- Next on "Last Chance Kitchen"...
- Tanya, what are you making?
- Something good. - Something fast.
- Something fast. - Something good and fast.
- Can Tanya proved that she has the precision to return?
- Tanya's not even worried. - She ain't never worried.
That's Oakland, that right there.
- Or will Brother edge out another win?
- Wha-bam-bam-bam-bam!
- This is "Last Chance Kitchen."
Brought to you by Hidden Valley Ranch.
[upbeat music]
- I'm so excited about getting a second chance.
If I go back in, there's still
a long road ahead, but I'm game for that.
- Hey, Tanya. - Hello, Chef, how are you?
- Welcome to "Last Chance Kitchen."
Ready to do this? - I guess so.
[both laughing]
- It's my responsibility to show
that African-American female chefs
can do great things.
- There's a lot of drama there at judges' table, huh?
- I was trying not to make it so dramatic.
You know, um, I felt like
your judgment was fair, and, uh, that wasn't my issue.
I just, you know, didn't feel like that
was the place to talk about things.
- I got to the end and I asked Tanya for something,
and she was like-- I don't know what you said,
but I felt a little, like, taken back,
that I shouldn't ask. - Tanya, can I hear
your side of the story, please? - No.
- I think that's the first time we've ever had a "no"
at the judges' table, Padma.
- So you'd be battling for a spot in the next round.
You're gonna go head-to-head with one chef.
Eventually the winner will earn the spot back in "Top Chef."
- Okay.
- Are you anxious to see who you're up against?
- Uh, certainly. - Yeah?
All right, well, let's see who it is.
- All right.
Oh, okay.
♪ ♪
- Brother and I have bonded over him having
the creole background and my mom being from Louisiana.
We relate to a lot of the same flavors.
So there's definitely a mutual respect.
- Last week, Brother took out two.
So, so far, he's the champ. He's focused, determined.
But you can take him out, right?
- I'm ready to bring it. - Okay.
- She's gotta out-soul the Soul Brother.
[both laughing]
- In the culinary world, Tanya is the queen of soul.
But I'm one for one.
Trying to keep that streak alive.
♪ ♪
- Here comes the peanut gallery.
[laughs]
- Hey, Tanya. - Hi, Tanya.
- Hello. - Hello, young lady.
How are you? - Long time no see.
- Some friends to help cheer you on.
- All right. [laughter]
- So, Tanya, you know, often when there's
a team challenge, the team members, if they lose,
they're always wishing they did a different part
of the challenge, and I got a sense
that kind of happened with you. You, uh, you seem like
you wanted to do the speed challenge.
And-and that seemed to be where you guys were having
some friction there, huh? - Yeah, in hindsight,
I think that would have been a stronger place
for me to have been. - Yeah.
- For sure. - All right.
- I can think of a really well-rounded dish
that I could have done in 45 minutes,
and that would have been really comfortable for me.
But I, you know-- - But you never said it.
- [sighs] Let me finish my story.
I'm talking now. - Okay.
- You wanna go fast? - [laughs]
Uh, sure. [laughter]
♪ ♪
- So, we're gonna give you about 15 minutes on the clock.
- Nice.
- 15 minutes should be easy. - Oui, chef.
- Depends what it is. - Is it too easy?
We can make it ten. - Let's go ten.
- You wanna go ten? - What are we making?
[laughter]
- You can make whatever you want in this kitchen
using whatever's in the kitchen.
- I'm down with ten.
If I can get her off of comfort,
it gives me an advantage, 'cause I know I can
pull off a dish in ten minutes.
Can she cook a dish in ten minutes?
How you feeling, Mama?
- We're at 15. You wanna go--
You--You're down to ten. - What are we making?
Anything? - You wanna go up and down?
It's up to you. Whatever you want.
- Appetizer? Main course?
- No, whatever you want? A dish, a dish, a dish.
- Okay. - You got this, Tanya.
- It could be small, it could be--
- You got this. - You're down for ten minutes?
- Sure, sure. Why not?
Let's just get it over with, yeah.
- Let's get it over with. Ten minutes it is.
Okay. Put ten minutes on the clock.
And your time starts now.
- Jesus. You guys suck.
[laughter]
Ten minutes? Did I really agree to that?
I don't know... I've never taken
the easy way out, so it's time for me
to walk the walk.
Let's go. - Here we go, guys.
[cheers and applause]
- Cooking a dish from scratch in ten minutes
is extremely hard. So time starts,
and I'm like Forrest Gump, just like,
"Run, baby, run!"
What cooks quick but still shows technique?
Fish.
[intense music]
- Not what I wanted.
I go to the fridge and I'm looking for shrimp,
and I'm looking around, and I'm like,
"Ooh, there's no shrimp," and I know I have
no time to think it through, so there's salmon
in front of me, so I just grabbed it.
- Yeah.
♪ ♪
- I'm gonna make a rainbow trout that's been seared
with a Spanish chorizo vinaigrette
and a cauliflower puree.
I've made a dish like this before.
I actually had it on my menu.
It's a dish that takes time,
but I don't have time,
so I've gotta knock it out.
♪ ♪
- You can't do salmon in ten minutes.
- Pretty thick steak. It's bone in, too, though.
That's the other thing.
- I'm just, like, moving forward
almost like a sprint. I just want to get
the fish cooked. I'm trying to think in my head
at the same time what I need to grab for the sauce.
I want some other accompaniment,
like an arugula salad. I'm working on the fly.
♪ ♪
- Tanya, what are you making in ten minutes?
- I don't know! - 7:40 left.
- Something good. - Something fast.
- Something fast. - Something good and fast.
- Something good and fast. - You gotta get
some salmon, there? - Yeah.
Try to maybe blacken it a little bit.
- A little spice, a little spice mix?
All right. What else you got?
Some peppers, some tomatoes, red onions, and chive.
- Yeah, I gotta go back and get something.
- Okay. - But I'll get there.
- Tanya, I just wanna let you know,
there is plastic wrap in the kitchen.
- [laughs] - Just wanna let you know that.
- Hey Tu, It's been in the same spot
the whole season. - On your station, right?
- In his pocket. So sour.
- Is he hiding the plastic wrap from you?
- [laughs] - What's the p--
- Brother, you have, what? Tuna--a little trout, there?
- Hey, Chef. - What else are you
doing with this? - Uh, I'm gonna make
a chorizo vinaigrette, and then I'm gonna push
for a cauliflower puree. But we'll see.
- Cauliflower puree? You got seven minutes.
♪ ♪
- Picking a fish that I have to filet, pinbone,
portion, and sear is gonna take up
a lot of time and of course my big mouth got rid of it.
So I gotta make this work.
♪ ♪
This is not my time to go. It's not my time to go
because I got more work to do.
I got more chefs to beat. I'm getting back on.
♪ ♪
- Brother, how you doing?
- I'm good, I'm good. Running.
- You have plenty of time. - I have tons of time.
- You're only halfway through. You have plenty of time.
- [laughs]
♪ ♪
- Tanya's not even worried.
- Yeah, she ain't never worried.
That's Oakland, that right there.
[laughs]
♪ ♪
- I love a sauce like romesco with fish
because it's really flavorful, but it's almost
like a condiment. You don't have to take
every bite with the sauce. It's actually really good
on its own, and that's where my
onion flavor gets into the dish.
I feel pretty confident.
- [cheering] - Tanya, whoo!
Yeah!
♪ ♪
[buzzing]
- Two minutes left.
♪ ♪
- I cut into my salmon, and I notice it's not
really cooked through.
So I immediately get it back in the pan.
I put it on the burner.
It's gonna be the last 30 seconds
that I'm pulling this off to put it on the plate.
♪ ♪
Oops. Did I just get
stuff in my hair?
♪ ♪
- I definitely have regrets on yelling out, "Ten minutes."
Like... [mimics gunshot]
Stupid.
Time? - 1:26.
- 1:26, all right. - You gonna make it, Brother?
- Hell, yeah. - [laughs]
In the last minute of cooking, my fish is going to be
to temperature.
I wanted to do a little bit more of a garnish,
but everything is going so fast.
- Is that fish sauce? - Yep.
- Yeah! - Thanks, Tu.
I couldn't have done it without you.
- [laughs]
- 30 seconds. - [groans]
- Plating is like, wha-bam-bam-bam-bam!
I realize the chorizo caramelized too much.
So I actually pull all of my chorizo sausage
and just use the oil.
If he tastes one piece of burnt,
I'm done.
all: Five, four, three, two, one.
[cheers and applause] - Okay, time's up.
- Ten minutes, gone.
I've got the fish seared nicely.
I've got the chorizo drizzled around.
Hopefully it's enough to win.
- My dish seems a lot more substantial
than what Brother has created.
So I'm feeling pretty good.
♪ ♪
- That looked like fun. - [laughs]
- Come on. - Yeah, well, I worked up
a tiny bit of a sweat. - A little bit.
That's good. - [laughs]
- So I have a blackened salmon steak
with a romesco sauce and arugula salad.
♪ ♪
- Why did you agree to do it in ten?
- I'm up for a challenge. - Uh-huh.
What's in the spice mix?
- Chili powder, a little onion
and garlic powder, and some ground cumin.
- Great. - Okay.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
[laughs]
- Brother. - Chef.
- So, what'd you make in ten minutes?
- I did a seared trout with a chorizo vinaigrette.
- Mm-hmm. - And a cauliflower puree.
Ten minutes is pretty fast, man.
- Coming at you pretty quick. Any regrets?
- No, I think it's-- It makes it more interesting.
- Okay.
♪ ♪
- Guys actually got a lot done in a short period of time.
That was fun. - It was insane.
- [laughs] - When you do
something like this, how quickly do you
have to think and then put it into action?
- I think you just gotta start going.
And try to-- - Run to the pantry.
See what catches your eye. How long are these normally?
- 30 minutes. - Oh.
- But you wanted to cook fast, so you got it.
- No, I didn't-- [laughter]
- I didn't want to. - You know, you just
gotta be careful what you ask for.
- You wanted to go fast, mama. - [laughs]
- The dishes were both good.
I mean, Brother, what I liked about your dish
is you got a lot done in a small amount of time.
Um, I really thought you were crazy for getting that
puree in there, but the puree was good.
It could have been seasoned a little more,
um, but the texture was really good.
It was really smooth.
Uh, your trout was really nicely cooked.
I thought it could have used a little shot of acid,
maybe a little lime juice, but, uh, you know,
good dish in ten minutes. Uh, Tanya.
Your salmon was nicely cooked.
The sauce, I--you know, I liked the idea,
but, um, all the flavors are there,
except I got a real preponderance
of raw onion flavor on the back.
I liked that the arugula was dressed and nicely seasoned.
Uh, I like both dishes.
And...
♪ ♪
I'm gonna give the slight edge to Brother.
[upbeat music]
- Thank you, baby Jesus.
I will never give up time again.
So Brother, you win this round.
- Thank you, Chef. - And Tanya,
the only reason why was those onions were just not cooked.
They gave it a really raw flavor to that dish.
- Sure. - And it's not supposed
to be that way, and-- - Yeah.
- If you minced them a little smaller,
maybe got that out sooner or something--
But that's-that's it.
Slight edge goes to Brother. - All right.
- Nice. - Well, congratulations.
[cheers and applause]
It feels better to, you know, be leaving the competition
in this way--no drama.
One of my new concepts is a quick service restaurant,
so I think I'm pretty sure that's gonna
work out well for me.
- Congratulations, Brother. You're one step further.
- Thanks, Chef. - See you next week.
[intense music]
- I'm a back-to-back champ.
Two wins. - All right.
That was a lot of sh--.
- [laughs] - I'm on a war path.
Just put me in the winners' circle,
put me in the finale now, 'cause that's where I'm going.