‘MasterChef’ season 14 episode 7 recap: Who was eliminated in ‘LAFC Field Challenge’? [LIVE BLOG]
Tonight on “MasterChef,” the four generations are split into teams as they take on their first field challenge – cooking a healthy and hearty meal for professional soccer players. The chefs must work together to cook over 101 portions of food and the pressure intensifies as the generations collide. Both teams compete head-to-head in hopes of scoring a win and earning the safety from elimination in the all-new “LAFC Field Challenge” episode of “MasterChef: Generations” airing Wednesday, July 17 (8:00-9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Season 14 of “MasterChef” brings together amateur cooks from four generations – Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen Z and Gen X – to prove that age does not matter in the kitchen. Judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, Joe Bastianich eliminated contestants each week until one winner is crowned with the title of MasterChef and the $250,000 grand prize.
8:00 p.m. — Previously on “MasterChef”! In Episode 6, the contestants were tasked with creating a stunning dish using a variety of aged and fermented ingredients. Millennial Anna won the night with her Oil-Poached Aged Snapper, while Sunshine was sent home from Gen X after serving up a subpar Dry Aged Ribeye. Let’s see who goes home next!
8:08 p.m. — The chef-testants arrive at the Los Angeles Football Club for their first field challenge. Gordon, Aarón and Joe are playing a fun game of soccer before things get serious. They explain the home cooks will be whipping up 101 meals to be judged by pro soccer players. As the winner of the last challenge, Anna will decide which generations will team up. She pairs the Millennials with the Baby Boomers (Red Team) and Gen Z with Gen X (Blue Team). Tonight’s team captains are Anna and Becca. Each team must create a meal with a protein, a starch, a vegetable side and a sauce. They have 30 minutes to provide a sample dish to the judges. The clock starts now!
8:12 p.m. — As the judges observe the teams, Gordon mentions he’s concerned about the Blue Team choosing Becca as a team captain because she’s one of the youngest people in the competition. She’ll have to step up or her confidence could come back to bite her. Aarón doesn’t think Gen Z has enough “hands-on” experience for this challenge because they see food as a social media exercise. Joe disagrees and says Gen Z has energy “in spades.” Over on the Red Team, Anna quickly finds out she has her hands full with Rebecka, who has a strong personality and thinks Millennials are know-it-alls. They disagree on how they should cook fish and Rebecka says Anna has “a sense of hysteria.”
8:20 p.m. — The judges circulate the cooking stations to see how everything’s going. Horacio concerns Gordon when he can’t explain what he’s cooking. One of his Millennial teammates has to explain to the Boomer he’s cooking squash. “Oh mama, this is going to be complicated,” utters the 62-year-old. After 30 minutes the judges taste each team’s food. The Red Team has prepared Pan-Seared Halibut with Lemon Couscous, Sautéed Squash, Broccolini and Beurre Blanc. The judges seem pleased with how things are cooked, but Gordon calls it “bland.” Anna is uncomfortable with Rebecka being the only cook at the fish station, but Rebecka insists she has everything under control.
8:30 p.m. — The Blue Team is serving Filet Mignon with Herb Polenta, Brussels Sprouts, Red Wine Sauce and Crispy Pancetta. Gordon calls it “charming,” but he doesn’t like how Chris has cooked the filet. “It’s ice cold,” he warns. “That is a massive problem.” Joe has good news, telling Becca the polenta is great. Adam will help Chris on the steak station, but Joe thinks their achilles heel will be getting these steaks done in time. Meanwhile, his concern with the Red Team is Anna’s desire to create a Michelin star dish for a challenge serving over 100 people. It’s just too ambitious. With just minutes to spare, the players arrive and the teams must start plating their dishes.
8:40 p.m. — Plates are going out and the diners look pleased so far. Rebecka is frustrated with Anna’s leadership style, stating she’s more worried about presentation than getting the food done. It gets even more heated when Gordon discovers Rebecka has served up raw fish. Against the Baby Boomer’s wishes, Michael is sent to help her at the fish station. Things aren’t perfectly smooth on the Blue Team either, with Fatima serving bland polenta. Joe begins talking with diners and at the first table he visits, four people prefer the Blue Team’s meal and just two favor the Red Team. Anna’s team is growing increasingly frustrated with her obsession over every plate looking perfect. She has immunity, so it will be one of them heading home if they lose. Over at the Blue station, Gordon calls their steaks “charcoal” and punts one across the stadium.
8:50 p.m. — As more patrons get their food, one player is concerned about his rare steak. He doesn’t want to get sick before his game this weekend, so Joe takes it back. With just 10 minutes remaining, everyone frantically prepares and plates the last meals. As Joe surveys another table, five diners prefer the Red Team’s fish and just one likes the Blue Team’s steak. This could be close! The clock runs out and it’s time for everyone to vote. Gordon slams the Blue Team for their bland polenta and raw steaks. To make matters worse, they didn’t even serve 12 people, throwing away a significant number of votes. The Red Team started strong, but had raw fish and left six guests without plates.
9:02 p.m. — The votes have been counted and the results are in. The winner of this challenge is the Red Team! That means the Millennials and Baby Boomers are safe, and team captain Anna will have an advantage in the next challenge. The judges huddle to discuss which Blue Team member will go home. They narrow it down to Chris and Adam for the failed meat station, along with Becca because she was the team captain. In the end, they decide to send Chris packing. He’s the second chef in a row leaving from Gen X. Next week the home cooks will be back in the kitchen making a birthday cake.
