In the sixth episode of “Hell’s Kitchen” Season 19, the dozen remaining chef-testants were tasked with facing off in head-to-head match-ups and giving rock ‘n’ roll twists on Italian classics. The winning team enjoyed some fun on a high-speed racetrack for the day, while the losing team had to endure a grueling punishment of preparing the night’s dinner service. After a fun cameo from Las Vegas magicians Penn & Teller, the dinner service began, but everything didn’t go as planned. So how did it all play out on Thursday night?
Below, read our minute-by-minute “Hell’s Kitchen: Las Vegas” recap of Season 19, Episode 6, titled “Metal & Marina,” to find out what happened Thursday, February 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite aspiring chefs on Fox’s reality TV show and who you think has what it takes to win the entire competition. The remaining contestants are:
RED TEAM: Jordan Savell, Kori Sutton, Lauren Lawless, Mary Lou Davis, Nicole “Nikki” Hanna and Syann Williams
BLUE TEAM: Adam Pawlak, Cody Candelario, Declan Horgan, Josh Oakley, Marc Quinones and Amber Lancaster
Keep refreshing/reloading this “Hell’s Kitchen” live blog for the most recent updates.
8:00 p.m. — “Previously on ‘Hell’s Kitchen’!” In the fifth episode, Peter Martinez threw in the towel after feeling like he wasn’t ready to be the head chef at Gordon Ramsay‘s Lake Tahoe restaurant. “If this is what it takes to be an executive chef, then the facts are there: I am not ready,” the New Jersey resident said during his exit interview. “I don’t believe that every executive chef that’s established in the world has gone through all this mental pain and negativity. No amount of money is worth that stress.” Following Peter’s elimination, who will be going home tonight?
8:08 p.m. — Marc has decided to squash all of the beefs he has with practically everyone on the Blue Team, so a new day has come! Gordon calls everyone to the dining room where they find Las Vegas’ #1 rock cover band, Spandex Nation, jamming out to some kids’ tunes. Gordon says the band can transform anything into a rock jam, and just like them, a great chef can transform a classic dish into something new and exciting. For today’s head-to-head challenge they will be recreating classic cuisine. After picking their challengers, each chef has 45 minutes to put their own unique spin on a classic Italian dish. Concerns rise up with Lauren on the Red Team when she can’t figure out how to make basic pasta. Over on the Blue Team, Cody is warned that his toasted rice for risotto is burned, but he insists it will give it wonderful flavor. Alas, time is up and it’s time to plate their dishes.
8:20 p.m. — To help him taste the dishes, Gordon has enlisted some incredible judges: Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, the chefs/owners of Animal. Each chef will be scored between one and three points, for nine total. The team with the most points at the end wins. They begin with the lobster ravioli matchup where Lauren gives the Red Team an early lead of 9-3 by smoking Josh. Next Marc nearly evens the score after defeating Kori with his superior veal Milanese, bringing the Blue Team within one point of the Red Team. Amber pulls the Blue Team into the lead when her perfect tortellini crushes Syann’s adventurous failure. Next up, Nikki and Adam tie with their chicken saltimbocca, failing to impact the score. After Jordan and Cody both crash and burn with their undercooked risottos, it all comes down to Declan vs. Mary Lou, with the Blue Team holding a 5-point lead. Declan’s chicken parmesan is a disaster, but Mary Lou’s is no better. The Blue Team has won this challenge!
8:30 p.m. — For their reward, the Blue Team will be heading off with a professional stunt driver, racing around a track at speeds of up to 200 mph, followed by an Italian feast at Buca di Beppo. For their punishment, the Red Team will be making homemade pasta for tonight’s dinner service, along with some fresh pesto created by hand. Jordan seems especially frustrated by the Red Team’s loss and instructs everyone to leave her alone. As a recovering alcoholic, Jordan feels driven to drink for the first time in six months. Kori pleads with her not to break her sobriety, whether she wins or loses.
8:40 p.m. — Gordon surprises the chefs with magicians Penn & Teller right before dinner service. Tonight’s diners will head over to their magic show following their dinner at Hell’s Kitchen. The pressure is on to get the guests to Penn & Teller’s show on time, so there can be no mishaps. The diners arrive and just as Amber is about to plate her scallops she drops one on the floor and then delivers a raw lobster tail. Over on the Red Team Gordon dumps Jordan’s scallops in the trash, sending the already flighty chef into a tailspin. She takes a minute and recovers nicely, delivering food that impresses the diners. Later, Marc and Josh look completely lost on the Blue Team and Gordon commands everyone to fix their bland mashed potatoes.
8:50 p.m. — Nothing ever goes perfectly in Hell’s Kitchen and just as the Red Team hits their stride, Syann and Mary Lou send up raw lamb to Gordon. After a brief explosion from the host, Mary Lou takes full responsibility and sends back some perfectly cooked meat. Over on the Blue Team, Amber hits another snag when she fails to cook the salmon in a timely manner, thinking she knows better than everyone else how long it takes to cook. She sends up some fish with soggy skin and Gordon is livid, driving Amber to tears. Meanwhile, Mary Lou is rocking it on the Red Team, proving she may be more formidable than previously thought. Tonight, the winning team is the Red Team. The Blue Team will head back to the dorm and come to a consensus on two individuals who will be up for elimination.
8:59 p.m. — The Blue Team has put up Amber and Josh for elimination. Amber was an epic failure at the fish station and Josh was a flustered mess. Both fight to stay in the competition, but ultimately Gordon orders Josh to turn over his jacket. Oh, and it’s his 29th birthday. Happy Birthday Josh! That will be one he never forgets.
