The Top 20 was revealed Wednesday on Season 10 of “MasterChef,” Fox-TV’s popular culinary show where home cooks become celebrity chefs, overnight.
Three Michigan contestants made the Top 36 and over the last two weeks they had to impress “Hell’s Kitchen” reality star/chef Gordon Ramsay, as well as judges Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich.
Last week Liz Linn of Durand made a Mediterranean Red Snapper. The judges loved it, and she advanced to the Top 20. Micah Yaroch of Grand Rapids made Churros, but the judges were not big fans of deep fried dough. However, judge Ramsay loved his ambition and awarded him a Battle Pass for a chance to make it.
On last night’s show, Jason Keefe, a FedEx contractor from South Carolina, who is originally from Muskegon, got his chance to shine.
He prepared pan-seared venison with puree potato and mushrooms. He paid homage to his late grandmother, who inspired him to be a chef, and who he recalled peeling potatoes in her basement as a kid. The judges thought he was a little ambitious in his approach. Ramsay said the version was a bit overcooked and the potatoes needed more seasoning.
“If you were coached properly, we could get there,” Ramsay said.
Judge Bastianich said off camera: The dish “reeks of ambition and lacks technique. He went way out of his league.”
He did not get a white apron.
That left the Battle Round where 19-year-old Yaroch had to take on Charli, a bartender from New York (Bastianich Battle Pass), and Mollie, an account manager from Dallas (Sánchez Battle Pass). Their task - to “cook the best dish of their lives.”
Yaroch’s dish: Chili lime sea bass with cilantro quinoa and stir fried eggplant with shiitake mushrooms.
Mollie prepared a boneless pork loin, and Charli beer-battered fish tacos with beer and vodka in the batter.
The judges loved Charli’s slaw on her fish tacos, but thought the fish was not crispy enough. They said Mollie’s pork loin was a little too raw and undercooked. Ramsay said Micah’s fish was prepared beautifully and nearly “prefect,” but Bastianich said the rest of the dish was “amateurish.”
In the end, they chose the 19-year-old kid from Grand Rapids.
If you missed last night’s episode it will repeat at 9 p.m. Friday, June 7 on Fox-TV. The show will return at 8 p.m Wednesday, June 12. The winner will get $250,000.
“MasterChef” Season 10’s Top 20
Bri Baker, Dallas, Texas, Cocktail Server
Deanna Colon, Simi Valley, Calif., Vocal Coach
Dorian Hunter, Cartersville, Ga., Creeler
Evan Tesiny, Brooklyn, N.Y., Sales Coordinator
Fred Chang, Redondo Beach, Calif., Revenue Analyst
Jamie Hough, Poly’s Island, S.C., Fisherman
Kenny Palazzolo, Boston, Mass., Carpenter
Kimberly White, New York, N.Y., Shoe Designer
Keturah King, London, England, Freelance Writer
Liz Linn, Durand, Mich., Events Consultant
Michael Silverstein, Pittsburgh, Pa., Real Estate Flipper
Micah Yaroch, Grand Rapids, Mich., Kitchen Porter
Nick DiGiovanni, Barrington, R.I., College Student
Noah Sims, Epworth, Ga., Septic Systems Foreman
Renee Rice, Ada, Okla., Receptionist
Sam Haaz, Philadelphia, Pa., Attorney
Sarah Faherty, San Diego, Calif., Former Army Interrogator
Shari Mukherjee, Rochester, N.Y., Stay-at-Home Mom
Subha Ramiah, West Nyack, N.Y., R&D Director
Wuta Onda, Bronx, N.Y., English Teacher