- 17 minutes ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:05Last time on MasterChef Canada.
00:07Oh my God!
00:10There are 16 of you.
00:12The time starts now.
00:14Let's go, let's go, let's go.
00:15But only 12 white aprons.
00:17You got it, you got it.
00:18God damn it, that's good.
00:19You have several standout components.
00:22This is raw.
00:24Your MasterChef Canada journey ends here.
00:26It is time to hit the books.
00:28Congratulations.
00:29You are in the top 12 investors of Canada.
00:33And get ready for an absolute marathon.
00:50Here we go buddy, let's go, let's go.
00:53We got this guy, yes, yes.
00:55First Newfoundlander to make the top 12,
00:57I got my white apron.
00:59Woohoo!
01:00There's $100,000 on the line,
01:02but also the title of the best home cook in Canada.
01:05I'm feeling excited and ready to cook.
01:07We are here!
01:08We're here!
01:08Oh my God!
01:09Yes!
01:10I am so stoked to be able to just rep my community.
01:13Let's go!
01:14Look why?
01:15Look at the boxes.
01:16I know.
01:17I see boxes on the station and all I think is,
01:21oh my God, it's our first mystery box challenge.
01:24You're all looking very fresh in your white aprons.
01:30As you probably already clocked it,
01:32you're about to tackle your first mystery box challenge.
01:36I'm the type of cook who likes to come into the kitchen with a plan,
01:39and so a mystery box low-key terrifies me.
01:43Before we get into it,
01:44we've got a special guest who's here to offer you some inspiration.
01:48Oh, no way!
01:49Oh my God!
01:51Oh my God!
01:51Oh my God!
01:52Who could it be?
01:58Please welcome,
02:00MasterChef Canada Champion,
02:02Veronica Wu!
02:04Hi, everyone!
02:06It's Veronica,
02:08the winner of MasterChef Canada Season 8.
02:11She had some epic cooks.
02:12Hi!
02:13Hi, Mary!
02:14Welcome back!
02:15Thank you!
02:16Welcome back, Veronica.
02:18Between Mary and Veronica,
02:20we have two MasterChef Canada winners in the room right now,
02:24plus one of us 12 is also going to be a winner.
02:28Hi, home cooks!
02:29Hi, Veronica!
02:31So, Veronica, from one winner to another,
02:34how has your life changed since becoming Canada's MasterChef?
02:37It has changed so much.
02:39I quit my job.
02:40Gonna go...
02:43Gonna go travel for a while,
02:45and coming back to build a food business of my own.
02:47My dream has always been to open my own restaurant,
02:50and with the help of CIBC,
02:52I can finally make that dream come true.
02:54I'm here in the MasterChef kitchen to make my dreams come true.
02:58My food dream is to open up a concept cafe inspired by the African diaspora.
03:04So, home cooks, you all have your own culinary ambitions,
03:07and your first step towards making that real is by facing the mystery box.
03:14Head to your stations now.
03:15Oh, my gosh.
03:16Okay, let's do it.
03:17Oh, are we cooking in front of Veronica?
03:20Oh, boy.
03:20I'm a wing it kind of girl.
03:22Whatever's under this box, I'm going to make it work.
03:27There could be anything in this mystery box.
03:29It could be meat.
03:30It could be vegetables.
03:31I have no idea what's under there, but I can't wait to find out.
03:35All right, home cooks, on the count of three, lift those boxes.
03:41One, two, three, lift!
03:47Oh, my God, it's rice.
03:52Rice.
03:53Okay.
03:56I grew up eating rice.
03:57Rice with beans, white rice with any greens, potatoes, everything.
04:02So, I'm feeling a bit confident.
04:05I see rice.
04:07Like, I eat a lot of rice.
04:08I don't necessarily cook a lot of rice.
04:11Each of you has been assigned one rice texture.
04:15Fluffy, crispy, or sticky.
04:17Your job is to make a rice dish using the texture you've been given.
04:23I think fluffy is the hardest in this challenge.
04:26There is not a ton of things that you can do with fluffy.
04:29You get a little bit pigeonholed.
04:31So, I'm a little jealous of the other cooks' textures,
04:34but I know I need to nail this texture.
04:38I am absolutely pumped to get sticky rice.
04:42It is so ubiquitous in Filipino food, especially in desserts.
04:46So, this box was designed for me.
04:48Okay.
04:49I see crispy.
04:51I make rice, but it's in a risotto.
04:54Has anyone ever had a crispy risotto?
04:56I don't think so.
04:57This challenge all of a sudden becomes intimidating.
05:00Those at the bottom are at risk of elimination.
05:04And the home cook with the best rice dish
05:08will scoop up a $5,000 cash boost from CIBC
05:12to go towards their culinary ambitions.
05:15Oh, it's game on.
05:19$5,000 from CIBC would literally help me put tires on my food truck
05:24that's currently waiting at home for me.
05:25The pantry is stocked with many varieties of rice
05:28and a huge array of proteins and veggies.
05:31Above all else,
05:32you must nail the cook onto your assigned texture.
05:36Let's go with 60 minutes on the clock,
05:38and your time starts now.
05:42Oh, gosh, they're running.
05:43They're running.
05:44They're going.
05:44They're going.
05:45They're going.
05:45Oh, my goodness.
05:49Here's what you need to know
05:50about the MasterChef Canada Pantry.
05:51It's bigger than my freaking house.
05:53Oh, my God.
05:54This is chaotic.
05:55It's like Kardashian-level shopping.
05:58A little bit of this, a little bit of that.
06:00Oh, you know.
06:00You got to get what you got to get.
06:03Okay.
06:03I think I got it all.
06:06I am on the go.
06:08I'm just, like, locking it in.
06:10The rice battle has begun.
06:12It's the first mystery box of the season,
06:14and I'm actually really excited.
06:16I want to win this challenge
06:18because I want to stay in the competition.
06:20That's the most important thing
06:21if I need to stay in the competition.
06:25Now, one of the reasons why we chose rice
06:27for this challenge
06:28is that there's so much versatility.
06:30It's going to showcase a lot of their talents.
06:32Watch the rice.
06:33Watch the rice, Geraldine.
06:35Making rice is not always easy.
06:37There's so many things you have to pay attention to.
06:38You've got to get the cook right.
06:39It needs to have texture.
06:41You really need to bring everything together
06:43and pay attention
06:44because rice is often the side dish,
06:47but today we want it to be the star.
06:51I think that's enough mushrooms.
06:54Let's give it a stir.
06:55I'm making a wild mushroom pilaf
06:57with a lemon mascarpone cream
06:59and a zucchini crisp.
07:00I have fluffy, so it should be really fun.
07:03I'm excited.
07:03I'm kind of fluffy, so bring it on.
07:05It's my first time cooking alone
07:07in the MasterChef kitchen,
07:08and I want to show the judges who I am.
07:10I am a captain in the Canadian Armed Forces,
07:12captain about 14 years now,
07:14and I coach biathlon.
07:15I find that the kitchen is like a biathlon race
07:17because there are so many unknowns.
07:19You could have all the skill in the world,
07:21but if you can't focus and lock it down,
07:23your race is over.
07:24And I'm not going home.
07:26Just in tiny little pieces.
07:29Yeah, mama.
07:31Veronica, when you're cooking at home,
07:33what kind of rice are you making?
07:34What's your favorite method?
07:35I use a rice cooker at home.
07:37Nice.
07:38I like that.
07:38The safest method.
07:40Respect.
07:40I got crispy and I'm using basmathy.
07:42I'm excited to see
07:43what the rest of the chefs come up with.
07:44Crispy rice.
07:46My head always goes towards Thailand and Vietnam
07:48and crispy rice salads and that sort of thing.
07:52I think crispy has the most opportunities
07:54to go different places.
07:55You could do a crispy rice paper wrapper.
07:58You could crisp up rice flour on the outside of something.
08:01I think you've got a little bit more leeway
08:03and a little more creativity there.
08:07What I'm most worried about is burning my rice,
08:10which I just did.
08:12That's what I'm worried about.
08:13I got crispy today
08:15and I'm going to be doing a little bit of a twist
08:17on a lob salad
08:19and it's going to be like nice and spicy and punchy.
08:22Lob is like a spicy Thai salad.
08:24I've actually never had it before,
08:26but I'm taking a risk because I want to win today.
08:30I would use $5,000 to update my kitchen appliances
08:34and expand my culinary dreams.
08:37This dish is inspired by my daughter, Cheyenne.
08:41She is my firstborn of 13 children.
08:44She's my biggest critic
08:45and she will tell me exactly what needs to happen.
08:51My hands are going to be so hot after this.
08:54I have to do fluffy rice
08:57and I'm making chicken Hananese rice.
08:59It's a simple dish,
09:01but it's a comforting dish as well.
09:03What would be some fluffy rice dishes
09:05that you would do, Hugh?
09:06I think I'd do something like a roasted chicken and rice
09:09or a fluffy version of red beans and rice.
09:12Yeah.
09:12Oh my God, this smells so good.
09:15I'm going to be making a bulgogi-styled fluffy rice bowl.
09:20That is a lot of onion.
09:22I'm just going to use that much.
09:24I have fluffy rice
09:26and I am making a Persian dish
09:28which essentially translates to barberry rice with chicken.
09:31Mm-mm-mm, delicious.
09:34I got sticky rice,
09:35so I'm going to be doing an arancini three ways.
09:38Adventurous, probably, but we're going to wing it.
09:41It's inspired by people
09:43who don't get to have breakfast, lunch and dinner
09:44and I'm going to bring that to the plate today.
09:47$100,000 would change my life.
09:49I know that it would do a lot for my community
09:51and the food banks in the area.
09:53There's a lot of unhoused individuals
09:55who could use better food every single day.
09:59We've got mushrooms cooking.
10:02In this challenge, we've got Harley, Monka, Monica
10:05and Jason with sticky rice.
10:09Now, is that something that you would like to work with?
10:11Yeah, sticky would be my pal choice.
10:12Would you go sweet? Would you go savory?
10:13What are you thinking?
10:14I'm thinking sweet.
10:15Yeah?
10:15Yeah, like mango sticky rice.
10:17Nice.
10:17The sticky rice threw me off because I was like,
10:20I don't know what to do.
10:21I've only ever had mango sticky rice, which I do like.
10:24So I'm going to make a traditional
10:25Tanzanian sticky rice cake.
10:27But I hope I achieve that I win this extra 5K.
10:31Yeah.
10:37Let's see.
10:40It's a little bit more.
10:42Hello, Ryza.
10:42Yeah.
10:43Now, how about the rice?
10:44Are you confident with rice?
10:45Do you eat a lot of rice at home?
10:46Yes.
10:47We eat rice every day at home.
10:48Okay.
10:49That's part of a meal.
10:50Got it.
10:51Typically, is it a fluffy rice that you make at home?
10:53Yes.
10:53Okay, so you're feeling okay in this real house.
10:55I'm feeling okay.
10:55Yes.
10:57Allian, please meet Veronica.
10:59Hi.
10:59She's here to give you a hand today.
11:00I think we follow each other on Instagram.
11:01Oh, we do?
11:03Nice to meet you.
11:05Jason, you're doing a sticky rice.
11:07Yes.
11:08Do you cook rice a lot?
11:09I cook rice a couple times a week.
11:12So it's just a stove top pot, a cup and a half of water to a cup of rice,
11:15and then just put it in the oven, low temperature, and that's good enough for me most of the time.
11:20There you go.
11:21I'm going to aromatize things a little bit before I get them boiling.
11:24I am making Puanagulu crispy rice balls on a bed of Kulu savory buttermilk rice pudding with dry fried lamb.
11:30Mom's going to be happy when she sees me making cornmeal Kulu.
11:34That's going to be fun for her.
11:35This dish really represents some old and dying traditions in my culture.
11:39This is going to give the judges a really good introduction to authentic Fijian food.
11:44I might add a little bit more chicken stock, so it's supposed to get a little bit more soft.
11:49In the Philippines, a lot of our desserts are based off of sticky rice, so I feel really in my
11:53wheelhouse here.
11:54I am making miso caramel biko.
11:57Biko is actually a Filipino glutinous rice dessert.
11:59It's got a boil-bake set, and then I've got a plate to make it look nice.
12:03So there's a lot on the line here, but we're going to make it happen.
12:06This dish is going to tell everybody, hey, watch out for this guy,
12:09because he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
12:12Harley, I want to introduce you to Veronica.
12:14It is such a pleasure to meet you.
12:15She is the Season 8 winner of MasterChef.
12:17You are awesome. You're such an inspiration.
12:21I really love baking, and one day I want to open my bakery.
12:24I never thought an opportunity like coming to MasterChef Canada was ever possible.
12:28It just feels like I'm one step closer to that $100,000, which is just going to change my life.
12:34Today's mission, don't burn yourself.
12:39Shoot.
12:41Okay, let's see.
12:43I know that the peel-off seems pretty simple, so I really need some type of crispy vegetable element that
12:50can really make my dish pop.
12:51Come on, one, two, three.
12:55Okay, too crispy. Take your off.
12:58Okay.
13:00All right, you are, you are dark.
13:04Okay.
13:05Yeah, no, not serving you.
13:07My zucchini crisp is burnt.
13:10If it's burnt, do not serve it.
13:12That sucks.
13:14That crisp was really going to help my dish, so I'm really disappointed.
13:18I can't just serve the judge's rice.
13:21Pilaf, something crispy.
13:23Uh, okay.
13:25Pilaf, crispy.
13:26Pilaf, crispy.
13:26Uh.
13:30CIBC is proud to offer Canada's next MasterChef personalized financial advice and a cash prize of $100,000.
13:40Home cooks, 30 minutes left.
13:42You're halfway through the rice challenge.
13:44Woo!
13:45Yeah, no, not serving you.
13:48That crisp was really going to help my dish, and right now it's burnt.
13:51Uh, okay.
13:53Pilaf, crispy.
13:54Pilaf, crispy.
13:55I just have to try something else.
13:57I need that crunchy element.
13:58I'm going to put a little, like, crispy potato chips.
14:00I hope I have enough time for this.
14:06Six pans, guys.
14:07Go ahead.
14:07Six pans.
14:09Whew.
14:09You guys got this.
14:10It's only, uh, $100,000 from CIBC on the line, so get it together.
14:15And an extra 5K, Monica.
14:17This $5,000 could change everything.
14:20And this is also the first time to impress with our brand new aprons, so I need to do well
14:26in this challenge.
14:27Man, that's so good.
14:29This is the first mystery box of this season, and I'm feeling pretty confident that it's going to go well.
14:34I got sticky rice in the mystery box, and I'm going to make a barbecue pork rice roll.
14:39It's the stickiest thing I can possibly think of in the rice world.
14:42My rice requirement is crispy, and I'm using crispy and sticky rice for contrast of textures.
14:48My dish is going to be dippy mango sticky rice spring rolls.
14:52So think spring roll, but mango sticky rice inside.
14:55And there's going to be a couple of dips.
14:57I don't often make crispy rice components.
15:00It's usually more soft and fluffy.
15:02But I'm ready to rice to this challenge.
15:05I love overcoming challenges in my life.
15:08I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 25.
15:10I was in the ICU for about a week.
15:12I didn't know if I was going to make it or not, and that really puts life into perspective.
15:16Life is so short, so I will try the dance.
15:19I will try to cook something I've never made before.
15:21My rice is popping.
15:24Yeah!
15:26Look at it!
15:29Home cooks, you have 20 minutes left for your rice dishes.
15:32Cool down, cool down, cool down, cool down, cool down.
15:36Brendan, tell us what you're making.
15:38I am making a deconstructed crispy sushi roll.
15:42Kind of like a sushi pizza.
15:43With puffed wild rice.
15:45Me and my mom always go to this sushi restaurant just down the road from her house.
15:49So I want to pay homage to one of my favorite sushi restaurants.
15:53And even though I got crispy rice, I feel like I could still put my heart and soul into this
15:57dish.
15:57Even if, you know, sushi isn't regularly crispy, right?
16:01You might want to watch out for that pan.
16:03Yes.
16:04It's getting really hot.
16:05This rice puck is going to be the star of my ditch.
16:08But I've never actually fried a rice puck before, and it could fall apart super easily.
16:13So I'm feeling worried right now.
16:1814 minutes left!
16:2014!
16:21Oh my gosh!
16:23Isn't that so cute?
16:25Beautiful!
16:26Jay!
16:27What is that?
16:28It's rice.
16:29Okay.
16:29Rice in a ricer, I know.
16:30It seems counterintuitive.
16:31But it actually just mashes it up a lot quicker.
16:33What are you making?
16:34I'm making kulu, the savory buttermilk rice pudding that we usually eat with dry lamb curry during our prayer to
16:41the goddess in the springtime.
16:42Okay.
16:42And at the same time, we always usually take leftover rice and make a separate dish called bonegaloo, which is
16:48like small balls and then you eat it with like different chutneys and stuff.
16:50Yeah.
16:51I was kind of ashamed of maybe making something simple.
16:53Some of the fanciest food in the world is just based on very simple, simple staples.
16:57Yeah.
16:57And I think showing your culture is showing what you know.
17:00Yeah, exactly.
17:01Continue.
17:03I'm gonna make a little canoe out of these rice papers, which is gonna house a little bit of yummy
17:08meatballs.
17:10Geraldine is making a pork lob with a crisp rice paper base.
17:16There's my boat.
17:18Lob is a iconic ground meat salad from Thailand that's very spicy.
17:24It is bright, it's sweet, it's acidic.
17:27But she hadn't really started cooking the pork.
17:30She said she was gonna deep fry it.
17:32Oh!
17:33Don't overdo it.
17:34Don't overdo it.
17:36Ten minutes remain, everybody.
17:38Oh my gosh.
17:39Remember, if the rice doesn't hit your assigned texture, the rest doesn't matter.
17:45Yeah.
17:46Lots of things happening.
17:48Onions are frying.
17:49Rice is cooking.
17:50Stew is in the oven.
17:52I'm sweating.
17:53I don't sweat like this.
17:54I don't do sports.
17:57I got a lot going on.
17:59Why would I do this?
18:01A trio?
18:01I could have just done one thing.
18:03I heard you were making arancini three ways.
18:06I am.
18:06Is that ambitious?
18:07Yes, I think so.
18:08But these look a lot better than the ones we did on our season.
18:10Do they?
18:11Yeah, 100%.
18:13Maybe I'll have the best arancini in all of MasterChef Canada history.
18:16Maybe.
18:16Good luck.
18:20Come on, come on.
18:21This is my whipped coconut cream.
18:24Good enough, good enough, good enough.
18:26Keep focused, keep calm.
18:28Brendan is making some sort of sushi pizza?
18:32Mm-hmm.
18:32Now, y'all could call me naive, but what the hell is a sushi pizza?
18:38It's the best way to use leftover sushi rice.
18:41And they panko fry it, then top it with sushi toppings like salmon and avocado.
18:47Now, Brendan has his rice cake in a frying pan.
18:51I'm really curious to see if he can get that crispy all around.
18:54Yeah.
18:55That's definitely something that I would deep fry as a close to shallow fry.
18:58I'm frying this rice puck.
18:59I go under with a spatula, lift it up, and it's not an even cook.
19:04I am stressing.
19:06I have to quickly whip up another one and hope for the best.
19:15Ooh, excellent.
19:16This is burnt.
19:18That's exactly what I needed, actually.
19:20Great, classic.
19:21Of course, that would happen to me.
19:23Awesome.
19:24I don't have time to make more onions, so the onions are just getting scrapped.
19:32Ah!
19:33Come on, get out of there.
19:34I test out one of the pork meatballs.
19:37I open it up, and it's raw.
19:40Oh, my God.
19:40It's not raw.
19:41It's not done.
19:42Okay.
19:43Let them cook.
19:43I'm freaking out.
19:45Ah!
19:46Don't want to serve the judges raw pork.
19:48Like, that's a big no-no, and it'll probably eliminate me, and I don't want to go home.
19:52Oh, my God.
19:53Cook, man.
19:54Cook.
20:00Oh, my God.
20:01Cook, man.
20:02Cook.
20:03My pork is raw in the middle, so I'm kind of freaking out.
20:08I'm thinking the oil is too hot, and it's cooking the outside, but not the inside.
20:13I'm just keeping it in there.
20:14I'm just gonna...
20:15It's gonna be super crisp.
20:16Let's see.
20:20Five minutes.
20:21You have five minutes left.
20:22Come on.
20:23Come on.
20:25Ah, hot sugar.
20:27Cool.
20:27So cool.
20:28Super fine.
20:28This does not phase me.
20:30I've been cooking the rice for 40 minutes, but the clock is ticking, and I need to get
20:34that rice on the plate.
20:36It's all good.
20:40Okay.
20:41Got it.
20:42It's all in one piece.
20:43Sick.
20:44I can finally breathe and just focus on making a pretty dish.
20:49You know what?
20:49There's something beautiful about a little chaos here.
20:53Oh, my God.
20:54I'm shaking.
20:55I have to start organizing my plate.
20:59Oh, you're making ananese chicken.
21:00Ananese chicken.
21:01I have all the ingredients.
21:02I hope the taste is there.
21:03Have you made ananese chicken before?
21:04Okay.
21:05Yes, I have, because I used to live in Malaysia.
21:07I love ananese chicken.
21:08Yes.
21:08It looks great.
21:09Okay.
21:10Whew.
21:11Add all of the textural elements.
21:14This is what's going to make it sticky.
21:16I'm making a roll.
21:17Hopefully, it holds together, and then I can somehow then roll it on the plate.
21:22Come on.
21:23Yeah.
21:24I'm starting to cinch the rice roll back.
21:27It's kind of rolling over itself pretty easily.
21:29Ooh, like a French omelet.
21:32Yeah.
21:33Boom.
21:35Okay, I'm not opposed to this.
21:36This is nice and crispy.
21:40But this one's not opening up.
21:43I have my spring rolls in the deep fryer, and I'm not loving what I'm seeing.
21:47Oh, no.
21:48Shoot, shoot, shoot.
21:50It's not really getting crispy.
21:51They're disintegrating.
21:53The mango's coming out.
21:54Sticky rice is coming out.
21:55They're just not spring rolls.
21:56That opened up.
21:57I don't love it.
21:58I'm definitely feeling the pressure.
22:03Oh, my rice is a little bit burnt.
22:05This rice puck is burnt.
22:07I am freaking out.
22:09But I don't have a lot of time left.
22:11So I start plating.
22:15I take a bite of the sauce, and it is terrible.
22:19This is...
22:19I cannot put this on the plate.
22:20Oh, no.
22:21That is very salty.
22:23What to do?
22:24What to do?
22:25I genuinely don't know what to do.
22:30It's too salty.
22:31So I'm just taking the sauce out, and then I'm just gonna, like, redo this.
22:35Let's go, home cooks.
22:37You can do it.
22:37Yeah.
22:38Get your food on the plate.
22:40Don't forget any ingredients.
22:41Don't make the same mistakes I did.
22:44It looks amazing.
22:46It's fluffier than my shirt after I pet my dogs.
22:50Come on.
22:51Okay.
22:52It's these darn spots, man.
22:54All right.
22:55No crispy.
22:56Not gonna happen.
22:57Okay.
22:59Okay.
23:00Come on.
23:00Just fry.
23:01Just fry.
23:03Home cooks, one minute.
23:05One minute left.
23:06Oh, my God.
23:06Okay.
23:07Get it on the plate.
23:07Get it on the plate.
23:09I didn't think about this.
23:11How am I gonna do?
23:12How am I gonna do this?
23:13Okay.
23:15Oh, my goodness.
23:16We're good.
23:17We're good.
23:17We're good.
23:18Not coming out.
23:21Oh.
23:22Come on.
23:23Come on.
23:24Come out.
23:25I'm just getting it on the plate.
23:26I hope it's balanced.
23:27I don't know if this is good.
23:2930 seconds left.
23:30Let's go.
23:31Come on.
23:32Get everything on the plate.
23:33I'm really cutting it to the wire here.
23:36If there's no crispy elements on my dish, I'm risking going home.
23:40That's okay.
23:40Yes, yes, yes.
23:41Go, go, go, go, go.
23:42You got it.
23:43You got it.
23:43You got it.
23:4310, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
23:52Time's up.
23:54Time's up.
23:54Time's up.
23:55Great job.
23:57Woo!
23:58Smell it in.
23:59Gah!
24:01Woo!
24:01You're sweating.
24:02Of course I'm sweating.
24:04That was insane.
24:07I'm a tad bit worried about the pork.
24:09I had the oil too hot, and then so it crisped up the outside, but didn't cook the inside.
24:14I hope I did enough to avoid the bottom.
24:18I'm worried about the cut on that spring roll.
24:20My idea was to show a cross section of what's in the spring roll.
24:24Intense.
24:25Like, super intense.
24:26Like, I've been on a sailboat in a storm, and that was something else.
24:28A little disappointed I didn't get something crispy with my fluffy, but as we always say in Newfoundland, like, let's
24:33see what happens until we shag it up.
24:34And hopefully I did not shag that up.
24:40Let's go.
24:41Come on.
24:41Get everything on the plate.
24:42Yes, yes.
24:43Go, go, go, go, go, go.
24:44You got it.
24:44You got it.
24:45You got it.
24:45You got it.
24:46Five, four, three, two, one.
24:50Time's up.
24:52Great job.
24:52Great job.
24:55Thank you so much for being here, Veronica.
24:58Woo!
24:58Thank you, everyone.
25:00Good luck, all of us.
25:03Veronica Wu represents the reality that anybody could do this.
25:08I could be the next MasterChef Canada winner.
25:11We asked you all to make a MasterChef-worthy dish that honors the rice texture you were given.
25:17We're looking for the four strongest dishes as well as the three weakest.
25:23Let's take a closer look at your creations.
25:33It's agonizing to watch the judges walk around station by station.
25:37What are they looking for?
25:39What do they notice?
25:40There's such high pressure stakes because someone's going home.
25:47Interesting planning.
25:54The judges are very quiet.
25:57It is intimidating.
26:10Never seen a dish like this before.
26:22This was supposed to be fluffy?
26:24Yeah.
26:29Did you cook the mushrooms?
26:31I did.
26:32Okay.
26:33Yes.
26:37It's sharp.
26:40Is it good sharp or is it bad sharp?
26:43I honestly don't know how this is going to go.
26:47Four dishes stood out to us.
26:49The first dish we want to taste featured a crispy rice.
26:55Geraldine.
26:59Oh my gosh.
27:03This dish is exactly how I envisioned it.
27:06I hope they love it as much as I do.
27:08I made a lob inspired clue.
27:11And clue is Haida for canoe.
27:13And it has pork meatballs.
27:15Who did you have in mind when you made this?
27:17Um, my oldest daughter.
27:18She is my...
27:24Sorry.
27:25No.
27:26She's spicy like the meal.
27:27But she's also sweet and fierce.
27:30And this is her on a plate.
27:32Aww.
27:46I loved the presentation and the tie to your culture there.
27:50Yes.
27:51With the little canoe boats.
27:52That's such a good literal vehicle to get food into my mouth.
27:56Is there rice in this sauce?
27:58Yes, there is.
27:59There's fine ground rice.
28:00The multiple uses of the rice are really striking and refined.
28:04It's a really strong dish.
28:06The sauce is spicy, just like you were talking about your daughter.
28:09And it complements the meatball.
28:12Which you cooked perfectly.
28:14This is the kind of dish that I would really like to order in a restaurant.
28:17Amazing.
28:19Chef Craig said he would order this in a restaurant.
28:23I am over the moon.
28:25To me, it means it's like a validation.
28:27Like, I'm doing something right.
28:30The next home cook tackled sticky rice and was quite ambitious with their dish.
28:36Jason.
28:38Woo!
28:39Woo!
28:40Woo!
28:41I want this $5,000.
28:43So, I'm looking to impress all the judges with this.
28:47This is a jade sticky rice roll with barbecue pork and crab and jalapeno.
28:52This is kind of inspired by my indecision when I leave my front door,
28:56whether I want to go to Vietnamese or I want to go dim sum or Chinese bakery.
29:07This is definitely sticky.
29:09You really nailed that texture.
29:11And I really love the way that you used that sticky jade rice in the center and on top.
29:16The barbecue pork is like sweet and sticky, adding to that element as well.
29:21I think all the elements do work together.
29:23The crab adds a fresh richness and the wrapper, I think it's well executed.
29:29The texture on the rice noodle roll was pillowy, but I see like four major components to your dish.
29:36You have this crab salad, the pork rice noodle roll, and sticky rice.
29:41So, for next time, round out one solid idea and just focus on that.
29:48Clear.
29:49Good job, Jason.
29:50Good job, man.
29:52Good job, buddy.
29:53Amazing.
29:54I've got a little bit of mixed feedback, but hey, I'm still in the top four.
29:59The third dish we want to taste did a great job with their crispy texture.
30:08Jay.
30:09Oh.
30:10Please bring up your plate.
30:12Hey, Jay.
30:14Yay.
30:14I am shocked.
30:17I can't believe I'm being called up.
30:19I made Ponegalu crispy rice balls on a bed of gulu savory buttermilk rice pudding with some charred onions and
30:27dry-fried lamb.
30:28It's a really traditional, like, summertime dish for us.
30:40Jay, it's really good.
30:44The rice balls on top are really super crisp.
30:46The lamb's got a ton of flavor.
30:48It's really a strong dish.
30:51Jay, I would eat that every day.
30:52That is so tasty.
30:53I love the fact that you have that kind of charred cucumber with the lightly charred onion to kind of
30:59enhance that crispiness as well.
31:01I'm intrigued by this dish because there's a fine balance of a little bit of acidity.
31:07There's this nice sliced chilies.
31:09I'm really impressed by the confidence that you brought to this plate.
31:13Great job.
31:14Please step down to the front.
31:15Thanks, Jay.
31:15Good job, Jay.
31:19I am top four.
31:21I have a chance at winning $5,000.
31:24Now I know that I need to be true to my roots.
31:27The final dish we want to taste had a sticky rice texture and went against the grain with something sweet.
31:37Harley.
31:42This dish is risky because it's untraditional from a Filipino perspective.
31:46It's untraditional from a Thai perspective.
31:47But I think I pulled it off.
31:49So this is basically my Filipino take on Thai mango sticky rice.
31:53I made biko, which is a Filipino glutinous rice cake.
31:57I also made a mango coulee and then a coconut tuil.
32:01Mango sticky rice is something that I truly, truly love.
32:04So I'm intrigued to see your take on that because traditionally it doesn't have a coconut tuil.
32:09Traditionally it doesn't have this caramel.
32:11Hope you like it.
32:22It's delicious.
32:26The caramel, the miso, these are flavors that you don't find in a coconut rice.
32:32But it works.
32:34There's not a single thing that I would change about this plate.
32:36Awesome.
32:37I think you really nailed the texture you were going for.
32:41It is sticky.
32:43It tastes like a pudding.
32:45It kind of reminds me almost of a bread pudding, mostly with the caramel aspect of it.
32:49It's too sweet for me overall, but it works.
32:53Definitely sticky.
32:55Thank you so much.
32:56Thanks, Harley.
32:57Yay!
32:59Chef Craig saying that he wouldn't change anything on this plate is probably the best thing I've heard all year.
33:07Those are four really different, really good dishes.
33:11Yeah.
33:12I've shown the judges that I know what I'm doing.
33:14I put something really good on the plate and I hope that they love this enough that it gets me
33:20the win.
33:21Any one of those four really could have won.
33:22Yeah.
33:23I would order any of those.
33:25I'm actually getting knots in my tummy because I'm really proud of my plate and I want that $5,000
33:31so bad.
33:32So we agree?
33:34Yeah.
33:34Let's do it.
33:35Okay.
33:40One of you made an ambitious dish that blew us away.
33:44The winning dish belongs to...
34:01One of you made an ambitious dish that blew us away.
34:05The winning dish belongs to...
34:13Jay.
34:20Good job!
34:23Thanks, mama.
34:24Thanks, mama.
34:25I love it.
34:26Jay, your dish was spectacular.
34:29You've won the first $5,000 CIBC boost.
34:34Woo-hoo!
34:36Thank you, CIBC.
34:39I'm just rolling in the dough.
34:42This dish represents my culinary dreams of taking that historical, traditional food and elevating it.
34:48I am so proud right now and part of the pride is for the Fijian people.
34:53All of them that are watching now, they know that our food has value.
34:56The rest of you are all safe from tonight's elimination.
35:00Whew.
35:01But that's not all.
35:02The four of you have earned the chance to win a game-changing advantage in the next challenge.
35:10But we'll talk about that later.
35:11For now, head on up to the gallery.
35:13Okay.
35:14Great job.
35:17An advantage is everything in this competition.
35:20Any leg up that any of us can get is huge.
35:24Now we'd like to try the three dishes that didn't quite meet our expectations.
35:33Lindsay.
35:35I'm definitely worried about my plating, especially because Craig made a comment when they were walking around.
35:44I made spring rolls stuffed with sticky rice and mango and a little bit of lime zest and then two
35:49little dippers for them.
35:51So one is a whipped coconut cream and then there's puffed wild rice as well.
35:55The plate is a bit of a mess.
35:57Is this how you intended it to look?
36:00The spring roll there, I cut it before it cooled down.
36:04So then the cross section was not how I intended it to look.
36:06Right, right, right, right.
36:20I definitely get the crispy.
36:21Mm-hmm.
36:22I see the multiple layers of the puffed rice plus the rice wrapper around that mango, but that's where my
36:29positive commentary ends.
36:30Okay.
36:32The mango itself is a very simple lime zest mango, but there isn't much more coming through than that.
36:40Okay.
36:41The coconut, it is very strange texturally.
36:44It's almost aerated and breaking at the same time.
36:47Mm-hmm.
36:47It's something that I'd rather shave with than eat.
36:53I think you nailed the crispy, but the exterior on the spring roll, I think your oil might have been
36:59a little low.
37:00If it had been a little hotter, you might have been able to get a bit more color.
37:03You need to push yourself more than you did on this dish.
37:06I'm disappointed because I know that I don't belong in the bottom three.
37:12Clearly today, I was not cooking at my best.
37:14The next home cook made a dish with fluffy rice that was simple.
37:21Rebecca.
37:23Everything today had to have gone wrong.
37:26Right now, I feel super defeated, but I really just pray that this dish is just going to keep me
37:31here just another day longer.
37:32I attempted to make a wild mushroom pilaf.
37:36There was supposed to be a crispy element as well as a whipped lemon and crema like a tower, and
37:43I made it too early and it went flat.
37:45So what is in the middle?
37:48It's just crema, and I took a cold spoon and kind of made that pillow.
38:02This is just a plate of rice.
38:04It's really simple.
38:06If you're given an hour to cook, probably not the best time to start doing things you've never really done
38:11before.
38:12Understood.
38:13But I think you took some chances and the time caught up with you and you just fell into the
38:17trap.
38:18Mm-hmm.
38:19I do think the cook on your rice is nice, but the fact that there's just those dehydrated chanterelles in
38:25there, another mushroom really would have made it sing.
38:29Yeah.
38:29I'm not getting the caramelization of the mushrooms.
38:32There's little to no aromatics of garlic and onions and shallots and maybe a bit of fresh thyme.
38:39Yeah.
38:39More flavors to make it a true pilaf.
38:42Please step down to the front.
38:44I played it too safe, and I want to stay in this competition so bad.
38:50The last dish we're going to taste missed the mark on their rice texture.
38:58Please bring your dish to the front.
39:04The judges are about to call one last name for the bottom three, and I am praying to God that
39:09I am not one of them.
39:10I do not want to go home.
39:19The last dish we're going to taste missed the mark on their rice texture.
39:32Brendan.
39:37I can see the flaws with my plate.
39:39It's borderline crispy.
39:41Not proud of what I put on the plate today.
39:44I made a deconstructed crispy sushi roll with spicy sesame mayo and wild rice puff.
40:00The crispy element isn't quite there.
40:03I actually find it more sticky.
40:05Okay.
40:05Than I do crispy.
40:06Mm.
40:06When you put this rice cake on the plate, was it still warm or had it cooled a little bit?
40:11It was still warm.
40:12What's happened is the bottom has lost the crispy texture because it kind of traps that steam.
40:18If you'd deep fried that rice cake, you would have had that nice crispy exterior and that soft, fluffy interior.
40:27This mango is totally not ripe.
40:30You can't force it into your plate.
40:32Yeah.
40:32If it's not ripe, it's not ripe.
40:35The flavors are fine.
40:36I just think you can do better.
40:38Please step down to the front.
40:40It's really tough to see something that you created with your own two hands be torn apart like that.
40:47But I agree with everything that the judges said.
40:53You can see in their faces that they know that this was not their best work.
40:58My heart is thumping in my chest and I'm just, I'm feeling nervous.
41:02It was just a poor planning situation.
41:07This dish is not a representation of who I am at all.
41:10I just want one more opportunity to show the judges what I've got.
41:14The pressure of the kitchen and the clock just tripped them up.
41:20I am stressing right now.
41:22I cannot be the first of the top 12 to go.
41:25Okay, so I think we agree?
41:27Mm-hmm. Yep.
41:37Lindsay, Rebecca, and Brendan, all your dishes had major flaws.
41:42Yes.
41:47Lindsay, you are safe.
41:53Please head on back to your station.
41:57Good luck, guys.
41:57Good luck.
41:58Oh, my gosh.
42:00The person going home tonight is...
42:18Rebecca.
42:27Brendan, you're safe.
42:29Say goodbye and head back to your station.
42:34Rebecca, time was not your friend today.
42:37And we know that you were pretty disappointed in your dish.
42:42But don't give up on your food truck dream.
42:44I will not.
42:45Definitely not.
42:47Today was not my best.
42:49I learned that every dish you put forward is very important.
42:51Maybe I should have been more expressive of who I am.
42:55I am most proud of the fact that I actually applied.
42:57And I came here.
42:58And I'm so proud to be the first Newfoundlander to crack the top 12.
43:14Oh, my God.
43:15What is it?
43:16What is it?
43:16Next time on MasterChef Canada.
43:18You are cooking to win the immunity pen.
43:23But there's the catch.
43:28I'm pissed.
43:29Your everyday ingredient should be the star.
43:31Please just thicken up.
43:32Please just thicken up.
43:33I want to win this.
43:34For the love of God.
43:36That's raw dough.