Gordon Ramsay’s ‘MasterChef’: Portland cook faces ‘toughest Mystery Box challenge’ yet

Mar 15, 2024

Portland's James Barfield, left, and host/judge Gordon Ramsay in the Wednesday, Aug. 30 "Fish Out of Water" mystery box challenge episode of "MasterChef."

It’s another week of back-to-back episodes on “MasteChef” Wednesday, with Portland’s James Barfield and the other home cooks facing a pair of challenges. Host/judge Gordon Ramsay and fellow judges Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich.will first present the chefs with what Fox publicity calls the “toughest Mystery Box challenge yet -- fish!”

(No cable? Stream “MasterChef” on Fubo, which offers a free trial; or watch on Hulu, which streams episodes the day after they air.)

Why is fish so daunting? We’ll have to see about that. In the episode, chefs with immunity will be able to “switch up the other contestants’ type of fish,” so that will no doubt lead to attempts to sabotage home cooks who have been doing well.

In the second episode of the night, according to Fox, “The top 10 home chefs are challenged by MasterChef Season 11 winner Kelsey Murphy to take traditional stadium food to new heights. With one hour on the clock, the contestants must cater to the average sports fan while incorporating elements from their region to elevate their dish. The chef with immunity is tasked with giving a penalty to the home cook of their choosing to receive a five-minute timeout, adding chaos to the competition and turning up the pressure.”

Raise your hand if you remembered that Kelsey Murphy won Season 11 of “MasterChef.” Anyway, we’ll know tonight whether Barfield makes it into the top !0. He’s had his ups and downs so far, so it’s tough to know what to expect.

“MasterChef” airs two back-to-back episodes beginning at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30 on Fox.

— Kristi Turnquist

503-221-8227; [email protected]; @Kristiturnquist

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