it is, let's go.
22:07Now, now, now, now.
22:08Wow, that was intense.
22:10Oh, God.
22:13Platform is arriving.
22:14Get it on the platter.
22:15Let's go, Connor.
22:16You okay?
22:17Yes, Chef.
22:18Platform's here, Connor.
22:19Connor, five seconds left.
22:20All right.
22:21Okay, go, go, go.
22:22Let's go.
22:25Wow.
22:31Well, let's have a look at these beauties.
22:35Oh, my goodness me.
22:38Wowza.
22:38What an exciting challenge.
22:40Yes, Chef.
22:40Yes, Chef.
22:41Is this a celebration of the World Cup or what?
22:43This is, you know, this is kind of, like, knee-deep in a World Cup.
22:46Some great countries.
22:47They all look wonderful.
22:49Should we start at the top level, please?
22:51Yeah, let's do it.
22:52Over here.
22:52Yes, of course.
22:53I'm so used to you being in the basement.
22:55I'm so sorry.
22:56No worries.
22:57This Chef had to fuse the USA and Italy.
23:01So they made a fried chicken parmesan with homemade tomato sauce and roasted potatoes.
23:07That was good.
23:07I think this is an incredible way to fuse two different dishes together.
23:12You take the classic elements of a dish and you sort of reinvent it.
23:15Cheddar cheese works really well with the crispiness and the richness of the fried chicken.
23:20Chicken is cooked beautifully.
23:22It's heavily battered, so it just needs a touch more salt.
23:24But it's really good.
23:25Yeah, I think this Chef did a great job combining the USA and Italy.
23:29I wish maybe I got a little bit more brightness out of the tomatoes, but it's a minor quip.
23:34Okay, next up we have a gochujang paella.
23:38This Chef had Spain and South Korea.
23:43Spain, as we know on the soccer field, are incredibly complex in what they do,
23:48but there is also a simplicity underneath it.
23:50So I get a little bit of that.
23:52It's got a little zing.
23:52Very good.
23:53Yeah, really nice composition.
23:55Great presentation.
23:56Definitely reads paella.
23:57The part that I'm searching for is that Korean element, the gochujang.
24:01Definitely understated.
24:03Smart combination.
24:04Really good grab.
24:05Rice needs another 90 seconds.
24:07It just needs to be bloomed a bit more.
24:09Yeah, I think the rice is a little bit undercooked.
24:11I would have loved to see like a finishing aioli or something else to just break through some of the
24:15salinity.
24:16At this stage in the game, there's only five of us.
24:18There's no room for mistakes.
24:20There's no room for errors.
24:21I could be looking at the elimination cook, and that means my future in the finale is on the line.
24:28Okay, let's move to the middle level, please.
24:30First up, this chef had Mexico and Canada.
24:34That's a tough combination, though, isn't it?
24:35Yes, definitely.
24:36Here we have a cumin-scented pork chop with a charred pineapple salsa and elk sausage.
24:42There's some maple syrup that was used in the sweetness of the salsa as well.
24:46The thing I'm struggling with is I think it would be hard for me to pick out what the countries
24:51were.
24:52Pork, a little bit chewy on the fatty side and a little bit overcooked for me.
24:56It's a tough grab because of the Canadian influence with elk on top of a pork chop.
25:00You've got your work cut out there.
25:02Sauce exceptional.
25:05Next up, we are heading to Argentina by way of Germany.
25:08This is a spiced rubbed ribeye served with a bratwurst demi-glaze and a sauerkraut shimmy.
25:17Now, this is fusion.
25:18I'm really interested in what this is going to taste like.
25:23That's good.
25:24And I like my mooing, so this is well-cooked for me.
25:28That's good.
25:29Ribeye's cooked beautifully.
25:30Smart moo with a sauerkraut.
25:31It's actually delicious.
25:32It's a really good combination.
25:34You know, we asked for two World Cup nations that play together, and this is a great composition of that.
25:40Yeah, I mean, sauerkraut shimmy churri does not sound like something that I want to enjoy,
25:46but I do really, really enjoy it.
25:47Like, I'll take that back to my kitchen and play around with it.
25:51Fancy coming down to the basement for some fish and chips?
25:54Big old party down there on the bottom floor.
25:56So this is a English-Brazilian fusion beer batter fish and chips with a caramelized sausage fresh pea with mint,
26:04vinegar fries, and that Brazilian liqueur is in the batter.
26:08Yeah, I want to hear this one, because it looks so crunchy.
26:12Yes.
26:13How the crunchy gets.
26:18I mean, a classic type of match-up when it comes to international soccer here,
26:22usually it's the English that will be whining and crying about everything,
26:26whether it's on the field or off the field.
26:27I would think that the Brazilians would taste this and say,
26:30there's not enough Brazil, we need more Brazil.
26:33By the way, it's the same here.
26:34Usually the English are whining a little bit more than everyone else.
26:37I just would like to address the room.
26:39I'm actually Scottish.
26:41Visually, it's hard to find Brazil in the dish visually, but when you taste it, when you taste it,
26:47you know, you do get the notes from the sausage and really smart use of the liqueur in the batter.
26:53Really, really delicious.
26:54The cachaça works really well.
26:56It really adds the crispiness in the batter.
26:59Really smart.
27:01Okay.
27:02Richard, Naisha, and I have got a lot to talk about.
27:04But in the meantime, give a big round of applause for this incredible legend.
27:07And the very best of luck.
27:09Let's go, champ.
27:10Let's get it.
27:11Hosting the World Cup soon on Fox.
27:14America!
27:15Happy birthday, America!
27:19Right, you five, well done.
27:20Chat amongst yourselves, grab a ball, Andy, go and go, and take some penalties.
27:24We'll be back in a moment, please.
27:26Let's go.
27:27Get it, girl.
27:28Like when I was...
27:30Oh, wow.
27:31Nice.
27:32Okay.
27:32Okay, tricks.
27:34Yes.
27:34There it is.
27:35Oh, my God.
27:36Right, should we start at the top four?
27:38Yes.
27:38I think the American fried chicken parmesan.
27:41Winner.
27:42Yeah.
27:42Under-seasoned for me.
27:43I think that's a great way to fuse two nations together.
27:47Unfortunately, the paella, which was Spain and South Korea, just didn't execute.
27:51It read more paella than a fusion dish.
27:53But also, some of those rice cows are a bit crunchy.
27:55Definitely underdone.
27:56Damn, that rice would be my demise.
27:58We're in the basement.
27:59Fish chips was exceptional.
28:00And very smart to use the Brazilian liqueur in the batter.
28:04It's delicious.
28:04Middle floor.
28:05The pork chop was slightly overdone.
28:07It was a bit dry, sadly.
28:08Definitely.
28:09And I think the other chef, the Argentinian and Germany, you know, those were two hard flavors
28:13put together.
28:14They were good.
28:15Sauerkraut chimichurri.
28:16That was my favorite dish of the night.
28:17I know that you're flipping out.
28:19I can see it.
28:20I would have preferred to see a touch more caramelization on that ribeye because it was
28:23just a little bit unseared.
28:26It was just like every bite was a surprise.
28:28I think for me, that was the best fusion of two countries.
28:31That was the Lino Messi of dishes for me.
28:34Definitely a close second to the fish and chips.
28:36Fish and chips, absolutely decadent.
28:38Yeah, number one.
28:39No, for me, the best dish.
28:39If they had more of a Brazilian influence, it would be number one.
28:42That's what I mean.
28:42It's the ribeye steak.
28:44Oh, it's a sauerkraut chimichurri.
28:46And your best dish at night?
28:47Argentina and Germany is damn near impossible to fuse together.
28:51Are you two plotting something here?
28:53Because the fish and chips was obvious for me.
28:55Wow.
29:02There was one dish that scored today, and that dish was cooked by Darian.
29:12Great job.
29:14Yes!
29:16Goal!
29:18I'm in semi-franos.
29:19Let's go!
29:21Darian, congratulations.
29:23You'll be cooking in that top-level kitchen.
29:26Watch out.
29:27Next time on, in our semi-final.
29:29Thank you so much, Chef.
29:30An extra 10 seconds.
29:30Appreciate you, champ.
29:30Much love.
29:31Look at this.
29:34I'm very proud.
29:35Very proud of myself.
29:36First one into the semi-final.
29:38One step closer to the championship, Chef.
29:40Cooking is what get me to this point in my life,
29:43and I'm always grateful for that,
29:44and I'm still loving every second of it.
29:47Okay, so unfortunately,
29:48the chefs who are heading into the elimination today are...
29:54Cole.
29:59And Andy.
30:01Yep.
30:02Okay, Andy, Cole, for this elimination cook-off,
30:05we are paying tribute to our guest, Alexi's Roots.
30:09He may be an American soccer legend,
30:12but his family heritage is from Greece.
30:16So in honor of that,
30:17you're both going to have 25 minutes
30:20to create a next-level Greek entree.
30:23Okay, all of you head to the elevator,
30:25and I'll see you on the top floor soon.
30:26Good luck, both of you.
30:27Let's go.
30:29Let's go.
30:30Wow.
30:30That is a battle that I didn't think
30:32we'd be witnessing tonight.
30:33It's my worst outcome
30:35to have two of my mentees, Andy and Cole,
30:37go head-to-head in an elimination.
30:39Come on, my girls.
30:40Yeah.
30:41It's going to be devastating
30:42saying goodbye to either of them.
30:44We get you.
30:49Let's go, baby.
30:50Let's go.
30:50Y'all got it.
30:51Love my girl, Andy,
30:53and I hope she does her absolute best,
30:54and I'm going to be doing my absolute best.
30:56All right, everyone, how are we doing?
30:57Good job.
30:58What's up?
30:58At the end of the day,
30:59everybody was supposed to leave except me,
31:01so I'll bring it.
31:02Now we're into the World Cup knockout phase.
31:05High-pressure moments.
31:07Yes, chef.
31:07Okay, you have 25 minutes
31:09to create a next-level Greek entree
31:12inspired by Alexi Lawless.
31:14Hands on the wall.
31:15Let's go.
31:16Let's go, girls.
31:18Back home is underway.
31:19Moving, girls.
31:22And...
31:22Go!
31:23Go, go, go.
31:24All right, so we got racks of lamb,
31:26we got feta cheese, tomatoes.
31:27I see some figs, some grapes,
31:31pistachio, eggplant.
31:33This is classic Greek.
31:35Get some herbs.
31:36Everything green, give it to me.
31:37Chives, rosemary, mint.
31:40I want all of it
31:41because I know that's going to bring some punch
31:43and pack some flavor into my dish.
31:45Olives, tomatoes.
31:46The platform is literally moving up,
31:48and I'm, like, supermanning
31:49to get the cherry tomatoes.
31:51Go, go, go.
31:52Oh, got it.
31:53Dang.
31:54Yeah, that was a good grab.
31:56All right, you're 25 minutes.
31:57Five minutes starts right now.
31:59Perfect.
32:00Take a second.
32:01You're good, Andy.
32:02If you're going to leave this rack whole,
32:04you've got to get it scored and seared
32:06and in the oven as quick as you can,
32:07but it has to go now
32:09if you're going to leave it whole.
32:10Yes, chef.
32:11So I have about 10 seconds
32:12to really figure this out.
32:13I can leave it whole,
32:15but if I leave it whole,
32:16I run the risk of undercooking it.
32:21All right, Andy,
32:22what are we thinking dish-wise here?
32:23Chef, I'm doing a pistachio-crusted lamb
32:25with feta pistachio,
32:27a fennel salad,
32:29and also some roasted potatoes, chef.
32:31Okay, I love it.
32:32I'm feeling good about the lamb.
32:33I just have to get that searing right away.
32:37What's the plan for the grapes?
32:39I'm going to saute them.
32:40Get it in the pan.
32:41Just throw it in.
32:41Put some herbs in here,
32:42some butter.
32:43Crack of garlic.
32:44Nice and charred.
32:44Give me a second, guys.
32:45Okay, cool.
32:46All right.
32:46Take your time, Andy.
32:48Five minutes down.
32:50Okay, so what's the dish, Cole?
32:51What do we got?
32:52I'm going to do like a preserved lemon
32:53type of tzatziki, chef.
32:55Okay.
32:55Do you have yogurt?
32:56I do have yogurt,
32:57and I have mint.
32:58Cole, you're going to leave the lamb home?
33:00Yes, chef.
33:00I love it.
33:01The lamb's got to get in the oven
33:02as soon as we can.
33:03Get the other side steered real quick.
33:04Get it in the oven right away.
33:05Yes, chef.
33:06Only 17 and a half minutes left.
33:08Ah, come on, come on, come on.
33:09You're good, Andy.
33:10You're good.
33:12Take a breath, Andy.
33:14Okay.
33:15You got it, Andy.
33:16Let's go.
33:16In the oven.
33:16I like that grilled cheese.
33:18All right, how are we doing, Cole?
33:19I'm doing good, chef.
33:20I get it seared,
33:20but the most important part
33:21is going to be getting in that oven.
33:22I like it here.
33:23Rosemary in there.
33:24Basey, base, base.
33:25Sear all sides right into the oven.
33:26That's got to happen in the next 60 seconds.
33:28All right, chef.
33:28Good work.
33:30Ten minutes down.
33:31Fifteen minutes left only.
33:33Love all the greens, Cole.
33:34You're good, Andy.
33:35You're good.
33:37Oh, .
33:38What's the matter?
33:39That wasn't on.
33:40What is that?
33:41The potatoes going?
33:42Yes, chef.
33:43You got 12 minutes, Andy.
33:44Oh, my God.
33:45Turn the potatoes on.
33:46This fire is out on the potatoes.
33:48.
33:49Focus.
33:52Oh, no.
33:59Ten minutes left.
34:00I love the pace.
34:01Keep it up, Andy.
34:02Keep it up, Cole.
34:02Beautiful, Andy.
34:04Yeah, you're good?
34:05Yeah.
34:05Just make sure the potatoes are cooked.
34:07Yes, chef.
34:08I just need to get these potatoes in the frying pan, sauté them up a little bit.
34:12Toast, toast, toast, toast, toast.
34:13Here we go.
34:14Just, I need them to just be a little crispy.
34:16It's going to be close.
34:17You got your crumble working, and then that's going to be a mixture with the eggplant and those
34:21grapes and or figs, right?
34:22Yes, chef.
34:22Let's go.
34:23Great job, chef.
34:25I need to check my lamb.
34:26Okay.
34:27I am so nervous about the lamb.
34:29If there's anything that can send me home in this cook right now, it is undercooked lamb.
34:34Okay, it needs more time.
34:35Get the tomatoes right in that pan.
34:37Four minutes left.
34:39Check your lamb, Andy, yeah?
34:41I think this one's done, yeah?
34:42Yeah, they're done.
34:43They're ready to rest.
34:44Yeah.
34:44That's good, Andy.
34:45I'm nervous about this lamb.
34:47Think about what this plate looks like.
34:49Here you go, Cole.
34:50Cole, you're good, baby.
34:51Two minutes left.
34:52You can start plating.
34:52It's go time.
34:53Start plating.
34:53Let's go.
34:54Got to go now.
34:55Visualize the plate.
34:56Put every bit of trust into this.
34:58Beautiful.
34:59Shine it up, baby.
35:01You have that beautiful crust.
35:02Let that lay up.
35:03There you go.
35:04Gorgeous.
35:05Gorgeous.
35:05Incredible.
35:0630 seconds.
35:07I love it.
35:08Okay, let's get it on a plate, too.
35:09Got to get it on the plate.
35:10Beautiful.
35:11I love it.
35:12I love it.
35:12Okay, boom.
35:13Let's go.
35:14Gorgeous.
35:14Honey.
35:15There you go.
35:16There you go.
35:16Five, four, three, two, one.
35:20Hands up.
35:23It's tough.
35:24This cook determines whether I stay in this competition or not.
35:27It's tough to not know what the outcome is going to be until they cut into that lamb.
35:33Good job, girl.
35:34Good job.
35:35Beautiful, chef.
35:38Naisha, Gordon, incredible cook, and both chefs absolutely gave it everything that they had.
35:45We'll start right here.
35:46This is a pan-roasted lamb with a feta and fig sauce with eggplant, potatoes, and a pistachio crumble.
35:54Oh, man.
36:01Lamb is seasoned beautifully.
36:04And there's some really nice Mediterranean Greek flavors in here.
36:08The one issue I've got is about 90 seconds over.
36:11The lamb's running from mid-rare.
36:14I know they sit and they rest, but it's sort of running to medium.
36:18But it's still juicy, and it is seasoned beautifully.
36:22Yeah, great flavors.
36:23I love the salty, briny notes coming from the feta cheese, and the sweet balance of the roasted grapes brings
36:29a lovely depth of flavor.
36:30Really nice dish.
36:32Next up, we have a honey-spiced roasted rack of lamb with a warm Greek potato and olive salad and
36:40an herbed yogurt sauce.
36:53The lamb is cooked beautifully, very well-rested, juicy, and I love the richness coming from the herbed yogurt sauce.
37:01As something as humble and simple as a potato, it's cooked perfectly.
37:05Another good dish.
37:07Lamb is seasoned beautifully, but inside is just the perfect pink.
37:10This yogurt dressing with the potatoes, it's so on point.
37:14But when you've got such a high-cap fat like that, I'll trim that off a little bit, because it's
37:18just a little bit excessive.
37:21Ayesha, I'm going to start with you.
37:23Which dish will you be eliminating tonight?
37:31The dish that I'm eliminating is the lamb with the feta and fig.
37:39I'll be straight to the points.
37:40The pistachio one is cooked with flair.
37:43The lamb rack is cooked with confidence.
37:46The dish I'm sending home is going to be the lamb with the pistachios.
37:54That dish was cooked by Andy.
37:59Andy, I get the talent before coming in here, but I just want to talk to you chef to chef.
38:07I'll make one thing clear.
38:08There's a future in food for you.
38:11You've really honed in your craft while you spent time in these next-level kitchens.
38:16It's been just an honor to be a part of that journey with you.
38:19We're going to miss you, girl.
38:21This is a dream come true.
38:22I never imagined I would be here.
38:24I grew up in West Africa.
38:27So coming to America, the way my life has unfolded is truly an example of what's possible.
38:34And this beautiful seed of food and love of cooking in my heart that has been watered
38:39and nurtured by all three of you.
38:40I'm just so excited to keep going and letting it bloom and continue to share my heart and
38:46my love for food.
38:46So thank you.
38:48Stop that.
38:49I'm so proud of myself that I've come this far, that I took a chance on something that
38:54I've dreamed of.
38:55I love you.
38:58I am heartbroken that my journey is ending here.
39:02Thank you so much.
39:04But what a gift.
39:05I got to, for the first time in my life, really share my spirit and be the Cameroon American
39:13person that I am.
39:21Joel, well done.
39:23I mean, not to slice that thing and sit down there with confidence.
39:27It's exactly what I want at this stage of the competition.
39:29Beautifully done.
39:30Thank you, chef.
39:30You four.
39:31Congratulations.
39:32Semi-finalists.
39:33Come on.
39:34Go, baby.
39:35Go.
39:36Please get some rest.
39:38Because next time, the finale and your legacy are on the line.
39:43Ooh.
39:44Good night.
39:45Great job.
39:47Well done.
39:47You care.
39:48Much love.
39:48Get some rest.
39:49See you next week.
39:51Sheesh.
39:52Top four.
39:52Let's go.
39:53That was hard.
39:54That was hard.
40:09That was hard.
40:12Are you kidding me?
40:13What protein are you going to grab?
40:16Give me more stuff.
40:17I'm, like, sick to my stomach.
40:19This is it.
40:20This is to get into the finale, okay?
40:22You got to get that fish in the pan, Cole.
40:26You okay?
40:28Hold the pork chop, man.
40:29It's done.
40:29God.
40:30This guy's giving me absolute heart attack.
40:31God bless you.
40:34God bless you.
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