by Gina Scarpa

 

On the season finale of MasterChef, the final four chefs met up with Gordon and found out that they'll have to cook head to head in the semi-final cookoff. David faced off against Sheetal, while Lee and Whitney were paired up. Before they could get to cooking, they were surprised by their loved ones, many of whom were there to support them during their audition round in the very first episode. The best one was Lee's mom, who flew in all the way from Israel to, hopefully,see her son win this thing.

 

In David vs. Sheetal, Graham asked for the best slice of apple pie, Gordon wanted a nice cup of clam chowder, and Joe looked for a mouth watering Veal Milanese. As one might expect, David won the clam chowder round while Sheetal took apple pie. It all came down to the veal, which Sheetal cooked traditionally and David boldly cooked in the oven. Joe delivered the news that David Miller made it into the finals - sometimes, being daring and taking risks really pays off.

 

In Lee vs. Whitney, Graham requested eggs benedict, Joe asked for chicken parm, and Gordon wanted cheesecake. Of course, it also came down to a tie, leaving it up to Gordon to decide who would face off against David. It was a little concerning for Lee, since Whitney has clearly been the queen of desserts all season. This time was no exception. Her unique cheesecake won Gordon over and she was catapulted into the finals.

 

For the final competition, David and Whitney had to cook their three best dishes: an appetizer, main course, and dessert. Both their menus and approaches could not have been more different. David went for food that you'd expect in a restaurant and played to his audience of family members and former contestants, while Whitney chose some good ol' home cooking with a twist and stayed focused on the task at hand.

 

With minutes to spare, Whitney spilled her entire chicken onto the floor and you could hear the gasps from everybody in the room. In just 7 minutes, she grabbed a new chicken breast and was able to cook and her plate her main course - impressive.

After 2 hours they presented their dishes to the judges.

 

David's menu:
Sea Scallop Ceviche with Cream of Fresh Pea Soup
Beef Wellington with Foie Gras Mousse and Mushroom Duxelle
Nectarine Crepe Suzette

 

Whitney's menu:
Sweet Shrimp over a Crispy Corncake and Turnip Green Pesto
Buttermilk Chicken and Creamed Collard Greens
Bread Pudding with Raspberry Coulis and White Chocolate Sauce

 

It seemed that David won the appetizer round with the judges while Whitney won the entrée round. Once again, it's all about the dessert, something Whitney has always excelled at. David's passion for cooking could not have been made more clear as he broke down crying during judging. Perhaps he was exhausted, the pressure was getting to him, or maybe he just saw the writing on the wall...

 

The winner of MasterChef is Whitney!

 

 

Think you can handle Gordon, Joe, and Graham? Audition for season 2 of MasterChef - details at masterchefcasting.com.

 

(Image courtesy of MasterChef)

 

Follow Gina at twitter.com/ginascarpa

 

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