Season 12 of MasterChef: Back to Win is all about redemption. Titled, Dish That Sent You Home, the Top 20 contestants faced off in their first elimination challenge. They had to prepare an impeccable dish inspired by the one that sent them home last time. Sadly for Stephen, his dish got the best of him. His runny panna cotta made him the first contestant eliminated from the series.
The famed reality TV competition series returned for an all-new flavorful episode on Wednesday night. While all the contestants focused on bringing their best dish to the table, Stephen let his nerves get the best of him. He was disturbed by the fact that his panna cotta wasn't set.
While the flavor of his Cacao Panna Cotta with Blackberry & Gin Sauce and Spicy Hazelnuts was filled with flavor and richness, it was runny and tasted like chocolate milk. After deliberating, the judges decided that Stephen's time on MasterChef had ended.
It was a hard pill for the contestant to swallow. Especially after he came third during his previous season on MasterChef. During the entirety of his previous season, Stephen wasn't in the bottom three and was now the first contestant to be eliminated from the competition.
Fans who watched the episode took to social media to claim that his time in the competition was short-lived.
Stephen's elimination on MasterChef Season 12 shocks fans as the contestant had ranked third previously
Taking to Twitter, fans shared that even though his time was short-lived, he left with a positive attitude. Some also added that they were going to miss the MasterChef contestant.
More details on what happened this week on MasterChef Season 12, Episode 4
Stephen made it to the Top 20 after impressed the judges with his audition dish. Now back in the kitchen fighting for a chance at redemption, Stephen decided to make a chocolate version of the panna cotta that got him eliminated during his previous season.
Sadly, luck wasn't in favor of Stephen this week after he didn't add correctly melted gelatin to his Panna Cotta. Gelatin is an essential ingredient that would make the panna cotta set. Nearing the end of the round, he noticed that it hadn't set and was still liquid.
But Stephen's dish wasn't the only one with flaws. Two other contestants joined him in the bottom three this week. They were Gabriel and Tommy. Gabriel prepared a Sausage & Ricotta Cannelloni with Marinara Sauce and Mozzarella Topping. Joe shared that the dish looked simple and lacked finesse. Meanwhile, Gordon Ramsay shared that it didn't taste very good.
Next up was Tommy, who presented the judges with his Beef & Chorizo Burgers with Fried Green Tomatoes and Avocado Truffle Mayo. Gordon shared that his dish looked like a mess. The dishes were missing the main ingredients. Some didn't have the bun on them, and some missed the bacon. Aaron shared that Tommy made a horrible decision by adding chorizo to his sliders.
While all three contestants had flaws in their dishes, the judges took time to deliberate. Ultimately, they decided that it was Stephen who they had to send home because his dish wasn't complete.
MasterChef airs every Wednesday at 8 pm ET only on Fox. Readers can check their local listings for more information.