MasterChef Season 7, Episode 5: A Mexican Mystery

1

Battle for a White Apron, Part 1

Forty of the best home cooks in America travel to Los Angeles to compete in the Battle of the Apron challenge and attempt to move forward to compete for the title, a cookbook deal, and the $250,000 grand prize. Judging the battle rounds will be Ramsay and Tosi.

2

Battle for a White Apron, Part 2

The chefs have use their culinary skills as the Battle of the Apron challenge continues.

3

Wolfgang Puck

After the Battle of the Apron concludes, the Top 20 home cooks in America meet the first guest judge of the season – culinary icon Wolfgang Puck..

4

A MasterChef Wedding

The Top 18 home cooks prepare appetizers and entrees for season 6 contestant Nick Nappi on his wedding day!

5

A Mexican Mystery

The remaining 17 home cooks are greeted by Chefs Ramsay and Tosi, as well as Season 6 winner Claudia Sandoval and guest culinary judge Aarón Sánchez.

6

Gordon Ramsay Masterclass

The remaining 16 home cooks get a very special treat leading into the next challenge as Chef Ramsay demonstrates how to properly deconstruct a lobster.

7

Vets, Jets, and Home Cooks

The Top 15 home cooks are challenged to serve 101 hungry veterans!

8

The Good, the Bad and the Offal

The contestants are introduced to special culinary guest judge Edward Lee, chef and owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, KY.

9

A Piece of Cake

The remaining 12 contestants are broken up into two teams to prep, cook and plate 30 dishes for teenagers celebrating their Sweet 16 birthdays.

10

The Weakest Links

The losing sweet-16 team members must bake a three-layer birthday cake in 90 minutes, and then the remaining contestants are taken to a vegetable patch for their next team challenge, where they'll cook for and serve 100 farmers.

11

Sweet Surprise

The Top 10 cooks have one hour to make breakfast using a chocolate-hazelnut spread, and the winner gets to choose the dish for the next elimination challenge.

12

5 Star Food

Guest judge Kevin Sbraga cooks alongside the Top 9 in the next Mystery Box Challenge, as they create an impressive dish using unique upscale ingredients. The contestants then go head-to-head in the elimination challenge, cooking with either fresh salmon or canned salmon.

13

Hot Potato

The Top Eight remaining contenders must battle through a three-part potato proficiency challenge.. Guest judge Kevin Sbraga.

14

Tag Team

Three basic utensils are used by the Top 7 contestants in a mystery-box challenge.

15

Pop-Up Restaurant

The 6 remaining contestants compete in the series' classic pop-up restaurant challenge.

16

Family Drama

The 5 remaining contestants are introduced to special culinary guest judge Richard Blais – chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author – who reveals the seventh Mystery Box challenge. The winner will avoid competing in the elimination challenge and the remaining contestants are given five minutes to shop for a basket full of twenty ingredients. With an unexpected twist in the competition, one is eliminated.

17

Critics Choice

The 4 remaining contestants are given 90 minutes to prepare either a halibut or duck entrée for VIP food critics in the Studio Box challenge. The winning team will be exempt from the elimination challenge and the losing team will face the Pressure Test to recreate three pork dishes.

18

The Finale (1)

In the next challenge, with help from some familiar home cooks, the remaining 3 will have one hour to prepare an amazing appetizer dish. The contestants will then have one hour to create entrees and one hour to create a dessert. After evaluating the final dishes, the judges will reveal America's next MasterChef, and the deserving home cook will walk away with the trophy, a book deal, and the $250,000 grand prize.

19

The Finale (2)

The contestants will have one hour to create entrees and an hour to create a dessert. After evaluating the final dishes, the judges will reveal America's next MASTERCHEF, and the deserving home cook will walk away with a MASTERCHEF trophy, a book deal and the $250,000 grand prize.