Around the dinner table is where the magic starts.
It's a recipe for smiles that only show themselves.
Yes, yes.
Love this.
Watching this band feels comforting.
My husband is a musician, and I'm surrounded by music all day, every day.
So it feels like home.
Thank you to Acute Inflections for blessing us with that soulful song.
That was amazing.
Amazing.
I don't know about you, but a song, feeling that spirit, makes me a little hungry.
I'm ready for a little jazz brunch.
Ooh.
Did you all know the term soul food can be traced all the way back to the 1920s?
It was inspired by the soulfulness that jazz singers brought to the scene.
Soul food and jazz go together like chicken and waffles.
Yes!
Hash and eggs, biscuits and gravy.
So in this Soul Starter Challenge, each of you will take on a soul food brunch pairing to present to our judges.
And speaking of judges, let's welcome back Chef Eric Adjapong and Miss Melba Wilson.
Okay, I'll see you at the mimosas.
Hello, beautiful.
Along with this week's guest judge, proud Southern chef, entrepreneur, and owner of the acclaimed Roots Chicken Shack and Roots Southern Table, Chef Tiffany Deary.
Tiffany Daria, she's extremely talented.
She's a restaurateur.
She has definitely made a way for herself, and that's an inspiration.
And as you can see, it wouldn't be a jazz brunch without a little toast.
I hope you guys are thirsty.
Yes.
Ladies first.
Thank you so much.
Of course.
All right, chefs, there's a dish assignment attached to your glass.
Chef Dorian, what do you have?
Hash and eggs.
You don't seem too happy about hash and eggs.
I do not want hash, period.
I don't know how I'm going to make an elevated dish with hash and eggs.
but I got it though, I'm good.
Chef Ross?
Biscuits and gravy.
I got chicken and waffles.
I'm excited about having chicken and waffles because I wanted to give it to you in a way that's unexpected.
I have whole cakes and greens.
All right.
Chef Jamarius, what does that leave you with?
Of course, save the best for last.
I actually got a chicken fried steak and taters.
We going to eat good today.
Got a little jazz, got some good food.
The mood is set.
Here's to the great soul food cook-off.
Cheers.
All right, chefs, this is all great, but you guys still got to cook, right?
And your time starts now.
Let's go, guys.
Last week, I was safe.
I feel like I coasted on through, but this week, I'm coming for the top.
I'm making a potato scallion pancake with that fried steak right on top.
I definitely know my way around a chicken fried steak.
So my plans for this round is to kill them with flavor and technique.
Chicken fried steak and taters, I like that dish because that's something that we would do in my family.
And I'll tell you, that is what I most appreciate about my childhood and my soul food experiences.
I appreciate family being together.
I definitely feel my mother's energy with me here.
Man, she was strong.
I know that she's given me the strength to endure.
What are you looking for from the chefs today with our Southern jazz-inspired soul food brunch?
I want to see some creativity.
The great thing about music is you have a lot of room to play because it's personal to you.
It's just you.
Soul food, music, they go hand in hand.
That's where soul food got its name, in jazz clubs, in these blues clubs.
The coolest part about this is having Melba here.
When I think about brunch, soul food, Harlem is the number one place that comes to mind.
Totally.
Harlem is the Mecca for food and for music, especially in the black culture.
Definitely.
We have a ton of churches, and you're going to hear some of the best music that you've ever heard.
And the service starts at 8, finishes at 3.
You know, you sit there, your stomach is grumbling, grumbling.
Yes, yes, yes.
And then it's time to eat.
Definitely.
You know, brunch, I'm a millennial, so, you know, that's what we do.
It's the endless mimosas.
You know, so I wonder, from our OGs, you know, like Chef Chris, what kind of innovation are they bringing, you know?
For sure.
My ideal brunch is coffee and a newspaper, but that's just me.
But I'm glad to have the chicken and waffles because I can really show a lot of creativity.
So I'm making lemonade fried chicken with a potato waffle.
I want to put a little bit of flavor into the chicken.
And don't get it twisted.
The lemonade is not sweet.
It's a savory blend of lemon juice, some garlic, and some sage.
As the chicken is brining, I begin with my waffle.
I'm making a potato waffle because it needs to push the envelope.
I can't just give you a waffle of what you're expecting.
Mm, nice.
I'm going to go see what they're doing.
I'm brunching.
It's a brunch box.
I'm going to go mix and mingle, mix and mingle.
Chef, chef.
Hey, girl.
What's up?
Hey, chefs.
It's a brunch.
Everybody's so serious.
Oh, I see you got your champs here.
I got, yes.
Oh, toast.
Toast, toast.
Fun.
It seems like me and Chris making the same exact dish, and that's the second week.
I'm doing chicken and waffles right here.
You're doing a potato cake as well.
Hold on.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
So is it like telepathic vibes?
Like, are y'all talking to one another?
So who's copying who?
I hear Chris say he making a potato cake.
I'm thinking in my head, why are you making a potato cake and you know that my dish includes potatoes?
Come on, man.
You got to be more original than that, my brother.
My god.
Every day we do the same thing?
I think he watched at my station getting some ideas, to be honest.
Jamarius accuses me of stealing his idea.
If Jamarius is serious about winning this competition, he better stop thinking about me and start thinking about that money.
Chef Dorian, Miss Dorian.
Yes, ma'am.
You are not happy about this brunch item.
Nobody really like hash like that.
When I go to a brunch, I go for the hash.
Well, after you have my hash, you're going to miss my hash when you go to your next brunch.
Oprah, I go to my next brunch.
Oh, there's an Oprah on the way.
Oprah, bite pieces.
I want you guys to have a nice.
Go ahead.
Go ahead and do it.
Go ahead, let me hear the crunch.
Hit it.
Bam!
I heard it.
Not your traditional hash.
It's going to be the bomb.
Woo!
I'm making a fried green tomato and okra hash with a beautiful poached egg on top.
Ain't nobody thinking about Fred.
He don't know nothing about no greens.
Not at all, right?
He don't know nothing about greens.
We're going to make some work, though.
Hey, Chris, you think Fred can cook greens, Chris?
I mean, you would think, right?
That's for grown folk.
Grown folk didn't care.
I'm making flatbread whole cakes and jerk greens.
When you're cooking greens, they can take up to an hour or two hours.
But time is not on my side.
I have to make sure that they're nice and tender and they're flavorful.
Sauteing them down, man.
I'm going to hit him with the broth.
We're going to be good to go.
I'm going to use some turkey nits.
And then I add a little bit of jerk seasoning, give it a little kick.
And then I'm going to use real whiskey so I get that real essence of a pot liquor, figuratively and literally.
So it looks like Chef Fred just added a little bit of bourbon to his greens.
Did you say bourbon?
You mean he has a shot of bourbon on the side?
No, no, no, no, no.
He's drinking while he's making the greens, right?
I wish.
It sounds like he's putting bourbon inside of his greens.
So I'm curious.
I've never had.
Have you?
I've never had.
What's wrong with a little booze?
I'm not a big fan of whole cakes.
I don't make them that often, and I don't have the recipe memorized.
So I'm adding some flour, a little bit of cornmeal, and I'm gonna pray for the best.
So when we're talking about a whole cake, we really should have a good amount of cornmeal.
And when I look at Chef Fred's dish, it looks very much like a lot of flour in there.
There's a lot of concern with what Fred is doing.
Chefs, we got 20 minutes left to brunch.
20 minutes.
Your judges are starving.
Don't keep them waiting at the dough.
Chef Roz, what are you up to?
I'm making biscuits and gravy.
Biscuits and gravy.
Are you taking it very literal, or are you getting really creative with it?
Very literal.
I'm a purist in terms of soul food, so I'm going to just keep it that way.
OK.
Innovation is not my strong suit.
I don't try to change her.
I don't think she needs to be changed.
I'm making buttermilk biscuits and gravy.
I'm going to stay true to my mom, stay true to her recipe.
This is very personal to me.
My mom taught me how to make them, and then I taught my daughters how to make them.
It's just buttermilk, butter, and flour.
Now, I'm a little concerned about Chef Roz.
There's just sausage and onion in a pan, biscuits in the oven.
Nothing that screams, oh, this is new to me.
I mean, there is absolutely nothing wrong if you give us an amazing biscuit.
Yeah.
But if one thing is off, there's nowhere to hide.
The stress of it all and the clock just gets to me every week.
Gotcha.
But I'm determined to simply do exactly what I do best and stay focused on being true to myself.
Chefs, less than 10 minutes left on the clock.
As I'm preparing my folk cakes, I'm not getting the consistency that I want.
They're coming off a little bit too flat.
There's not enough oil on that griddle.
And I don't know if it's hot enough or not.
It's not.
Yeah.
Chef Fred, man, he don't really know how to make no whole cake.
No rise to it, like a back roll tire.
Flat.
My griddle is getting way too hot.
They're starting to burn.
I don't know if I'll be able to get them done in time.
We don't want raw whole cakes.
I'm hoping, Houston, that we don't have a problem.
Time is running out, and I got to make sure I get these whole cakes done the proper way.
So it looks like Fred's starting again.
I don't understand why these whole cakes won't rise.
But at least they aren't burnt.
They're just going to have to be good enough.
Chef Chris' chicken looks nice and crispy.
It does.
As time is starting to come to an end, I'm putting some finishing touches on my chicken and waffles.
And I'm making a lemon Tabasco butter and a sorghum molasses butter.
So you have the heat and you have the sweet.
To add to this dish, I'm making a mango salsa to be able to cut through all the fat and create some brightness to the dish.
One minute left to have the hottest brunch on the scene.
That's right.
Come on, Fred.
30 seconds, Chef.
30 seconds.
Chef Ryan.
Come on, Chef Ryan.
I don't hear you over there.
I'm ready.
I'm just making her pretty.
That's all.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time is up, Chef.
All right.
Cheers to us.
We did it.
Cheers.
We did it.
It's time to face the music.
Whole cakes was probably the difficult part of it, when it should have been the easiest.
But hopefully them greens outshine it.
I'm feeling really good about this challenge.
I definitely stuck with who I am as a chef.
And I'm just happy to present it to the judges.
I'm looking at my plate, and I say I nailed it.
I'm very proud of it.
Happy I got hash now that it's over.
I needed it.
Judges, are you all ready to brunch?
I'm ready.
I hope you brought your stretchy pants.
Chef Dorian.
Hello.
What do we have here?
What you have before you is my soulful hash with a poached egg.
Oh, man, that's nice.
We're sorry.
You might say so yourself.
At first, I wasn't really excited about the hash at all.
I'm not big on breakfast, so whenever we go to brunch, I always get the lunch part.
But I start thinking about it.
I'm like, OK, this can be really, really a nice dish.
So just like keys on a keyboard, each individual component was brought together to make a beautiful song in your mouth, right?
OK, all right.
The peppers are really delicious and beautifully cooked.
I love the green tomatoes as well.
I can do without the crust on the okra.
I beg to differ with you.
Yeah?
I'm loving the crunch of the cornmeal.
And I like that you put the egg on top because it allowed it to become our sauce.
It's a lovely, lovely dish.
Thank you, chef.
Thank you.
Chef Fred, what's going on?
How are you?
What have you prepared for our judges today?
This is a flatbread hoecake and greens.
And a little bit of bourbon.
A little bourbon.
You know, you got to have the pot liquor.
So I added just a hint of it just so you get it.
So you took us very literally when they say pot.
Liquor.
Yes, ma'am.
I love the warm spice from the jerk, from the greens.
I've never had jerk greens before.
It's the whole cake, man.
For me, that's just a little bit two clusters.
It's thin, but it's really dense as well.
I totally agree with you on that.
Because I really want it to absorb and indulge in that pot liquor.
And this whole cake is not allowing me to sop up the way I want it.
But I keep coming back to this pot liquor, though.
Oh, wow.
Yeah, you can take a shot glass.
Thank you, chef.
Thank you.
Damn.
I'll pour that.
Hi.
Surprise.
Welcome to brunch.
Today, we have buttermilk biscuits and gravy.
I made this dish with my mom in mind.
I hope you all enjoy it.
You know, I was looking down, and I said, she said, just some biscuits and some gravy.
So every aspect of your dish, you know, had to be right.
You nailed it.
This is when simple works out.
Yes.
I'm getting a nice crisp on the top, and then I bit into it, and it was like little pillows of heaven.
Definitely very simple, but also delicious.
This is the type of cooking that we know you can do.
If simplicity is it, and you're just focused, this is it for you.
Thank you.
Chefs, how's it going?
All right, Chef Marius.
I did a chicken fried steak with a potato and scallion pancake.
I like the savory pancake a lot.
I really like the cheese.
I like the green onion.
Yeah.
I like the potato cake.
I think that's really inventive.
It's smart.
Chicken fried steak, a couple of things.
One, it doesn't really have enough crunch.
And I feel like it could have been a little bit more tender.
Thank you.
Thank you, chefs.
I appreciate you.
Chef Chris, what do we have on the menu for brunch today?
What I have here is a lemonade fried chicken and potato waffle.
Now, don't think that it's going to be sweet.
It's a very savory lemon brine.
Why did you choose drumsticks?
Because I wanted you to eat with your hands.
I mean, you guys are kind of fancy.
You're eating with the fork and knife, and I appreciate that.
I know how to eat with my hands.
Beautiful presentation, Chef.
There's a good crisp still on the chicken.
My favorite thing on the plate is this mango salsa.
Every bite that I have with that elevates the dish.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Beautiful technique on the waffle.
The thing I don't like is the sorghum and molasses syrup.
I think it eats too bitter.
But other than that, I think this is a solid dish.
Thanks.
Thank you.
All right, chefs, that brunch was popping, OK?
But give the judges a moment to discuss which plate hit the highest note.
Overall, I felt that the tasting went well, but I'd certainly focus in on the negative parts.
That's the fuel.
That's what keeps me pushing on to get better.
I feel amazing.
No pressures here.
Because again, looking over at the other chefs, and it don't seem like they're executing properly, no pressure.
Judges, you really can't go wrong with brunch.
But whose soulful dish won you all over the most?
I would say it's Chef Roz.
I mean, that biscuit?
Come on.
Like, beautiful crust, that soft but really tender interior, and that gravy that she had.
Give me that all day.
I'm good.
I'm feeling really good about this challenge.
I did not second guess myself.
I kept it simple, and I made exactly what I know how to make.
I just feel validated.
Who else really brought the brunch vibes?
I have to say Chef Dorian.
Oh, for sure.
Oh, yeah.
And the perfectly cooked egg, runny yolk.
Yes.
I mean, that's what you want with brunch, right?
For sure.
Absolutely, yeah.
What about Chef Fred, the whole cakes with the greens?
The greens were lovely.
They had such flavor, kept going back for that potluck.
Yeah, I would too.
But I'm going to tell you, that whole cake just was a disappointment.
What about Chef Jamarius?
Chicken fried steak, didn't hit it.
It was just, it was tough and didn't have any crunch at all.
But that scallion pancake was delicious.
I thought Chef Chris's dish was really nice.
The waffle was really, really smart.
But the sorghum, molasses syrup, that just, it was a little bit too bitter for me.
Shall we bring back the chefs?
Yeah.
Hey, chefs.
Hey.
How you doing?
A couple of you were like soulful jazz artists, using improvisation, creativity, and skill.
But a couple of you plated dishes that the judges couldn't rock with.
Chef Fred, Chef Jamarius, both of you presented the judges' least favorite dishes.
Chef Fred, your collard greens were definitely a nice surprise for us.
It was the whole cake, which was dense and dry.
And that is why you are in the bottom today.
Chef Jamaris, that chicken fried steak was way too tough.
Not the right dredging as well.
And that's why you are in the bottom.
I feel a little disappointed.
But ultimately, I'm going to keep running through this thing, man, no matter how big the hurdle gets.
On the other hand, Chef Dorian, Chef Raz, you both hit a high note with your meals.
But one of you made a true standout dish.
The chef with the hottest brunch on the scene is Chef Razia.
Where's the confetti?
You don't get confetti.
I'm so excited to finally win a challenge.
Finally feel like I've gotten out of my own way.
Feel like if I stay true to myself and my family, I can win this.
All right, chefs, as you all know, jazz music is just one example of black excellence in artistry.
Our distinct sound, just like soul food, speaks to American culture and the uniqueness of the black experience.
For your cook-off challenge, your task is to create a dish inspired by a musical genre that's been influenced and elevated by Black Americans.
In front of you is a box of records with a variety of genres to choose from, including rock and roll, Motown, neo-soul, blues, and gospel.
Chef Roz?
Yes?
Since you won the Soul Starter Challenge, you get to pick first.
Choose your genre.
I don't know, because I relate to all of it.
My very first instinct was Neosoul, Jill Scott.
My husband tours with her, so.
Oh, there you go.
We're going to go with Jill Scott.
So catch that vibe.
I caught it.
And transfer it into your food.
Absolutely.
All right, Chef Eric, spoons, please.
Let's do it.
Magical spoons.
Chef Dorian.
I stand on my faith and my spirituality.
So definitely going with gospel.
My mom was a gospel singer.
My dad was a minister.
It's my foundation.
It's what I was raised on.
Chef Jamarius.
Down home blues, baby.
Blues.
When I hear the blues, I want to just have a nice steak, a nice glass of whiskey.
So man, I almost know what I want to do for this challenge right here.
Chef Chris.
We'll go with rock and roll.
All right.
I can figure that bell bottoms.
We see that.
Yeah.
We see that bell bottoms.
Like, I've always been one of them brothers who's been, like, a little bit different.
But the one thing that we have in common is that we've always been loud.
With our flavors, with our voices, with our ingredients, rock and roll fits me perfectly.
Chef Fred, you are last.
The Hit Factory.
Motown.
Yeah, honey.
Motown.
I'll bring a little Motown R&B to y'all.
Yeah.
Temptations.
Diana Ross.
Smokey Robinson.
Smooth.
All right, chefs.
We hope that each of these genres really inspire you and transfer that inspiration into your dish.
Every dish counts, because after this challenge, you know there's someone going home.
You'll have 45 minutes.
It's time to cut a rug.
Your time starts now.
Come on, guys.
Come on.
Chef Roz, I see that twinkle in her eye.
Nothing like a good win to give you a boo.
Yes, for sure.
Yep.
And she chose Neal's soul.
I'm really interested to see how she takes that inspiration and turns it into a really tasty dish.
When I think of Neo Soul, I think about D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott.
And it just so happens that my husband has toured with Jill Scott for more than 10 years now.
And I've had the pleasure of cooking for her.
She typically doesn't eat meat, but when she does, my roasted wings are what she enjoys.
So I'm making herb roasted wings, sweet potato souffle, and sauteed cabbage.
I've made this sweet potato souffle for Jill Scott herself.
And she loves it, so that's the star of my dish.
Right behind you.
Let's talk about Sunday's church.
Yes.
And how Chef Dorian chose gospel.
She clearly said that's the reason she's here, faith.
And I think Chef Dorian is going to put it all on that plate today.
Gospel music definitely brings me right back to my childhood and being in church.
I remember my mom singing in the choir.
Her voice was amazing.
She would have us all sitting right beside the choir so she could watch us and give us the eye if we start acting up.
I'm making a pan-seared duck, braised Swiss chard and beetroot greens with sweet corn puree.
Growing up with nine siblings, we didn't have a lot of money.
But after church, my parents would take us out to a restaurant that they felt was very high class.
So my inspiration for this dish is Sunday after church with my family.
Let that go.
Chef Dorian, gospel.
I don't remember eating duck breast after church on Sunday.
You probably didn't.
But for me, my parents always treated us on Sunday.
You're taking a pretty big risk with making a refined dish for a Sunday supper.
I am taking a very big risk.
But this is how I remember Sundays for me.
To make sure this dish screams rock and roll, I'm gonna need bright colors.
I'm making black rice, frosted oyster, and shrimp with a corn cream.
I really want the corn cream to shine.
A little bit of stock, a little bit of heavy cream, let that cook together, and then you buzz it into a puree.
Hey, girl.
What's up?
Ooh, this sauce is bright and beautiful.
What is that?
That is a corn cream.
OK.
Then I'm doing some other colors as well.
So bright, colorful, rough, loud, bold.
Loud flavors in your face kind of thing.
Good luck.
I'm doing something that I've never made before, because when you're this far in the competition, you've got to get outside your comfort zone.
So far, so good, bro.
It's still a little clunky, but I need to just fine-tune it a little bit.
I'll tell you, I think Chef Chris is getting a little cocky.
He's starting to try and do dishes that, you know, he's never did before.
Just doing my thing.
That's the old heads for you.
You know, we're trying to win $50,000, though, man.
So I got to bring it out.
After picking blues, my mind instantly went to this steakhouse I go to in Atlanta that plays the blues.
I'm making a black and blue seared ribeye with a bourbon Dijon mustard sauce.
Blues definitely resonates with me because growing up, my family was really poor.
We had to eat what we could to get by.
Coming from where I come from, what better way to have a comforting meal to go along with those hard times, man?
Time check, please.
30 minutes, chefs.
30 minutes.
30 minutes heard.
Chef Fred got Motown.
We all remember, you know, the Jackson 5.
We all remember Dinah Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson.
This is the time right now to go hard or go home.
This challenge is all about creativity, and that's what I embody.
I'm going to design my dish by giving you different flavors, because that's what Motown was about.
They were different, but they all came together to make one sound.
I can't mess up this thin piece of fish, and I only got four.
I'm making sea bass with a soy honey glaze, lemon butter broccolini, and purple mashed potatoes.
So with my sea bass, I'm going to season it with a Chinese five spice.
I mean, a lot of the groups in Motown start off with like five people.
Jackson Five, Temptations.
They had to dance.
They had to sing.
They had to do everything.
It's week four.
This competition is now heating up.
Work it, work it, work it.
At this point, I think the judges are being very nitpicky, and everybody feels the pressure all around.
Relax.
The vibe has definitely changed in this building.
It's definitely kicked up for sure.
I feel the tension in the room right now.
At the half point mark, you really got to step up and bring it.
I mean, we're talking about $50,000.
We obviously wanted to see a little bit more technicality, a little bit more skill.
When you get towards the end, now you're looking at all the small details.
Yes.
While my duck is rendering, I'm blending up corn to get it prepared for my corn puree.
I want this dish to speak to what my parents wanted us to have.
If my parents could have afforded to feed us this way, they would have.
Chef Dorian, you all are in for a treat, because I tell you what, the sear on those duck breasts look incredible.
Chef Jamarius has yet to do anything with those steaks.
He seared them.
Looks like he put a little bit of salt and pepper on it, but they're just chilling.
We still have a really large piece of fat on it, so that's a little worrisome to me.
Yeah, I don't want those steaks singing the blues.
Oh, not at all.
Chefs, five minutes.
Five minutes.
Time's running out.
I go to check on my wings, and they are not developing the crisp skin that I want.
I planned on them being done already, but they're not.
I cannot serve the judges beige chicken.
I'm really concerned for Chef Roz.
Yeah.
This chicken could be a huge blow to her entire dish.
After she got that boost, and now something happens like this, I am just upstressed.
If I don't get this chicken to be golden brown and crispy, this could send me home.
Come on, Wayne, please.
Let's go, guys.
Come on.
Come on, everybody.
Come on.
It's not working out.
I have to fix my chicken quickly.
So I pull them out of the oven, put a little bit of oil in a saute pan, and sear them off.
OK, calm down.
Out of my head.
I got this.
Chefs, three minutes left.
Please start plating.
For my potatoes, I'm going to put them in a food processor.
So I'm thinking I can get it done quick, instead of mashing.
Putting it in a food processor really just kind of smashes all the starch grains.
And I don't know if that was necessarily the smartest thing.
So Chef Fred is pan frying the sea bass, but it looks like he's brushing all the work he just did to make it all nice and crispy with a glaze.
It'll have some flavor.
It will.
But definitely that crispy skin is gone.
That skin is gone.
It's gone.
Time check, please.
One minute, guys.
Come on, now.
Finish up.
We all in this together.
Don't give up.
My souffle still kind of looks underdone to me, but I have to pull it out of the oven because my time is running out.
Come on, bring it on home.
Let's go, Chef Ros.
Let's go.
Ros, come on.
Let's go, Chef Dorian.
Damarius, come on.
Damn.
This is it.
Somebody is going home tonight.
Don't let it be you.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Time is up.
Whoo!
Thank God I got it on a plate.
It's a mess, but I got it, and it's good.
Hey, good job, y'all.
Killed it.
Why is Chef Dorian crying?
Why is she in tears?
Overwhelmed a little bit.
You got it.
I don't want to cry, but I can't help it.
Sorry.
I'm sorry.
My parents had a lot of kids, right?
We didn't know we were poor.
And they tried to give us the best, and they did.
And looking at this plate, this is what they wanted to give us.
This is what everybody should be eating.
We should be eating like kings and queens.
And so I'm crying because I know that my parents would want this for us, and they just couldn't do it.
But I'm grateful for what they did give us, you know?
Hey, Dorian, I'm proud of you, girl.
Chefs, we challenged you all to create an innovative dish inspired by a musical genre.
We hope you all found a way to bring that special sound and feeling to your dish.
Chef Chris, tell us what you made and what inspired you.
In front of you is a black rice crusted oyster and shrimp with a corn cream.
My theme was rock and roll, so I really wanted to bring something crazy, something colorful, something bold.
Chef, how do you feel about rock and roll?
I mean, I love all music.
I was raised on jazz.
But I guess at the age of 18, I was a little wild and crazy.
I had my hair spiked.
I kind of lived that wild side.
And rock and roll speaks to my personality.
This is a fun dish.
There is some bright and bold colors.
Black rice, that's something that's so different, right, to put on your seafood.
So I like that you went for it.
When I first laid eyes on this dish,
I saw movement.
I could imagine Little Richard, Chubby Checker, dancing to the beat and to the rhythm.
I did, however, feel that the oysters and the shrimp were a little over-salted for me.
Cooked perfectly, however, a little bit over-seasoned for me.
Thank you, Chef.
All right.
Thank you.
Chef Jamarius, you're up next.
Come on down.
I picked the blues, and it brought me back to Atlanta, where I go to this nice steakhouse.
They play the blues.
So you have a black and blue seared ribeye with a bourbon Dijon mustard sauce and creamy mashed potatoes.
Chef, at the restaurant that you enjoy your black and blue steak, does it normally come with this much fat?
Um, yeah, well, I'll tell you, certain people like fat.
And again, it adds a little bit of flavor to the dish.
Well, I'll say that it didn't add.
OK.
The fat that you have that wraps around the beef, it doesn't break down.
It doesn't eat well.
Yes, Chef.
Yeah, I agree.
This is really, really tough.
If you wanted to serve a black and blue steak, you should have probably put it in the oven first.
Let that intermuscular fat at least render out a little bit, and then still get a very nice, rare steak, but has a little bit more chewability to it.
Simplest things that could have been one of the most delicious things would be the mashed potatoes.
Not enough salt, not enough butter, not enough cream.
Yes, Chef.
The best thing that I see here is this sauce.
This sauce is divine.
And I take some butter, a little bit of heavy cream.
This is what I want.
All right, thank you, Chef Jamarius.
Chef Roz, come on down.
So I've prepared for you herb roasted wings, sweet potato souffle, and sauteed cabbage.
The chicken has great flavor.
I taste the herbs.
The seasoning is nice.
The flavors are there.
Thank you.
The wings, you pivoted beautifully.
You really did, Chef Roz.
The color is beautiful.
The herb seasoning on them are wonderful.
And I am thoroughly enjoying the wings.
Thank you.
But the star of the show, the sweet potatoes, for me, it fell short.
Like, it's somewhat raw.
It is a nice flavor, but it's not complete.
I think if you had that extra time to really get it to where you want it to, that souffle would have really been it.
Thank you, Chef.
Thank you.
Chef Dorian, please step down.
My genre was gospel, and I made a pan-seared duck breast with braised Swiss chard with a sweet corn puree.
What was the inspiration, Chef?
Gospel music definitely brings me right back to my childhood and being in church.
For me and my family on Sunday, that's when they splurged on us.
So this dish is elevated like those Sundays with my family.
I totally enjoyed the Swiss chard.
I love the seasoning on the duck.
And the puree, I ate it with my duck as well as with my Swiss chard.
And it was creamy.
It was decadent.
I like the chard here.
I'm tasting plenty of vinegar in it.
And I like the bitter notes.
But honestly, I would have loved to have seen a beautiful sauce done here to really add and elevate to the dish.
Well-seasoned, well-balanced.
I love the sear on the duck.
But I think the greatest thing about this dish is the story behind it.
I'm transported immediately with your family, watching you guys enjoy one of those beautiful five-star meals.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chef Dorian.
Chef Fred, let's see what you made.
My genre of choice was Motown.
And what I have for you is a pan-seared sea bass with purple potatoes.
I seasoned the sea bass with Chinese five spice.
Why?
A lot of the groups, they had that starting five, from Jackson 5 to The Temptations.
So we saw you take your bass and get a beautiful crispy tear.
And then you took a brush and just completely glazed it.
And you just went backwards.
And I did not understand why you did that.
And I just don't see why you would decide to put potatoes in a food processor, bursting all the starch granules.
And now it's just very gloopy.
Right, right, right.
Most definitely.
The broccolini here truly is the best thing on the plate.
I love that it's green.
I love that it's seasoned.
I love the brightness that it has going on.
So obviously, you can cook.
But if you want to win $50,000, you got to bring it.
And this is not bringing it.
So next time, when you're thinking about your dish and you're cooking, whether it be here, whether it be anywhere, is this the plate that I want to be known for?
Exactly.
I'm going to get it all on the plate.
Is this the one?
Yes, that's a fact.
Simple mistakes can cost you.
And whatever mistake you made today may cost you your spot here.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chef.
That was brutal.
I just know that they're looking for more from each of us.
Right.
I think everybody's just trying to find their comfort zone, man, and rock with it.
So it's like, get out our own heads, stay focused, remember the basics, keep it simple.
We just made, everybody made silly mistakes.
Silly mistakes.
We know better.
But try not to be accused of playing it safe.
Safe, exactly.
Yeah.
That's the worst.
Take small risks.
All right, judges, seems like some plates did better than the others.
Definitely some highlights.
Chef Chris, it was about rock and roll.
And when I looked at his plate, I saw movement.
I saw the vision.
And that excited me.
Yeah.
Technique-wise, I mean, Chef Chris hit it on the mark.
He battered his shrimp and oysters in that beautiful black rice dredging, and he fried it.
It just was a little bit too over-seasoned for me.
Any other highlight?
I think Chef Dorian.
Yeah.
I like that she went for the duck.
And when she said that this is a food that we should have been able to eat, that touched me, right?
Even though her plate was simple, it was beautiful.
The colors were vibrant, and they stood out.
What about Chef Jamarius?
I got to say, I was really, really looking forward to Chef Jamarius's dish, the blues.
And when he brought his meal up to us, the steak was not done whatsoever.
It just showed that he really did something that he wasn't very familiar with.
Yeah.
But that sauce that Jamarius made was divine.
Yeah.
It was good.
But you know, Chef Roz pivoted well.
When her wings were not browning, she pivoted.
That was everything.
Because the seasoning on those wings, what?
Yeah.
That was a good wine.
But those potatoes weren't creamy.
It was just really, really hard to get over that.
All right.
What about Chef Fred?
I don't understand why you spend so much time getting a beautiful sear and then completely reverse it in the amount of 30 seconds by putting that glaze on it.
And then the whole food processor and making that mashed potatoes.
Broken down.
Totally broken down.
It's gluey.
It's gluey, yeah.
Thank goodness for the broccolini on bread plate.
It was crunchy.
It was seasoned.
I mean, it was everything you want in a green vegetable.
For sure, yeah.
So do you think you guys have made a decision?
It wasn't easy, but I think we're there.
Yeah.
Chefs, the judges have reached their decision.
As the competition is getting less and less, chefs, it's only five of us right now.
I'm feeling nervous.
The challenge is going to get tougher and tougher.
It has to.
So there's a lot of pressure to make it happen.
I definitely messed up that perfectly seared sea bass.
But hopefully this doesn't send me home.
Chefs, the challenge was to create a thoughtful dish inspired by a musical genre.
And after much discussion, the judges have reached their decision.
One of you made a true standout dish, and that chef is Chef Dorian.
Thank you.
This is a win for my parents.
And it's a tribute to my mom and my dad.
So I'm very excited about this win.
They were definitely with me today.
Chef Chris, Chef Roz, you are safe from elimination.
So Chef Dorian, Chef Chris, Chef Roz, you can leave the kitchen.
Chef Fred, Chef Jamarius, you two created the judges' least favorite dishes.
Chef Fred, the dish missed the mark on technicality.
Your fish was not crispy.
Your potatoes were gummy.
Yes, sir.
Chef Jamarius, the mashed potatoes lacked flavor, and the amount of fat that you left on that steak was unacceptable.
Chef Jamarius, I'm sorry, but your dish did not bring the soul the judges were looking for.
Chef Fred, that means you are safe.
You may leave the kitchen.
Chef Demarius, everything that we've said comes from a place of love.
Thank you for sharing your showmanship, your humor, your food, but most importantly, yourself and your spirit with us.
Of course, appreciate everything.
I appreciate all the good words, all the encouragement.
I'm thankful to be here.
You know, I competed, and I gave it what I had.
That's all we can ask for.
Thank you.
I don't necessarily agree with the judges.
I don't think nobody hustled like I did.
But I was picked for a reason, and I did exactly what I wanted to do.
Thank you, Chef.
Last year definitely was one of the hardest years of my life, losing my parents.
But one thing it taught me is that I don't care what obstacle get thrown in your face, you keep moving.
I already did my mother justice.
I did my father justice.
But ultimately, I just came up short.