MasterChef Season 14 Finale Recap: Who Won?

Tonight on “MasterChef,” three top chefs compete in the MasterChef Finale, where they must create an epic three-course meal, starting with a stunning appetizer. The “MasterChef” Finale continues with main courses and desserts that highlight each chef’s generational background and culinary skills as they move one step closer to the $250,000 grand prize in an all-new two-part season finale, “Finale (Part One)/Finale (Part Two),” of “MasterChef: Generations,” airing Wednesday, September 18 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Season 14 of MasterChef brings together amateur chefs from four generations – Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen Z and Gen X – to prove that age doesn’t matter in the kitchen. The judges Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez, Joe Bastianich eliminated contestants each week until a winner is crowned MasterChef and the $250,000 grand prize. Follow our live blog to watch today’s episode below.

TO WATCH ‘MasterChef: Generations’ Judge Joe Bastianich: It’s ‘A Interesting Social Documentary That We Brought to Life’

20:00 — Previously on MasterChef! In episodes 16 and 17, six of the world’s top home cooks took a break from the MasterChef kitchen to take over Ramsay’s Rooftop, a one-night-only pop-up restaurant in the heart of Los Angeles. After dinner, Adam was eliminated in 6th place. Then it was time for the semi-finals and the top five chefs faced two challenges that sent both Murt AND Rebecca packing. Who will be crowned the winner tonight?

20:05 — Becca, Kamay AND Michael enter the MasterChef kitchen for the final time. Roaring fans fill the live audience, including past Season 14 contestants along with friends and family members of the three finalists. Gordon calls the season an “instant classic” and a “hard-hitting generational battle.” The season recap then features a battle of the ages pitting Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z against each other. The final survivors are two Millennials: Kamay and Michael, and one young Gen Z contestant: Becca. Who will be crowned America’s 14th MasterChef? The winner takes home the MasterChef trophy, a brand new Viking kitchen, and $250,000 in cash.

20:15 — We see three video packages that give us more information about the finalists and their backgrounds. The judges then explain that today’s challenge is to create a full three-course meal: an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. The dishes should be cohesive and have a theme, giving the judges some insight into each finalist. Becca’s meal is about family, Kamay’s menu is a journey through generations of Haitian cuisine, and Michael’s takes us on a journey from his roots where he grew up to where he is now. They have 60 minutes for the appetizer round, and the clock starts now!

20:30 — Michael won his MasterChef pasta apron and will be showing off more of his pasta techniques in this round of appetizers. Becca makes a salmon dish that reminds her of one of her mom’s family dinners. Kamay makes a spicy soup inspired by the emancipation of Haiti. The judges are a little worried about Michael because he has a complicated dish and seems to be rushing it. For Kamay, their main concern is that she cooks the lobster correctly — it’s the hero of her dish. Becca has the simplest appetizer, and the judges note that she better add flavor. Becca reveals that her pan wasn’t as hot as it should have been, so she was having trouble getting the salmon skin to crisp up. She decides to throw out four of the salmon entirely and start over. It has to be perfect!

20:35 — With only 15 minutes left on the clock, Joe asks Becca why she’s starting over. The salmon needs to be crispy, and she’s confident the fish will be ready in time. Gordon looks out to the balcony and asks Warren who he thinks has the upper hand. He says he loves the pasta and the salmon, but Kamay’s lobster “got me.” With a few minutes to go, the chefs plate three identical dishes for the judges to try. It’s time to judge Round 1!

20:45 — Becca serves crispy-skinned salmon with braised leeks, tomato water, basil oil, and crispy basil leaves. Gordon says it looks elegant and the salmon is beautiful. Aaron thinks the dish lacks “depth of flavor” and the tomato water was “unspectacular.” Joe says Becca did a “very good job overall.” Next up is Kamay’s habanero squash soup with poached lobster tail, pickled rainbow chard, and caviar. Gordon says it’s “entrancing” and “so beautiful.” He loves fried lobster, but he’d rather have it “in the middle of the soup” than on the side. Aaron says the magic is in the soup, but it could use a little more creaminess and lemon. Joe thinks the lobster and squash soup is “magical.” Finally, there’s Michael’s truffle tortellini with mint and pea puree, preserved lemon vinaigrette, asparagus and wild mushrooms. Gordon says it shows “technical talent beyond anything I’ve ever imagined.” Joe says Michael showed a lot of “skill” in the way he prepared each component of the dish. Gordon calls the tortellini “delicious,” but it doesn’t need as many truffles. Aaron says the magic is in the brown butter and the pea puree is “spectacular.” Joe calls it “a really good dish,” but he’d leave out the vinaigrette. The only comment we get after this round is Gordon saying about Michael, “He doesn’t hold back, does he?” Aaron says, “No, he tries.” Does that mean Michael has the upper hand so far?

21:00 — Next up is the appetizer round. This is one dish that could decide their chances of becoming the next MasterChef. Becca will prepare a lamb dish, Kamay will prepare sea bass, and Michael will serve venison ribs. They have 60 minutes to prepare this dish. After the appetizer round, Michael feels confident about where he is, but Becca feels like she might have to try harder to keep up with him and Kamay. As the judges watch the round, Gordon says that Becca “has a lot of work today” because the lamb tenderloin she’s cooking is unforgiving. Aaron says that Michael might have trouble because venison is difficult to cook. Joe says that Kamay just has to cook the fish perfectly and make sure he doesn’t overcook it. Kamay goes a bit silly, saying, “Some of my competitors make pasta for the audition, and then they make it again. I am showing my development.” Shots were fired!

21:05 — After 30 minutes of this round, the judges discuss their observations so far. Joe calls Kamay’s sauce “risky” because it’s sour, sweet, and tart. He also seems to have difficulty forming the croquettes. Just an observation — Michael and Kamay are cooking like their lives depend on it. Becca is laughing, joking, and just seems happy to be there. I’m not sure if that’s confidence or a sign that she’s not taking it as seriously as her older competitors. Gordon is worried that Michael’s venison ribs won’t be cooked through. Time is running out and it’s time to judge Round 2!

9:15 in the afternoon — Kamay serves pan-fried striped bass with passionfruit sauce, soy-glazed squash, sweet potato croquettes, and avocado mousse. Gordon calls it “bright” and “elegant,” noting how good it smells. The fish is beautifully cooked, but the passionfruit “didn’t come through.” Aarón calls the sauce “really aggressive.” Joe thinks everything is “perfect,” except for the passionfruit sauce, which doesn’t do the rest of the dish justice. Michael serves herb-crusted venison ribs with a butternut squash and duck fat puree, Swiss chard, and a blackberry wine sauce. Gordon says the colors are “so attractive” and “it looks delicious.” The venison is cooked perfectly, and the puree is “delicious.” Aarón loves the sauce, but venison needs salt. Joe likes how original the dish is and thinks it’s expertly cooked — but the proportions are a little off. Finally, there’s Becca’s Herb-Crusted Lamb with Brown Butter Spaetzle, Bitter Greens, and Fig Balsamic Reduction. Gordon thinks his lamb is a little overcooked, but the colors are beautiful. Aaron likes the texture of her dish and thinks the bitterness of the greens works. Joe doesn’t care about the cooking of the lamb and says it’s seasoned just right. Overall, he really liked Becca’s dish. The judges sum up everything so far tonight and suggest that Michael and Kamay are ahead of Becca. However, Becca is the dessert expert.

21:30 — It’s time for the dessert round, and each chef will have an hour. Becca makes a blueberry tart. Kamay makes a strawberry pie. Michael makes a dessert inspired by peach cobbler. I left out a lot of fancy details that we’ll see later! Gordon thinks the dessert round is the most difficult of them all. Joe wonders if Kamay’s dessert is “too simple” for the finale. Gordon worries if Becca can properly execute the cobbler. Meanwhile, Michael’s dish is the most complicated, and he’s the only one making the ice cream. Is he being too ambitious? If Michael can pull it off, he’ll probably win the competition. Michael says that his mother (who’s deceased) loved peach cobbler and draws a lot of inspiration for this dish from her. He gets emotional talking about it. Meanwhile, Becca realizes that the oven isn’t as hot as she thought and worries that her cobbler shells won’t bake.

21:45 —The audience roars as Michael pours liquid nitrogen into the ice cream. He’s the only contestant tonight who seems to be taking risks the entire time. I think he’s the favorite at this point, barring any disaster. Becca has finally finished her tarts and it looks like her crisis has been averted. However, her mousse is a little too frozen and she’s having trouble squeezing it into the tart. As each chef dishes out this final dish, you can see their hands shaking. Finally, their time is up and the judges are getting ready to critique this final round!

21:55 — Becca serves a blueberry tart with blueberry gel, blueberry mousse, pate sucree, whipped mascarpone cream, and candied lemon. Gordon calls it “elegant,” but the mousse looks broken. That said, it tastes delicious. Aaron loves her dedication to the flavor of the blueberries throughout the recipe. Joe likes to keep it simple and taste every ingredient. Michael serves a deconstructed peach pie with white chocolate cake, passionfruit zabaglione, buttermilk ice cream, streusel crumble, grilled peaches, and passionfruit syrup. There’s a lot going on! It’s “visually stunning,” and Gordon says all of the elements really work together. Aaron says he can feel Michael’s passion and heart in this dish, but the streusel could use a little longer to cook. Joe says Michael did a “very good job.” Finally, there’s the Kamay Guava Rum Strawberry Shortcake with Diplomat Tarragon Cream. Gordon says it’s “elegant” and has a “millennial twist” with the tarragon. Gordon says the cookies are tangy and go well with anything sweet. Aaron says the strawberries and cream are magical. Joe says it’s “good to eat,” but plain compared to what Michael and Becca came up with.

22:00 — Now that they’ve sampled all the dishes, the judges debate who has prepared the best menu for tonight. After tough deliberations, the judges announce the winner of “MasterChef: Generations” is… Michael! The 27-year-old business owner from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is now the 14th person to hold the title of MasterChef.