MasterChef: Global Gauntlet Episode 14 Recap: The Wall Sends Two More Cooks Home

Just when the MasterChef: Global Gauntlet contestants thought surviving last week's Tag Team Challenge might earn them a tiny break, Gordon Ramsay basically said, "That's cute." The Top 8 walked into the MasterChef kitchen for one of the competition's most stressful returning challenges: The Wall. The cooks had to work in pairs while separated by an eight-foot wall, communicating only by yelling back and forth as they attempted to create two identical dishes.

Oh, and because apparently the wall wasn't stressful enough, this was another double elimination. This time, however, there was a twist. The two cooks eliminated didn't necessarily have to come from the same pair. The judges would be evaluating everyone individually, meaning you could technically survive even if your partner didn't.

Suddenly, being a good teammate only got you so far.

Dave and Jake Get a Major Advantage

After winning last week's Tag Team Challenge, Dave and Jake earned the power to determine the pairings. Instead of teaming up again, the two decided to split up and build teams around the dishes they felt most comfortable cooking.

Dave paired himself with Heidi, Jake chose Julia, Tkaiya was paired with Basia, and Peter landed with Foo.

Each pair had to prepare a protein, two sides and a sauce, with both cooks expected to produce plates that looked and tasted as close to identical as possible. Basically, cook the same meal as somebody you can't see while Gordon Ramsay walks around judging you. Sounds relaxing.

Dave and Heidi Conquer The Wall

Dave and Heidi quickly proved that splitting up the previous week's winning team wasn't such a bad idea after all.

The pair prepared prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin with mascarpone mushroom filling, sweet potato puree and blackberry sauce. More importantly, their communication translated into two dishes that actually looked like they belonged together.

The judges named Dave and Heidi the winners of The Wall, securing both of them spots in the Top 6. For Dave, it also continued an impressive run after winning the Tag Team Challenge with Jake the week before. At this point, Dave might want to avoid making eye contact with anybody before Gordon decides winning means another "advantage" that involves doing twice as much work.

Jake and Julia Deliver Where It Matters

Jake's decision to partner with Julia also paid off. They served pan-seared sea scallops with king oyster mushroom medallions, lemon caper orzo and almond sauce. Their plates weren't quite as identical as Dave and Heidi's, but the flavors impressed the judges enough to earn them second place and two more spots in the Top 6. That left Basia, Tkaiya, Peter and Foo waiting to find out which two individuals would be going home. And this is where things got rough.

Tkaiya and Foo Hit Trouble

Basia and Tkaiya tackled blackened pan-seared salmon with curry fennel, purple cauliflower puree and a Scotch bonnet lemon caper beurre blanc. Unfortunately for Tkaiya, her salmon became a major problem. Her fish was badly cooked, leaving her vulnerable despite Basia surviving the challenge. Things weren't going much better on the other side of the wall.

Peter and Foo attempted miso-glazed salmon with cauliflower puree, asparagus, roasted mushrooms and lemongrass beurre blanc. Foo ultimately presented his plate without the sauce, while his mushrooms were undercooked. At this stage of MasterChef, forgetting an entire component is pretty much the culinary equivalent of handing Gordon your apron yourself.

Foo and Tkaiya Are Eliminated

When the judges made their decision, Foo Nguyen and Tkaiya Dryden were eliminated from MasterChef: Global Gauntlet.

The result saved their respective partners, Peter and Basia, and officially narrowed the competition from eight cooks to six. Foo's elimination also means Team Asia-Pacific has been completely eliminated from the competition, leaving Africa, Europe and the Americas fighting for the title.

Foo left proud of making it into the Top 8, while Tkaiya reflected on putting her master's degree plans on hold to pursue her culinary ambitions. At only 23, she made it clear that leaving the MasterChef kitchen isn't the end of that journey.

That leaves Basia, Dave, Heidi, Jake, Julia and Peter as the Top 6.

And if surviving a giant wall wasn't enough, they're heading straight into the Restaurant Takeover next week. Because MasterChef apparently looked at the remaining six contestants and decided they were still entirely too comfortable.

What did you think?

Change Image

• Loved it
• Hated it
• So/So