All right, this is week number five.
Five weeks away from the world, five weeks away from my family, but I came here with my eyes on the prize.
Welcome the final four.
Yes.
It feels amazing to have made it this far, but the stress of it all just gets to me every week.
It's very challenging.
Let's welcome back our family of expert judges.
The main man of West African cuisine, Chef Eric Adjikon.
Harlem's queen of soul food, y'all know Miss Melba Wilson.
And this week's guest judge, New York Times critically acclaimed Southern chef, Miss Millie Peartree.
Peace.
Hey, y'all.
Acclaimed soul food chef and baker, Chef Millie Paretri is a successful New York City restaurateur and a frequent contributor to the New York Times.
Chefs, before we get into the Soul Starter Challenge, we have a few folks who want to say hello.
Yeah.
Oh.
We miss you.
And I miss cooking with you.
Do a great job at the competition.
Bye-bye.
Seeing my family is very emotional.
Knowing that they're rooting me on, they're my biggest cheerleaders, it's special.
Oh.
See?
Come on, man.
Hey, Doreen.
I just wanted to say that I love you and that I miss you.
Remember while you're there, and always cook the way you know how to cook.
Love you.
Already.
They already.
We just talking over here.
Hey, Fred.
That's my sister.
I am so, so proud of you, bro.
I wish you the best, and I can't wait for you to come home.
Hi, Mommy.
Hey, babe, it's me and the girls.
We just want to say we love you.
Hey, do your thing, babe.
You are awesome.
You're the best chef in the world.
Nobody can touch you, babe.
Do your thing.
And we didn't burn the house down.
Thank you, mama.
Thank you.
This is the longest that I've been away from my daughters.
At this point, I just want to bring home the win for them.
Oh, my God.
That's wild.
Let me get a tissue.
Since I've been in this competition, my daughter has started college.
And I miss even taking her there, dropping her off at school.
But she told me, go ahead and compete.
We believe in you.
We hope you take all that good feeling from your family and put it into that Soul Starter Challenge.
I'm sure each of you have a special dish that your families love.
Well, the judges want to see what all the fuss is about.
What are you known for?
If you go to one of your family cookouts, you better bring what?
You'll have 45 minutes to cook your family's favorite dish.
While there will be no elimination after the soul starter, the chef that makes the biggest impression on our judges will once again receive an advantage in the cook-off challenge.
Let's get it, because your time starts now.
Judges, we are one week away from the finale.
What are you all looking for at this point?
It's been a journey for all of these chefs.
I mean, to get here to this point is not easy.
They've fought.
They've cried.
It's been emotional.
So I want to really see them take all of that stuff that they've learned in the past few weeks and really present something really beautiful for us.
I want to see creativity.
I want to see their innovative spirits.
And I want to see their personality.
One thing about soul food is you make it your own.
And the task today is to make something that is very personal to them, very personal to the family.
So it's like, if you're presenting something today, it best be on point.
Absolutely.
I miss my family from day one.
But at this point, there's only three people in the way of me bringing $50,000 home to my family.
I have a beautiful husband, and seeing his big old face was exactly what I needed.
I'm making a seafood pot pie.
My husband loves it.
We have monkfish, lump crab meat, some shrimp.
If my husband were here in this kitchen, he'll probably be in the pot eating my pot pie filling.
When I make it, it reassures me that I'm doing it right, because there hasn't been one time where he said he didn't love it.
But because of the time, instead of making a crust, I'm going to top it with puff pastry.
Doreen, how we doing over there?
You all right?
Doing good.
We doing good so far?
So good?
Yeah, I'm having a good time.
Woo-hoo-hoo!
Pot pie definitely sounds like a family favorite to me.
I want flaky crust.
I want to eat it all around.
I want to have some of that beautiful seafood stew as well.
Do you think them seeing those videos of their family helped them out a little bit?
Ultimately, the reason we cook is to put love on a plate.
It's to show our family and our friends how much we really love them.
So when I realize that I have to cook a dish that's inspired by my family, right away I know exactly what I want to make.
There's a dish that me and my family like to eat on New Year's Eve, but we normally do oxtails.
I've been doing this since my kids were real little.
And because we don't have oxtails in the fridge, I'm doing it with lamb ribs.
So I'm making charred lamb ribs with black-eyed peas and fried rice noodles.
Normally, making this dish would take a couple hours.
I have 45 minutes.
I'm going to have to go straight to the pressure cooker and cross my fingers.
I'm also doing black-eyed peas with the smoked ham hock to create that pot liquor.
The pot liquor is the lifeblood of soul food dishes.
Chefs, you only got 30 minutes left.
What the flying fudge cake?
my daughters, they're back at home and they're so proud that I'm doing this.
I teach them a lot about mind over matter.
So I have to be able to conquer this and achieve this dream of mine.
I'm making pan-seared salmon and roasted vegetables.
And make a little caper butter sauce to put on top.
This is a dish that my daughters make all the time.
They care a lot about food.
And I feel like that came from my childhood, and I passed it on to them.
It's important to pass soul food down from generation to generation, because we don't want it to become a lost cuisine.
Chef Raz, going really simple, salmon with roasted veggies.
We only have one week left.
Right.
This is not the time to play it safe.
In the past, I've struggled with second guessing myself.
This week, my intention is just to stick to what I know and stay focused on that.
I have to make sure that every element is executed perfectly.
I'm getting this chicken marinated.
I'm going with the thighs, more flavorful.
I'm making jerk chicken egg rolls because my family likes it as an appetizer.
It's the go-to.
They asked me to make this.
Every time I come into town, it's like they're always gone by the time I get time to eat.
So it looks like Chef Fred is doing jerk chicken egg rolls.
Have you ever had jerk chicken egg rolls?
It's just one of those things.
It's a great upcycle, repurpose meal.
You know what I mean?
Grab something from here, grab something from there.
Correct.
Like leftover collard greens or cabbage or something.
Growing up, my mother died at a young age, so I'm very close with my sister.
She has my nieces and nephew, and it's very important for me to make my family proud.
I miss them so much.
So rice is always a part of this dish.
But because I have small children, I thought, you know what?
I'm going to do the fried rice noodles, because it's hard enough to keep them engaged their entire meal.
So at least these rice noodles is a fun way to keep them at the table.
Chefs, 20 minutes to make your fam favorites.
God, that is so good.
The star of the dish is the filling, but you need that crust element.
I feel like using puff pastry would not only give me a quick crust, but it's something light, because the soup can be heavy.
Chef Dorian is the technique of what she's doing is actually what I would have done.
Bake that puff pastry.
She's going to put it on top.
And it'll be a good mouth feel, no over, because I'm hoping everything is nice and delicate.
So there should be no room for error on that.
15 minutes, chefs.
15 minutes.
That's crazy.
OK.
To get my salmon off to a perfect sear, I sear it on the underside first to develop the color that I need.
Well, do I see that she's already started pan searing the salmon?
And we have how much time left?
Oh my god.
I'm worried about the salmon being overdone.
Nothing like a piece of dry salmon, unless there's some type of sauce.
I don't know if she's going straight salmon, but you know.
My salmon is looking perfect.
I could take it off right now, but I'm going to leave it on for just a minute more to make sure that it's not underdone.
There's 10 minutes left, and I really need to get moving.
The lamb ribs are out of the pressure cooker, and he's going straight to the grill with it.
Our ancestors used to cook over open flames.
They were in the fields.
They would dig the pits.
They were not afraid of the smoke.
They were not afraid of the fire.
I'm certainly not a chef who's afraid of a lot of fire or a lot of smoke.
I'm just concerned about the flare-up.
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
He's got to get those flames under control.
There are flames everywhere.
The room is smoky.
Does he look like he has a handle on this?
Hopefully, he has a better hold on this dish than we think he does, man.
I don't know.
I hear the judges.
They're talking about the flare-up.
I think that they're used to seeing a lot of novice chefs and know what I'm doing.
I pull my puff pastry out of the oven.
It's half the size as it was before.
So luckily, I made two for each bowl.
But I don't know if the judges are going to understand that this is a crust.
I'm doing pretty good.
I got my sauce made, my slaw made.
All I need to do is roll up.
Looks like Fred is just starting to roll his egg rolls right now.
He needs to, like, stay diligent.
He has to get those egg rolls in the fryer.
Do you think he's overcrowding his pan?
Why are you in my head?
There's not enough space.
What happens is when you overcrowd your fryer, you drop the temperature of the oil.
And rather than frying and crisping, you're just soaking up all that oil.
My egg rolls aren't turning brown, and I'm getting worried.
Maybe if I add them all to one basket, I'll get the crisp I'm looking for.
Oh my god.
And he put it all in one basket.
He put all six of the rows in one basket.
It's almost like self-sabotage.
It really is.
And he's done this quite often, where he's worked diligently on the component, brought it up to a point where it's perfect, and then in 30 seconds ruins it.
Ruins it.
Yeah, what time is it?
A minute and a half left in the Soul Starter Challenge.
Who is going to get that advantage?
She covered that salmon with all of that sauce.
The salmon was beautifully prepared, and now it is completely smothered.
I can't even see the salmon.
One minute, chefs.
One minute left in the Soul Starter Challenge.
Come on, you got this.
Make sure it's delicious.
Your kid's watching, Chris.
I know.
This is it, chefs.
Come on.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
That is it, chefs.
Step away from your station.
I feel OK on this one.
Now, later on, that might be something different.
But I feel good for this one.
It's a lot of pressure right now.
Four chefs left.
I feel real good about it.
It looks good.
Hopefully, the egg rolls stay crispy for the judges to have a nice crunch.
It means so much to me to make a dish that's inspired by my family.
So it'll be really important to take this win today.
Refresh, refresh.
Oh, I know.
How are you?
What is your family's favorite meal that you cook?
This is quick appetizer.
I can't walk in the house without it.
Barbecue jerk chicken egg rolls with a Thai chili sauce.
My cousin, he's from Midwest.
And one day, he was like, man, we make egg rolls at all these house parties.
And they use beef and cheese.
And I'm like, I don't want to do that.
I want to switch it up a little bit.
Everybody loves jerk chicken.
The barbecue, that's the southern part of it.
We love barbecue.
You put those two things together, and it's just like, wow, an explosion in your mouth.
People love it.
You talk about a lot of flavor.
Yes, ma'am.
However, none of that is translating at all.
I don't taste any jerk.
I don't taste any barbecue.
And you crowded the fryer.
So what happens is this.
Oh, a lot of grease.
Greasy.
Very thoughtful dish, just wasn't executed well.
I'm getting a very bitter taste from the cabbage as well, which is really throwing the whole roll off for me.
I do appreciate the effort you put into shredding everything.
I do get a nice even bite with everything.
Typically, you could have done it a little bit better, but I like the vision.
I like you actually pulling through on one idea.
Chef Fred.
Yes, ma'am.
Do you have your family in the back of your mind?
Is that a part of your inspiration?
Always.
The family is always there.
They're the ones who got me here, inspired me to get here.
So I just got to do the technical things right, and then I'll be on point.
Make them proud, right?
Most definitely.
Definitely.
Thank you, chef.
Thank you.
They seem like they didn't really enjoy my family dish just as much as my family does.
It may be a little greasy, but this dish is innovative, and it's different.
But hey, you can't win them all.
Pretty.
Chef Dorian.
Hello, hello.
How are you?
So Chef Dorian, please tell us what you've made today, and what was your inspiration?
Oh, my inspiration was my husband, and I made for you a deconstructed seafood pot pie.
My husband towers over me.
He's a big guy, and he is not a big vegetable eater.
If you tell him you're giving him something that has seafood or meat in it, he's expecting that.
Absolutely delicious.
It's unctuous.
It's creamy.
Seafood is cooked perfectly.
But the puff pastry is a little bit much for me, because you have such a rich base.
And sometimes you need something to counterbalance that.
So other than that, chef, job well done.
I'm really enjoying the flavors.
But if you are going to call it a pot pie, then I want to see a lot more crust on it.
I agree.
My issue is they're not really giving me enough to soak all the amount of liquid that you have in the bowl.
Flavors are good.
Ratio is just way, way off.
And that's throwing me off as well.
Got you.
Chef Dorian, tell me about how your husband champions your career.
Oh my gosh.
I got the hardest working husband in Georgia.
I promise you I do.
He's my manager.
He's my social media accountant.
He's my heavy.
He's everything.
Thank you, Chef Dorian.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Hi, chef.
How did it feel seeing your husband and your babies?
It just calmed me down.
It just made me feel happy.
This is a favorite dish of theirs, huh?
My daughter made this for my birthday.
OK.
So this is seared salmon, sauteed vegetables, and then a caper cream sauce.
I was really, uh, I was, like, shaking when you put the sauce on top.
But you actually needed it because, unfortunately, your salmon's just a little dry, so the sauce actually helps.
Girl, I'm really enjoying the brightness and the lemon flavor that I'm getting from it.
I do think that the capers add a little bit too much salt for me, especially because the salmon is extremely well seasoned.
But you have great caramelization on these vegetables.
I taste the garlic.
It has a great char, has a great sear.
So when you eat it together, it's a good mouthfeel.
Overall, delicious dish.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Thank you very much.
Good job, chef.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Chef Chris.
All right.
Hi, everyone.
You literally burnt the house down.
Hey.
Chef.
What did you prepare for our judges?
This is a dish normally done with oxtails in my house on New Year's Eve.
This here in front of you is charred lamb ribs, black-eyed peas, and fried rice noodles.
As you can see by the video, I have small children.
So if I were to put this on the dish, that would actually keep them at the table long enough to finish their food, because now they got something to play with, talk about this and that.
So that's this dish.
The black-eyed peas, very tender, but it's delicious in flavor.
I like the sweetness, and I think the peas are cooked perfectly.
Absolutely delicious.
I think in 45 minutes, as ambitious it is, you use the pressure cooker.
You did everything I think you could have done to the ribs, but they still are chewy, and it still tastes a little bit burnt.
The ribs, definitely underdone.
However, the pieces around the edges that aren't burnt, and I want you guys to go back in and taste it.
The seasoning on those ribs are really delicious.
I also love the playfulness with the puff rice as well.
I think it made for a beautifully presented dish.
Thanks, Chef.
Well, thank you, chefs.
You all definitely brought some family pride to the table.
Give us a moment to determine the winner.
Thank you.
I don't think the other chefs view me as a threat.
They know that, in some ways, I lack the confidence that it's going to take to get through this.
But I know I have the skills to win this competition.
So how do you think the judges went?
Who knows?
All right, judges, Chef Dorian, how do you all feel about her deconstructed pot pie?
It was delicious.
However, I would have liked some more crust.
Chef Chris, I mean, he really brought the heat.
If Chef Chris had just said, you know what, my ribs didn't come out right, and just served us a beautiful pot of those black-eyed peas, I would have taken some home.
How did you all feel about Chef Ross?
I love the story.
And this is a dish that her daughters actually make for her.
With that said, though, I expected that salmon to be absolutely perfect.
And it just wasn't.
It missed the mark for me.
And that was really disappointing.
And I thought the saltiness from the capers just took it to a whole other level in a bad way.
However, the broccolini.
Ooh, and the cauliflower, a nice char on them, perfectly grilled.
Chef Fred, how do you all feel about his egg roll?
I was excited about the jerk chicken.
The jerk chicken looked great.
However, he overcrowded the deep fryer.
And the only thing we got was an oily roll.
You know what I did like about the egg rolls, though?
How dispersed everything was.
I got a bite of that jerk chicken.
I got a bite of that cabbage.
So I saw the vision.
I was actually really proud of him for sticking with it.
So do you think you guys have made a decision?
Yeah.
Shall we bring them back?
Yeah.
I think at this point in the competition, Dorian and I are pretty much neck and neck.
She is methodical, you know, in her thinking, and she is certainly the one to watch.
I'm feeling really good about this challenge.
I feel like I definitely stuck with who I am as a chef.
I just really have to stop getting in my own way.
Chefs, it's clear that you all put a lot of heart and soul into your dishes today.
Your loved ones are very lucky to have such good cooks in their family.
But one of you made a true standout dish.
And that chef is Chef Dorian.
You are on a roll.
Yes.
Dorian wins.
And I must say, at this point, it's getting on my damn nerves.
Girl, you are on fire.
Yes, it's good.
Chef Dorian, not only did you cook like we were a part of your family, you cooked that dish, girl, like each one of us sitting up here was your husband.
I'm sitting here.
So you know what that means, Chef Dorian.
You've earned an advantage in the cook-off challenge.
Chef Dorian was on top, but for this next challenge, I'm going to pull out all the stops so I can make my statement here in the competition.
It's time to talk about the crown jewel of soul food, desserts.
Desserts.
Any kind.
What is soul food without a little sweet potato pie, a little nana pudding, a little pound cake, a little peach cobbler?
You ain't lying.
Gotta have something sweet.
All right, chefs, for your next challenge, you all will have 75 minutes to put your touch on one of these sweet, classic treats.
Chef Eric, the spoons.
Sound of spoons.
All right, so the banana pudding will go to Chef Fred.
I have to make banana pudding.
I've never, ever made banana pudding.
I don't even eat bananas, so I'm feeling real uneasy right now.
Sweet potato pie is going to Chef Roz.
OK.
The pound cake, Chef Dorian.
Perfect.
So that leaves peach cobbler to Chef Chris.
Those are your assignments, but I got one more thing.
OK.
These dishes were made with love by the gatekeepers of soul food.
I'm talking about the grandmas, the big mamas, the matriarchs of soul food.
And we have some here.
Oh.
Ladies.
Ladies, would you like to introduce yourselves to the chefs?
Hello.
My name is Conchita, and this is my world-famous banana pudding.
Hello, everybody.
My name is Mimi, and this is my internationally known sweet potato pie.
Hi, I'm Pam.
This is my incredible pound cake.
Hi, everyone.
My name is Debbie, and this is my amazing peach cobbler.
These grandmas will be here to lend you a hand.
They will be your sous chefs.
But that doesn't mean they have to give away their secret recipes.
These grandmas are spicy, full of attitude.
This is for real.
Chef Dorian, since you won the Soul Starter Challenge, you and Miss Pam get a five-minute head start.
The rest of you can't cook, but you can taste and plan.
All right, make these grandmamas proud.
Chef Dorian, Miss Pam, your time starts now.
Here we go.
I'm going to get my stuff.
You stay right here.
I'll be right here.
All right.
I think it's so cool to have the grannies here.
These are the matriarchs of soul food and the gatekeepers of dessert.
Grandmothers bring a sweet element to everything that they do.
And also, they're knowledgeable.
So I'm sure that while they're telling them how to cook, they're also giving them life lessons.
Yes.
Oh, yeah.
Absolutely, yeah.
We're going to measure the old way.
Yes.
All right.
Grandmas are the master of baking.
It's very difficult to do.
Here we go.
OK.
Vanilla.
I'm trying to ask Miss Pam what is in her pound cake, and she has her poker face on.
Definitely tastes vanilla and almond.
She's not giving me anything.
I'm just going to have to go with my own.
I don't know if you should watch me.
This is my time to shine, really.
Now we're going to stir it.
OK.
I'm a strong baker, but the hardest dessert to make, hands down, is the pound cake.
So the pound cake takes the longest to make.
So I really think Chef Dorian is going to need that extra five minutes.
Oh, yeah.
I'm making a cream cheese pound cake with peach and raspberry sauce with a white chocolate Chantilly cream.
Beautiful.
All right.
As I'm watching Chef Dorian have an additional five minutes ahead of us, it's extremely nerve wracking.
But Miss Mimi is like fire.
She showed up ready.
Now see, this is my recipe.
South Carolina.
Sweet potato pie, girl.
Yes.
Miss Mimi has a secret ingredient for her sweet potato pie that she's saying you're going to have to pry out of her.
But immediately, she tells me what it is.
I use graham crackers, crush them up, and put them in the battle.
So I became her granddaughter instantly.
That's my secret.
And if you want my grandbaby, I will tell you that.
You just gave it to yourself.
I'm going to have to pry it out of you.
Not you, though, because you're my grandbaby.
OK.
I know that she wants me to feel confident about what I'm doing.
Mm.
This is amazing.
It's a layer.
Layer it.
Cookies, bananas, your cream.
Cream.
Cookies, bananas, your cream.
All right, chefs, your 75 minutes starts now.
OK.
I make sweet potato pies with my daughters all the time.
My strategy becomes to make sweet potato pie as I know it.
You got everything?
Yeah.
OK.
And add Miss Mimi's secret ingredient to my recipe.
I'm making petite sweet potato pies with whipped cream.
And I'm using Mimi's secret ingredient.
There we go.
All right.
I see y'all checking my secrets, though.
I see some graham crackers over there on Chef Raza's station.
Ooh.
I'm making smaller pies because I know that they will bake up quicker, and I'll have more time to focus on plating.
We're going to peel them and then put them in there.
I'll deal with the potatoes.
You deal with the next section.
I see Chef Chris took out some fresh peaches.
OK.
What we don't want is mushy peaches.
You want them all done?
Yeah, let's do them all.
Peach cobbler is one of those things that my family also eats on New Year's Eve.
Miss Debbie's peach cobbler is delicious.
I love it.
You know, hers is a little bit different than mine.
Hers is a little bit more traditional.
Now what's that?
It's called cardamom.
Oh!
Right?
So I want to show her some of my tricks, as well as being inspired by some of hers.
It's perfumey, so you don't want to use a lot.
You don't want to overdo that.
You just taught me something.
I'm making a deconstructed peach cobbler with a mascarpone ice cream.
You're making your own ice cream?
Yes.
Yes, ma'am.
It sounds like Chef Chris is making a peach cobbler with a mascarpone ice cream.
Sounds absolutely delicious.
That creaminess from the mascarpone will really come through in that ice cream if he does it well.
Because I'm not a strong baker, I'm relying on Conchita to make me a star.
I'm going to do a no-bake banana pudding cheesecake.
A no-bake cheesecake banana pudding.
Yes, ma'am.
Have you made it before?
Never, ever.
Oh, we got to do this thing.
We got to win.
We're going to do it.
She really has to guide me and coach me through this dessert, because I'm making Fred's first ever banana pudding.
What else you need to talk to me?
It looks like Chef Fred is really trying to grasp the idea of a banana pudding.
He's going to want all the advice that he can grab from Kevon Conchita.
What kind of pudding you got, vanilla?
We got banana pudding, too.
No, no, no, no, no.
It has to be French vanilla or vanilla.
Make the pudding.
I think Conchita and Fred are using boxed vanilla pudding.
Oh, no, ma'am.
No, they're not.
Oh, yes, they are.
I'm going.
You can make this pudding here.
This is what we're here for.
Look at that.
Oh my god.
This is the secret I've been missing my whole life.
You're not even supposed to know this now.
I don't give this recipe to anybody.
You helped me.
You helped me too.
You guided me.
We helped each other.
Good teamwork.
Want to taste the peaches?
I know a little something.
They're clearly in competition mode, but they're having a lot of fun right now as well.
Kitchen getting hot.
Normally, when you make a pound cake, it takes an hour and 30 minutes.
But I have to make really small cakes.
I don't have the time to bake a large one.
Too dark.
When you cook them in a small bundt pan, the margin for error is actually increased because you don't have as much time to get a nice fluffiness.
It can become dense really quickly.
My cakes are a little too dark for me.
Yep.
The clock is ticking, and I'm going to have to rebake these cakes.
I'm taking a chance of running out of time.
If I don't get the cakes baked, then I could go home.
And that's just not an option.
Looks like Chef Chris's ice cream is at least coming out the extruder.
Oh.
It looks a little dense.
I'll be honest.
It's a little dense.
It looks a little dense.
So it looks butter, so they churned it a little bit slow.
Yeah.
The texture of the ice cream is too buttery, but I'm hoping that if I let it sit, it will melt into the state that I need it to melt into.
I'm going to use some light brown sugar.
So I'm thinking of a way to top my pie in terms of presentation.
So that's why I'm putting a crumble on top.
Put some love in it, girl.
Mix it up with love.
That's right.
Soul food.
I'm hoping that the crumble will add extra texture and make it stand out.
Yeah.
It'll bake right into it.
It'll bake.
With 15 minutes left, it looks like Chef Roz just took her mini sweet potato pies, put some crumble on them, and put
and put them back into the oven.
I never put no crumble on no sweet potato pie.
Now what's gonna happen is it's gonna sink, and we don't even know whatever is in that crumble is gonna bake properly in the time that's left.
It hurts me so much seeing these chefs put so much work into their dishes and then, like, ruin it in a few seconds.
People do things under pressure that they wouldn't normally do.
It's a lot of pressure here.
It's a competition, baby.
We don't have time to be playing.
You gotta get it on the plate.
I take my cheesecake out the freezer.
Please, I hope they set.
And it's not set.
You might take that out.
It might fall apart.
Granny Conchita just said to Chef Fred, don't take it out.
It might fall apart.
Oh, it's falling.
Is it falling?
It's falling a little bit.
It's falling.
OK.
It's falling.
It's falling a little bit.
Why take it out of the pan right now?
They're not set.
You have time, so just leave it in the freezer.
Just leave it in there.
Let it sit.
It hasn't had time to sit.
They're forcing a bad situation right now.
All right, chefs, we got 10 minutes left.
If you need something in the fridge, just keep it in there.
The one time I need a plan B, I don't have it.
We should just serve it like this.
I have to get them plated.
Otherwise, I'll be going home.
They're plating.
Oh, my God.
They're going to serve them in the mold.
What do you think about that?
So with less than 10 minutes out, my cheesecake is still not set.
So I have to take them out the springform pan and put them in a different bowl.
Let's just put it in a bowl.
OK, go ahead.
Right.
So Chef Fred is trying to invert the cheesecake into a ramekin, and it's not set.
and the bottom crust is still in the pan.
I tell you, Chef Fred is going to send me to my grave.
I am always so nervous with him.
He takes me right to the edge.
Yeah.
Woo-wee.
Chef Fry's granny's over there.
She's inspecting things.
She's got a serious look on her face.
I love that.
You like it?
I love it.
Then go with it.
OK.
Time's running out, so I pull the pies out of the oven, and I think they look perfect.
I cannot see the crumble at all, but the pies still look beautiful.
Chef Chris is having a difficult time scooping up that ice cream.
Because it's not ice cream.
It's seized.
It's completely seized.
Ooh, sophistication, sophistication over there in Chef Dorian's plate.
Chef Dorian is representing.
One minute, chefs.
The finale is next week, guys.
Come on.
Final touches.
Come on, chefs.
Somebody's going home today, guys.
Come on.
OK, put it back.
This will determine if you go to the finale or not.
Oh my god, I'm devastated.
I just can't get control of my nerves.
Here you go.
How the f*** would that happen to me?
You gotta work with what you got.
Work with what you got.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Awesome.
I lost all my fingers today.
It's all right.
I'm on the verge of panicking.
I just don't believe my eyes.
This could send me home.
It's OK.
I'm finished.
OK.
You finished it.
Ms.
Debbie and I are really excited about the dish.
She could see the inspiration from her, but how that dish has been lifted into a different category.
I am definitely excited to present the dessert to the judges.
Chefs, we challenged you all to take your granny's dessert recipe to the next level and make something flavorful and new.
Ladies, we appreciate you giving your chefs a hand.
All right, Chef Dorian and Miss Pam, come on down.
Tell us how you reimagined Miss Pam's famous pound cake.
What you have is a cream cheese pound cake with peach and raspberry sauce.
Before I start, I have to say, Grandma, and for all the grandmothers here, you've paved the way.
We all sit up here today because of you.
We walk in your footsteps.
Today, we honor you, and thank you so much for keeping our food, our recipes, our heritage, and our culture alive.
Thank you.
Judges, what do you think of Chef Dorian's dessert?
That was absolutely delicious.
Flavor-wise, the cake was moist.
It was nice and crusty around the edges from the sugar.
I just cannot find anything wrong with this dish at all.
Thank you.
Chef Dorian, this is absolutely delicious.
This is a very, very solid dessert.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
I do have to say, however, the white chocolate notes got lost in the whipped cream.
I wanted the white chocolate to be a subtle sweet, not overpowering at all.
Miss Pam.
Yes.
Did she do your pound cake recipe justice?
She did it justice.
I told her that I was so proud and so honored to be here and to be with her.
And she is now my new granddaughter.
All right.
Oh, yes.
I will say one more thing.
I'm just proud to stand here.
All of you.
I'm so proud of all of you.
And I'm so proud of all of you back there.
I'm just very grateful for this.
It's OK.
I'm honored to be here, and I appreciate what you said, especially last year, what we went through last year.
I wasn't able to be around my grandkids and my son.
I have three sons.
This was actually the first time that I actually went out of the house to this extent.
And I'm just, I'm just overwhelmed and just so grateful.
Oh my goodness.
We're blessed to have you here with us.
Lord, I don't think I've ever cried this much.
Oh.
That's beautiful.
Thank you, Chef Dorian.
Thank you so much.
We don't cry no more now, y'all.
Chef Ross, Miss Mimi, come on down.
Chef Ross, tell us how you reimagined Miss Mimi's sweet potato pie.
OK, so what you have in front of you is petite sweet potato pies with a whipped cream.
There's one missing.
I was just cleaning the slate off, and I didn't even see it happening until it actually hit the floor.
So I apologize.
Chef Ross, you have grown tremendously over the last few weeks.
But we're at the point in this competition where our judges are nitpicking.
Something that would have passed in the first week will not fly at this stage in the competition.
It's down to the wire, and every little thing counts.
That said, we're not going to disqualify you for dropping a pie when you had, in fact, completed the challenge.
It's OK.
Miss Melba and I will share.
It's OK.
It's enough to share.
OK.
All right.
Thank you so much.
Of course.
So, Miss Mimi, you sure you don't want to tell us what your secret is?
Well, the cat's out the bag.
There's no secrets in here.
I felt comfortable giving her my secret recipe because I really believe I'm related to this person right here.
This is my twin baby.
They do look alike.
Same height, same beard.
Chef Ryes, I took my sweet potato pie, and I put some of that Chantilly cream on it, and they went together like the hand in a glove.
My only problem is the ratio.
It's very, very crusty heavy.
OK.
However, in terms of flavor, I think you nailed it.
This Chantilly cream is such a really beautiful, beautiful application.
It's so nice, delicate hand.
The flavors are just really delicious.
Chantilly cream, absolutely delicious.
Thank you.
The zest of orange, delicious little bit of cinnamon on top.
But I'm having a slight problem with the sweet potato pie.
It tastes like something crystallized inside.
And I have like this gritty aftertaste.
See these?
So this is texture that you don't necessarily want.
It's not a good mouth feel.
Did you put a crumble or topping on top and then put it back in the oven?
Yeah, I put a crumble, brown sugar.
So that's the crystallized pieces.
Oh, god.
It's OK.
Thank you, Chef Ross.
Thank you.
I appreciate you.
All right.
All right, Chef Chris, Miss Debbie, let's see what you made.
Chefs.
Today we have a peach cobbler and a mascarpone ice cream.
Chef Chris, I think the peaches are cooked beautifully.
Still have a nice little firmness to them.
They're not overly cooked.
You've done a really good job with that.
My issue with the peaches, though, is I wish there was something brighter to pick it up.
Sure.
That brittle, this is a really good bite for me.
I love crunchy.
The ice cream, on the other hand, is over churned.
I'm going to have to agree, it almost tastes gritty.
But the flavor profile is really cool, and it looks really beautiful as well.
Thanks.
Miss Debbie, how do you feel about this reimagined version of your recipe?
I actually loved it, because it was different.
Yeah.
He still took what I put in it as the soul of the peach cobbler.
He kept that.
And then he just elevated it.
Thank you, Chef Chris.
Thank you, Miss Debbie.
Next up, Fred and Miss Conchita.
There you go.
Tell us what you all made today.
I call this dish Fred's first ever banana pudding.
You're going to get layers of Nilla on top, cream, fresh bananas, then Nilla, then cream, then fresh bananas, then Nilla, then cream, then fresh bananas.
Fred, I watched you and Grandma Conchita having a great time.
That brought me back home, cooking side by side.
That's something you want to do as an adult, but you don't have the time to.
And it felt good.
I said, OK, we're going to do this together.
I said, you know what?
I might get you a woman.
What do you think of Chef Fred's banana pudding?
At first, we all questioned, like, why didn't you make pudding from scratch?
You know, you had so much time, and we were like, oh, he's making it out the box.
But to your point, you added so much flavor to it.
I would have liked it to be set a little bit more, but I'm really not mad at the flavor component.
I'm going to have to agree.
This is really delicious.
I wish you would have done more with the time, though.
We had a lot of time.
You could have made a beautiful custard out of that.
You could have.
Chef Fred, I was also a little disappointed that you did not make your own pudding.
And I would have preferred a crumble or something else done with the wafers, because it just seems like the wafers are just there on the top.
However, I do like the fact that you build flavors and layers upon layers.
Thank you.
Good job.
Thank you, guys.
Job well done.
All right, chefs, I must say the judges have a very tough decision to make.
Please thank your grannies for their assistance and insight.
And ladies, thank you for everything you've done to keep the story of Soul Food alive.
Chefs, we will call you back soon.
Ooh.
All right.
Well, that was that.
Regardless of what happens, we're the final four.
Do y'all feel proud to be the final four?
I mean, it was eight.
It was eight.
We have now.
And it was tough.
Right.
I always say, how do you eat a giant?
One bite at a time.
We made it.
One bite at a time.
Right.
I only got a little bit left.
All right, Dorian.
All right, judges, let's talk about how the chefs put their spin on classic granny desserts.
Chef Chris's dish, I wouldn't necessarily call it a peach cobbler, but that brittle was really divine.
However, the ice cream was definitely overturned.
I think we need to take a moment for Chef Dorian's dish.
It was so well-plated.
It was one of the prettier plates I think we've gotten.
I was not, however, as thrilled with her cream.
She said it had hints of white chocolate.
I didn't even know that they were there.
What about Chef Fred?
Chef Fred's banana pudding was actually pretty good.
It wasn't too sweet.
The bananas were perfect.
But being that the banana pudding wasn't set, it was just a little bit too soft, soggy, and it needed some type of texture to it.
Chef Ross?
I think with Chef Raza's dish, that chantilly cream she made was absolutely divine.
Really, really well balanced.
Oh my god, with the orange zest.
Now that was delicious.
That was delicious.
I'd like to add that crumble.
I think deep down, she kind of knew that that wasn't the way to go.
But I thought the flavor was good.
All right, so judges, do you think you've decided what three chefs are going to move on?
Yeah, I think so.
We have.
Walking up to the judges, I'm feeling a bit nervous, but I'm ready for it.
I'm really proud of what I did.
I mean, I'm always a little nervous when it comes to elimination.
I absolutely want to make it to the finale.
And now at this point where I'm this close, my heart is pounding.
Chefs, we challenged you all to create a dessert based on a soul food staple.
Overall, you all excelled.
But unfortunately, one of you has cooked your last dish in this kitchen.
After careful consideration, our judges have made a decision.
Chef Roz, Chef Dorian, Chef Chris,
The three of you are moving on to the finale for the chance to win $50,000.
Chef Fred, I'm sorry.
But unfortunately, your dish did not bring the soul we were looking for.
I learned a lot.
Roz, Chris, and Dorian, we'll see you next week.
You can leave the kitchen.
Appreciate y'all.
Appreciate y'all, OG.
Absolutely.
Chef Fred, it's been a lot of fun watching you cook.
There's a lot of passion that you have.
There's a lot of drive that you show.
Cooking for you, it's a passion.
It comes from your heart.
It comes with rhythm.
It comes with style.
It comes with class.
We've watched you grow week after week.
Thank you.
It was a pleasure, man.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate y'all.
It's been a pleasure.
See you all next time.
Congratulations, man.
Take care.
Congratulations.
I went down swinging.
You did.
Sure did.
Oh, it's been fun.
I enjoyed it.
Yeah.
I had a good ride.
I'm so proud of myself, man.
I made it this far.
What we're going to do is connect.
Right, dude.
Atlanta.
Right.
My sister, shout out to her, my nieces and nephews.
Good seeing y'all.
All right, y'all.
They'll look at me in a different light that if my uncle can do it, then I can do it too.
Bye.
See you soon.