Legendary street food chef Roy Choi steps into the MasterChef kitchen, offering valuable advice to contestant Alejandro Valdivia in the upcoming episode of MasterChef: Legends airing on August 11. After taking a two-week break due to the Olympics, MasterChef: Legends returns with the nine remaining talented home cooks competing for $250,000. The show premiered in 2010 on Fox and has become one of the network's most-watched shows. The popular series is currently airing its 11th season, which features a new twist.
Throughout this season, celebrity chefs Gordan Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez, and restauranteur Joe Bastianich invite some of the top culinary legends, including Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen, Morimoto, and Curtis Stone, to serve as guest judges in each episode. Only 15 home cooks received a white apron for the first time and will have to impress four legendary judges with their talent. The show's creators called this season the "most intense season in MasterChef history," and it appears to be true. The contestants will soon have to undergo the most difficult challenge yet: a head-to-head battle with the award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay.
In the upcoming episode, titled "Roy Choi-Elevated Street Food," chef Roy Choi will serve as a guest judge and mentor. Roy is known as one of the founders of the gourmet food truck movement. He rose to fame as the creator of the Korean-Mexican taco truck, Kogi. This week, the home cooks will prepare an elevated street food dish worthy of a Michelin star. As the remaining contestants come closer to winning the grand prize, the margin of error is slim, and home cook Alejandro Valdivia from Atlanta, Georgia, may be getting too ambitious with his meal.
Alejandro prepares an upscale version of "poutine-type style" loaded potatoes in the exclusive clip seen below. While he is hyped about his meal, Gordon and Roy are left confused. As a frustrated Gordon explains, poutine is a type of dirty fry, but Alejandro wants to use diced potatoes, put some in the oven, and fry the rest, so there are two different textures in his dish. To finish his meal, he wants to add a hollandaise sauce and poached egg on top. "You're making it more difficult for yourself," explains Roy with a confused look on his face. Gordon thinks Alejandro should listen to Roy and simplify his meal. "If you pull it off, you've done something spectacular. But, your margin of error is very small," says Roy.
As fans have witnessed this season, simplicity is key. Previous judges have constantly preached less is more and begged contestants not to overcomplicate their meal. Alejandro hopes his ambition doesn't backfire. However, he has been at the bottom three times and certainly needs this meal to work to stay in the competition. Chefs editing their meals is also an important part of the competition. The judges will be paying attention to see if Alejandro will edit his meal to meet perfection or stick to his same convoluted idea. With three episodes left until the season finale, the pressure is on. The challenges are only getting harder, and there is little room for mistakes. Fans will have to tune in to the Wednesday, August 11 episode at 8 PM ET to see how Alejandro will pull off his poutine-style loaded potato meal.
MasterChef: Legends airs on Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on Fox.