MasterChef Episode 2

After a great return last week for MasterChef, it was time for the second round of auditions! I was looking forward to this episode, as I always enjoy seeing what the contestants make every episode. As a reminder, the theme of the season is Dynamic Duos, so the contestants are competing in teams of two. 

The first battle for a white apron was between Darce and Courtney, two animal ER nurses, and Kayla and Ryan Kate, two former MasterChef Junior contestants. As soon as I found out they were going to be contestants this season, I knew that when it was time for their audition, it would either be the first or last one of the episode, as I knew that their presence on the show was enough of a game changer to either start off the episode or end the episode.

Darce and Courtney presented their dish first, which was a vegan lomo saltado with lion’s mane mushrooms, rice, and aji amarillo paste, which I might be willing to try. I knew that they were taking a huge risk making a vegan dish as their audition dish, but I was sure that the judges would still like it. Sure enough, the judges liked it, saying that it was delicious and had warmth and rustic charm and was unapologetically vegan, but also that it needed more salt or soy. 

Kayla and Ryan Kate then presented their dish, which was a pan seared sea bass with lemon garlic spinach, sautéed cherry tomatoes, white beurre blanc, and toasted breadcrumbs, which I don’t think is a dish that I would like. The judges really liked the dish, but Gordon Ramsay was disappointed that they covered the fish in tomatoes, which made it soggy. 
After that, it was time for the judges to announce who won the white apron, and it was revealed to be Kayla and Ryan Kate, which did not surprise me.

Up next was a battle for a white apron between two firefighters named Javi and Luis and two best friends named Kevin and Trey. 

Javi and Luis presented their dish first, which was a chipotle turkey burger with bacon jam, baby gem caesar salad, and homemade croutons, which is a dish that I would definitely try. As soon as the judges said that one of their concerns was that it would be dry, I knew that it was going to be perfectly moist, and my theory was quickly proven to be correct. The judges loved the burger, but they all had problems with the salad, as they thought it was awkwardly plated and it still contained the rusty knot at the base of the iceberg lettuce head.

Kevin and Trey presented their dish next, which was a filet mignon with mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, and brandy peppercorn sauce, which is another dish that sounds great to me. The judges thought that it was great and seasoned well, but the sauce was a little over reduced. 

After that, it was time for the judges to announce which duo won the aprons, and it was revealed to be Kevin and Trey, which did not surprise me. 

The next battle was between two grandmothers named Milah and Lisa and a mother and daughter named Tonna and Cait. 

Milah and Lisa presented their dish first, which was Carolina sea scallops with pureed parsnips, peas, hearts of palm, and candied plums, which I might give a try. The judges thought the scallops were cooked well, but there was too much sweet on the plate without enough acid. 

Tonna and Cait presented their dish next, which was a bison steak with sweet potato puree, green beans, and red wine reduction mushroom sauce, which is a dish that I really don’t think I will ever want to try. The judges liked the dish saying that it was very South Dakota and that the bison was nice, but also said that the mashed potatoes were grainy. 

After that, the judges revealed that the duo that won the aprons were Tonna and Cait, which did not surprise me.

The next battle was between a married couple named Rachel and Julio and another married couple named Spencer and McKenna. 

Rachel and Julio presented their dish first, which was gambas al ajillo with seared shrimp, creamy polenta, Spanish chorizo, and parmesan crisps, which is a dish that I might be willing to try. The judges said that it was visually stunning and cooked beautifully, but the polenta was too rich. 

Spencer and McKenna presented their dish next, which was fried chicken with Southern green beans, mashed potatoes, and herb gravy, which is a dish that I would definitely try. The judges loved the chicken, saying that it had great color and juiciness, but they couldn’t taste much flavor in the herb gravy. 

After that, the judges revealed that the duo that won the aprons was Rachel and Julio, which the more I think about it, doesn’t surprise me because their dish seemed a bit more ambitious.

The final battle of the night was between two siblings named Ricky and Ashley and two brothers named Adam and Joel. 

Ricky and Ashley presented their dish first, which was seafood fra diavolo with tagliatelle pasta and anchovy breadcrumbs, which is a dish that I might be willing to try. Even though the dish was plated sloppily and some of the judges felt that it needed more sauce, they also thought that the sauce was good, the pasta was delicious, and the seafood was cooked beautifully. 

Adam and Joel presented their dish next, which was a stuffed chicken thigh with mushroom stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and fried okra, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. The judges said that the chicken was great, but they felt that the okra could have been crispier, and Joe Bastianich described himself as “a lifelong okraphobic,” which told me that he already didn’t like the dish as much as he could. 

After that, the judges revealed that the duo that had won the last two aprons were Ricky and Ashley, which really surprised me at first. Then I thought that maybe their dish tasted so good that it distracted from how it looked, or maybe the okra really brought down Adam and Joel’s dish.

Overall, this was another great episode of Season 15 of MasterChef, and I’ll see you all next week when the eight duos who didn’t get aprons fight for one last chance with only four of them getting in!