The Great American Recipe

Alejandra Ramos: This season on "The Great American Recipe"... Over the last five weeks of competition, our home cooks from regions across the country...

I am so proud that I'm able to bring the regional touch of Spokane, Washington, with my huckleberries.

It just makes me feel so happy to eat it.

I love it.

Ramos: proudly sharing their most treasured recipes... Carlos: I don't know if a lot of people know how good Puerto Rican food is, and I'm here to show everybody that we are not to be underestimated.

You brought it today.

Oh, yes!

Ramos: and the stories that bond them to each dish.

Fran: I started making this dish for Mom and Dad at the end of their life.

It was nurturing, and it brought lots of memories, too.

You can tell the time and the love that was put into this.

My mom would have been so proud that you were eating this dish.

I learned in this competition that cooking with love translates in so many different ways.

Wow.

Privilege.

You got this.

Ramos: Now we're down to the final three.

Rex: This is good.

Ramos: Rex... Rex: I never dreamt of this.

Hoo-hoo-whee!

But my goal was just to show the world what Filipino cuisine is.

And this will make my country proud, paving this path to our future generation of Filipino immigrants.

Ramos: Coby... Coby, voice-over: Oh, my God.

This is amazing.

To win it all would be a dream come true.

I think I'm a great advocate for Louisiana and the Cajuns, and I want to show everybody Cajuns are truly special people and super proud of their food.

Ramos: and Waigal.

Afghanistan is rich with ancient traditions and recipes, so the legacy I want to leave through my food is that tradition is beautiful, but also putting your own spin on things is just as exciting.

Hello.

Ramos: And for one home cook, the title as the winner of "The Great American Recipe" is just two rounds of cooking away.

Salam.

Good morning, Waigal.

Hello.

You guys look energized.

I'm excited.

I'm ready to cook.

Ready to cook.

[Pen scratches] Ramos: Welcome, finalists.

We are all so proud to see the three of you standing here.

For the last time, please join me in saying hello to your wonderful judges, Francis Lam... Hey, congratulations to all of you.

Tiffany Derry... Good morning, y'all.

Waigal: Good morning.

Ramos: and Tim Hollingsworth.

Good morning, you guys.

Welcome back.

You guys should be so proud.

Thank you.

Ramos: The journey we've seen you embark on over the past five weeks has been so inspiring, and now we are just two rounds of cooking away from naming one of you the winner of "The Great American Recipe."

Since it is the finale, for your first round of cooking, we're bringing in one more judge to help us out-- Wow.

Derry: chef and Jewish food guru Jake Cohen!

Wha... [Derry laughing] Hi.

Hi, Jake.

Jake Cohen: Good to see you.

Welcome to our kitchen, Jake.

So good to be here.

Waigal, voice-over: I'm thrilled, and I think it's so cool that we get to cook for him today, because Jake is a published cookbook author, and I love that because it inspires me.

I would love to have my own cookbook one day.

Ramos: Jake, what are you looking for from the finalists today?

Jake Cohen: It's such a privilege to be able to represent the food that's at the core of who I am and what I love, and I'm so excited to get to see that in each and every one of you.

Thank you, Chef.

Thank you.

Francis Lam: We know the past five weeks have challenged you in the kitchen, but I know they've also been hard because you've been away from home, and, most importantly, your loved ones.

Derry: And although your family can't be here right now to encourage you, we wanted you to feel the love in this very next round of cooking.

At each of your stations, you'll find a memory box from your loved ones.

Ramos: Each of those boxes contains a note and a hometown recipe.

Rex, voice-over: I miss home, especially my wife Bernadette.

She wants to bring out the best in me, and she knows I have the potential to win this all.

Pictures of my family back in the Philippines and a picture of Bernadette, my wife.

Ramos: Oh, really?

Looks like she wants me to do some pork adobo, and she has a note for me.

"Ever since we've been together, "cooking has been your passion.

"Now with your hard work, everything is paying off.

"I'm always so proud of you, babe.

"And I believe in all the incredible things "that you have accomplished.

I love you and I miss you so much."

That's beautiful, Rex.

Coby, who sent you your note?

My wife Toni.

It says, "Coby, I have no doubt "you will make it to the finale.

Good things happen to good people."

Coby: "I love you.

"I wish I could be there to cheer you "and celebrate with you.

"All of your friends and family are rooting for you.

Love you and bring home the trophy."

Aw.

Coby, voice-over: Toni is my rock.

It is really good to hear from her and to see that beautiful note.

I love her.

She sent me a recipe for shrimp po' boy.

Judges: Ooh.

Good ol' Louisiana tradition.

Nice.

OK. Ramos: All right, Waigal.

[Waigal gasps] I open the box, and my recipe card is fettuccine Alfredo.

There's also pictures of me and my sisters.

"Dear Waigal Jan, we are absolutely thrilled for you.

The only thing that will be getting cut are the onions."

[Laughter] "We love you very much and are wishing you all the best.

Good luck.

The Safi clan."

Waigal, voice-over: This letter is reminding me of my sisters' witty humor.

Anytime I felt down and hopeless in life, my family has picked me back up and said, "Listen, you just got to keep going, one foot in front of the other."

Ramos: For your last round of cooking before the final cook, you'll have 60 minutes to prepare a dish from your loved ones.

Derry: As always, your dishes will be judged on taste, presentation, execution, and how well you did with the theme of showcasing your hometown recipes.

Ramos: Jake, is there any advice you can give them?

Definitely.

Lean into your roots.

Make it like you would make it at home, and definitely channeling all that energy from your loved ones.

Imagine that they're here today and you're cooking for them.

Thank you, Chef.

Ramos: OK, finalists.

Get ready because your time starts now!

[Cheering] Get it!

Oh, my God.

Whoo hoo!

We got this, guys.

Ramos: Jake, thanks for joining us today.

How's it feel to be at the judges' table?

I'm so excited.

We heard a couple of these recipes are not what you would expect, so what I'm really looking for is story and how they stay true to their background and how they cook for their loved ones.

Derry: Also, each of them are often putting their spins on things, so I would love to see, you know, how they interpret this recipe.

I think it's gonna be a fun journey.

Yeah.

I'm getting excited.

For sure.

Let's see what we got here.

The hometown recipe in my memory box is shrimp po' boy, and I think I can kind of put my spin on it, so I'm gonna make a cypress knee shrimp po' boy with homemade French fries.

It's gonna have some crawfish, crab, and I need andouille sausage for some extra flavor in there.

Ramos: Hey, Coby...

Yes?

what are you working on?

Coby: In true Louisiana tradition, if you ever pass between Lafayette and Baton Rouge, you pass right over the Atchafalaya River, and when you see that, you see nothing but cypress trees and cypress knees sticking out all over the place, so today my spin on this is gonna be a Cypress knee po' boy, stands tall, fill in the middle, where they're gonna lay down... Ooh.

Derry: Interesting.

and nothing goes better than homemade French fries with that.

Well, you'll be busy today.

I am gonna be busy.

Coby, voice-over: In this competition, I wanted to do well not only for my family or my firefighter brothers, but I'm super proud to represent Cajun culture through the time that I've been here cooking my food-- my jambalaya and alligator sauce piquant... Lam: This is the essence of Cajun food.

It tastes like where you're from.

Thank you.

Coby, voice-over: but there's a lot of competition, and I feel like it was anybody's game at this point.

Rex, how you doing, bro?

I'm OK so far.

Rex, voice-over: I think Bernadette sent me a pork adobo recipe because first time I made this dish was the first-year anniversary when we were dating, so it has sentimental value, but this is the finale, so you want to make sure you want to impress the judges, that you're not just giving them just a regular pork adobo, so for this round, I'm making spicy dried pork adobo, and I'm gonna serve it with white rice.

First, I need to get my pork belly into the pressure cooker to get tender.

We'll do some garlic.

Ramos: Rex, how's it going?

Waiting for the pork, putting my twist there.

I'm gonna make it spicy dried pork adobo.

Lam: Oh, you're gonna get it dry?

It makes the texture different, and you'll encapsulate the flavor in there, trap it in.

Oh, OK. Ramos: Sounds cool.

Thank you.

Lam: And pork adobo is a very classic Filipino dish.

The ingredients are very simple, so how it turns out differently is all, like, in the hands.

Derry: Right, and, honestly, if you're going to boil it, it needs time.

You're gonna fry it and get it crispy, then it's a whole 'nother situation, so maybe his spin will also be saving some time.

Ramos: Hopefully.

Rex, voice-over: Making it this far means so much, and I want to make my fellow Filipina proud, being able to showcase what inspired my recipes, like pork dinuguan with putong bigas and the oxtail kare-kare.

I loved that you cooked this for us.

Your Filipino roots is coming through and definitely delicious.

Thank you, Chef.

Rex, voice-over: Winning the competition, I mean, wow, that would be unimaginable.

I'm gonna cook rice.

Let's add some flavor to that rice.

Fettucine Alfredo is just plain with some Parmesan cheese and butter, but these peppers add so much to the sauce and make it my way.

Waigal, voice-over: I think I got this recipe because growing up, whenever we would eat out, fettuccine Alfredo was something my sister would always go for, but I'm gonna put my spin on this pasta dish, and I'm gonna be making my creamy, dreamy lemon linguine.

I'm gonna add a whole lot of spices to my chicken just to give it some flavor.

Waigal...

Yes?

how are you doing?

It's going good.

I just didn't realize how much prep work it would take because I want to change it up a bit.

I'm gonna add some mushrooms, bell pepper, onions, a whole lot of spices, of course sumac.

OK. Why not?

Why not?

Oh, I can smell the spices already.

I know.

Yeah.

Oh, that's great.

Wouldn't expect an Afghan fettuccine Alfredo because typically, you think of it as just this quite simple, humble pasta, and it'll be interesting how far he pushes it and if it's too much.

Yeah.

This is gonna season the chicken, but it's also gonna season the whole sauce.

In my culture, men don't cook that often, so it feels so good competing against two people I feel like are my brothers with the dynamic, different cultures coming together.

A little extra butter for Fran because we miss her and we love her.

Waigal, voice-over: Being in this competition has taught me so much about myself because I think for anyone that's a first-generation American with immigrant parents, there's this constant struggle and this constant need to prove yourself, so I'm glad that I'm doing well in this competition, and I feel so proud of myself right now that I've done so well with my Afghan recipes like chicken yakhni and qurooti... Hollingsworth: You have wowed us and showed us all of these amazing Afghan flavors, but also that you cook really from your heart.

Thank you.

Ooh, beautiful.

Waigal, voice-over: but I'm hoping maybe I can go home with a win and say, "Look, Mom.

I made it."

It's exactly how it should look.

Hollingsworth: All right.

You guys have 30 minutes left.

That was quick.

All right.

Coby!

Yes, ma'am.

What's happening?

What's going on?

Cohen: Smells good.

Oh, you have a lot of work going on here...

Chef Jake.

Hello, hello.

so how are you gonna cook this sausage?

This is just some andouille.

It's not quite as smoky.

I just kind of want to put it at the end, and then what I'm gonna do here is just take this bread, and we're just gonna hollow this out, and then we'll stuff that sauce in the bread.

I want it to be meaty.

OK. You know we like it meaty, but I want it to be flavorful, as well.

But I do want to make sure that we think about the build and how much liquid is gonna be in there, so be careful with that.

I gotcha.

I gotcha.

And how does it feel to be a finalist?

To be representing Louisiana here, representing the Cajuns, I'm super fired up.

Listen.

I get it.

Like, I'm from New York.

There's a lot of pressure to represent your hometown... Sure, absolutely.

so I'm really excited to see how this goes and, most importantly, that it stands up.

Absolutely.

Derry: All right.

Best of luck, Coby.

We can't wait to taste it.

Can't wait to try it.

Yeah.

Coby, voice-over: Now that I've got the crawfish in there, I have my shrimp and my crab, my heavy cream, to really soak up all those flavors and get that mixture just right.

Think I'm doing good.

All right.

Rex, voice-over: So I check my pork belly in the pressure cooker, and looks like it's ready.

Now I need to finish it on the wok.

So we're in here.

Pork's in there now.

There's 15 minutes left.

Coby: Gonna come down to the wire again.

Waigal: I have all my veggies in here, some cilantro, and I'm just gonna have them married together as one cohesive sauce.

For my fettuccine Alfredo, I'm also adding lemon juice to counteract the heaviness of the heavy cream and the Parmesan.

Hey, Waigal.

Hello.

How are you?

Well, thank you.

I love that we're here now in the finale and you're not making Afghan food.

Yeah.

We enjoy all the cheese that goes into Italian American food.

This is actually something I make for my nieces and nephews.

They request it all the time.

So you're cooking the pasta now... Yeah.

which is a little on the early side...

Yes.

but it's really easy to take it past the al dente point once you've cooked it, so when it's not quite al dente, when it's almost time to serve-- maybe 3, 4, 5 minutes before-- you can, like, cook it in the sauce so it finishes the cooking there, so really smart to do that.

Thank you.

I can't wait to taste this.

Thank you.

Good luck.

Thank you so much.

Cohen: OK, everyone.

You have 7 minutes left.

Whoo hoo!

All right.

Coby, are you OK?

I hope.

Waigal, you OK?

Uh, no.

No.

Ha ha!

Yes.

I'm gonna try this now.

See?

Rex, voice-over: I'm still waiting for the pork to really get tender, so I'm gonna leave it in the wok for as long as I can.

Come on, cook.

Get tender.

Ramos: Seems to have a game plan.

Do you think the pork belly hasn't had enough cook time?

I'm wondering.

Derry: You want the fat to break down, and that fat in between is delicious when it's broke down, but when it's not, it's chewy.

Cohen: Especially since that's skin-on.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah...

Exactly.

but then he's cooking it down in a sauce.

He needs to be able to concentrate that flavor and get a little bit of caramelization on the pork after.

Yeah.

Ramos: Folks, you've got 3 minutes left.

Oh, wow.

Coby: I want to just leave a little bit of bread on the bottom right there, so it don't fall out; when you do pick it up, it's not falling all out of the thing right there.

Now it's time to see, if I put this stuffing in there, if that bread is gonna stand up.

It is extremely risky, but sometimes that risk is well worth the reward.

Ramos: Judges, what are we thinking about Coby's twist on the classic po' boy?

We've seen him grow, we've seen him do really well.

Yes.

The challenge is, I feel like, is getting the sandwich to stand up.

You got to make sure that build is correct... Sure.

Yeah.

and the balance is correct and getting each thing in every bite, you know?

100%, especially with all the proteins, of adding crab and sausage.

I know.

Like, it's gonna be a lot to fit in.

You have one minute left.

Whoo!

Coby: I like it.

It's standing up.

It's good.

That's hideous.

Wow.

They're really down to the wire on this one.

Yeah.

Rex, how's it looking?

Think we're getting there.

Rex, voice-over: I have no time, but I just hope that it's tender enough for the judges.

I'm happy with that.

I just need to make sure that I get this in the plate.

Ramos: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Time's up!

Great job!

[Cheering and applause] [Laughing] [Birds chirping] Ramos: For this round, we gave you 60 minutes to prepare a dish inspired by a hometown recipe sent to you from a loved one.

All right, Coby.

Come join us.

Coby: Today I made a cypress knee shrimp po' boy with homemade French fries.

Ooh.

Derry: You know, Coby, it's definitely unlike any other po' boy that I've ever had in presentation, but I think it has lots of flavor.

You get all of the seafood.

Nothing is overcooked.

The sauce itself is nice.

The fries, a couple of them were sticking together, so you have that piece that didn't brown at all...

Right.

but I think at the end of the day, the fries tastes good.

Thank you.

Cohen: It all comes together so well.

Nothing is too overpowering, which is really nice.

It's just saucy enough.

Obviously, I even think, like, it could have been even saucier.

Like, I said a thing which is so crazy.

You had us so terrified, and yet, at the end of the day, I think it could have even been a little more saturated, but delicious.

Thank you.

Lam: Thank you.

Ramos: Rex, come join us.

Rex: So today I made spicy dried pork adobo served with white rice.

Hollingsworth: Rex, I feel like this version of adobo is something that showcases a lot of restraint from you because you usually have a lot of stuff going on, and overall, the flavor is really good, you know?

Oh, thank you.

The pork itself, you were able to get a lot of flavor in that pork in a short amount of time, but I do wish that the pork belly spent a little bit more time in the pressure cooker because if you get, like, a bigger piece of the pork with the skin, it gets a little bit chewy.

Like Tim said, I had a couple of small pieces that were perfect.

I had one larger piece that was a little tougher, but the flavor was all there.

It was just spot-on.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Waigal, come join us.

Waigal: I made my creamy, dreamy lemon linguine.

Lam: Waigal, the flavor of the sumac, the lemon, the turmeric, it's so beautiful...

Thank you.

really, really, really nice job.

You really managed to keep the texture of the pasta just, I think, the way you wanted it.

Thank you so much.

If I had one critique, I would say, because I was thinking fettuccine Alfredo...

Yes.

maybe a little bit more richness, maybe a touch of cream, or maybe a little butter stirred in at the end or something like that, but this is really nice.

Thank you so much.

This is definitely not what I thought was gonna come to the table when you're given fettuccine Alfredo, but I absolutely love it.

I could hear that all day.

[Laughter] Cohen: The play on the spices were great, but it's a lot, and I think the pasta would have been just as good without the peppers and mushrooms.

Ramos: Thank you so much, Waigal.

Waigal: Thank you, thank you.

Lam: Thank you, Waigal.

[Whispers] Good job.

Ramos: In this round, we asked you to make a dish inspired by the comforts of a hometown recipe and your loved ones.

But there is one home cook we'd like to recognize who presented a truly exceptional hometown dish, and that home cook is... Coby.

Whoo!

[Applause] Phew... Derry: Your cypress meat po' boy was just delicious.

The way that you presented it to us was something we had never seen before, and your seasonings really topped it off.

It was a very good bite of a sandwich.

Thank y'all.

I had fun making it.

Coby, voice-over: I'm super proud I got a win in the finale, but I do have to compete and complete this next round.

One screw-up could just cost me the competition.

Please join me in thanking our very special guest judge--Jake Cohen.

Whoo!

Whoo!

[Applause] Thank you.

Cohen: It was truly an honor to taste all of your cooking today.

I'm rooting for all of you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Congratulations, Coby.

Amazing round, everyone.

We can't wait to see your final dishes in the last round that will determine who will be named the winner of "The Great American Recipe."

Whoo!

Ha ha ha!

Ramos: This is it.

Today we're giving you 3 hours to prepare a meal you consider to be your great American recipe, so you'll need to make an entree, a side dish, and a dessert, and we thought you might need a little help.

Rex, your wife Bernadette is here.

What?

Ha ha ha!

What?

I missed you.

Wow.

I can't believe it.

It's Bernadette.

My motivation to win has grown because she's here.

Wow.

Wow.

All right, Coby.

Your wife Toni is here.

[Applause] Ha ha ha!

Coby, voice-over: I'm excited to see Toni.

She's super special to me, but I feel like we're a little bit of yin and yang.

We're not always the best, most compatible in the kitchen.

[Laughter] We do both cook with love.

[Laughter] All right, Waigal.

Joining us is your sister Zakia!

[Cheering and applause] Waigal, voice-over: I'm so shocked that my sister Zakia's here, and I'm just excited because I get to boss her around for once because she's always bossing me around.

Ramos: Finalists, you have your loved ones here to act as your sous chef and, as always, Tiffany, Tim, and Francis will be judging your dishes based on taste, presentation, execution, and our final theme, which is to present your great American recipe.

At the end of this round, the judges will consider your finale dishes and name one of you the winner!

[Cheering and applause] Good luck to all of you.

Your final round starts now!

[Cheering and applause] This way.

Ha ha ha!

Got your apron.

Here you go.

I know.

You're gonna need this.

Here we go.

Teamwork?

Yes.

All right.

Let's go.

All right, judges, so this is it, the big finale.

What do you want to see in this big feast?

What I'm excited to see is that their personalities are gonna come out even more because now they have somebody that they're, you know, really close to... Yeah.

and I think the stakes are really, really high.

There's a lot of emotions going on.

Lam: For sure.

Derry: But really what we're looking for is properly done techniques because one mistake could be the difference between you becoming "The Great American Recipe" winner and not.

Ramos: Going home with a lot of love.

Ha ha ha!

Oh, I got some bacon pieces, got some extra bacon.

What else you need?

Uh, OK. What pot for the bacon?

Coby, voice-over: For my final round, I'm making cornbread stuffed chicken topped with an andouille cream sauce served over grits with coleslaw and Millie's potatoes.

You don't want to cut that?

Uh-uh.

Coby, voice-over: And dessert will be firehouse cobbler.

OK.

I'll call you if I need you.

Good?

Awesome.

Coby, voice-over: I'm having Toni work on Millie's potatoes because she makes my grandmother's potatoes the best.

It's more like a twice-baked potato with bacon pieces, but the secret is to boil the potatoes with the skin, and then you peel them.

Want to make a coleslaw.

This is my great American recipe because this is Coby on a plate.

I've learned so many different dishes that has made me the Cajun cook that I am.

Beautiful.

Coby, voice-over: Being here telling my story has brought me even closer to my family, to Louisiana, to the Cajun people.

How are you looking over there?

Just waiting on the bacon to start browning.

OK. We do our own thing.

We're both very strong-willed people, and so the fact that we have separate stations, perfect.

[Laughter] Me and Toni have been married for 29 years, but she has her way of cooking, and I have my way of cooking.

Toni...

Yes?

how do you like cooking with your husband here?

Do I have to answer honestly?

I already know where this is going.

[Laughter] Who is the better cook?

It's situational, right?

Aww... Hey!

It's almost like y'all knew us already.

My grandmother actually passed that recipe down to Toni, so having the master here with me, I think, is even easier for me to do.

I'm the master of the chicken.

She's kind of the master of the potatoes.

We come together as one, make a fantastic dish for everyone.

Coby, voice-over: For the coleslaw, I season it with Cajun seasoning.

OK.

I add a little bit of mayo, and I get to stirring.

The pressure is already kind of starting to mount, even though I have a little help.

I've been doing well, won the last round, so I want to continue that.

You did that pretty quickly.

Yeah.

I got to get that cornbread and that chicken going.

[Sizzling] Waigal, where's the peeler thingy?

In your drawer.

Sometimes you forget how bad you are at cooking until you really have to do it.

Ooh.

Waigal, voice-over: For my final round, I'm gonna prepare qabeli palow, which is a rice pilaf with veal shank alongside borani bademjan, which is braised eggplant in a tomato-based sauce.

For dessert, I'll be making a classic Afghan milk custard called firnee with kataifi dough and pistachio paste.

Zakia: Is this one too thick?

Yeah.

Careful with your fingers.

We haven't cooked together much, so this is such an interesting experience.

I love it.

For the qabeli palow, the first thing you want to do is brown the veal shank with some spices and onions.

I need to get it in the pressure cooker as soon as possible.

If we're gonna have dinner today and it'd be our last supper, this needs to be it.

This is my great American dish because it's been passed down to me from my mother, and being given the opportunity to showcase my Afghan American heritage has been a beautiful experience because, no matter where you go, you can prepare things that make you feel connected to your roots.

Zakia: It smells great.

It's actually better every time he makes it, so I'm excited.

Waigal, voice-over: Winning on "The Great American Recipe" would mean so much to me, and my only hope is that any Afghan American watching this can just share the beauty of our culture with whoever is around them.

Zakia: He loves his culture so much, and Afghan food, once you try it, will be one of your favorite types of food.

All right.

I think it's good.

Rex: So I want you to cut that and then just peel it first, OK?

OK. Gotcha.

For this final round, I'm making chicken inasal and garlic rice with a side dish of atchara, or pickled green papaya.

Shouldn't be this hard to peel a papaya.

Rex, voice-over: And my dessert will be halo-halo.

So Bernadette's working on the atchara right now.

I'm doing the marinade for the chicken.

Chicken inasal is basically a Filipino version of our grilled chicken here in the States...

There you go.

using garlic, lemongrass, green onions, pineapple juice, and add mesquite powder, so it adds, like, a smoky flavor to the dish.

This is my great American recipe because everybody in America loves grilled chicken, but at the same time, I'm still bringing in my Filipino flavors, you know.

It's really good.

My family in the Philippines would be proud of me winning the whole competition, but my goal is just to show the world that Filipino cuisine rocks.

Ha ha ha ha!

Derry: So Rex looks like he is sous-viding chicken, which is such a... Ramos: Ooh.

advanced technique.

I'm impressed.

Rex: Hope there's no leak.

Hollingsworth: So you're cooking it inside of a bag, vacuum-sealing to infuse flavor, and then you're able to cook in a water bath at a very gentle temperature so that the chicken is juicy.

Lam: Yeah, definitely, and I think of the 3 finalists, Rex is the one who has done the most in terms of having a really composed dish, but also his ability to accomplish multiple items in a cook.

I think back to the steamed rice cake he made.

Derry: The rice cake is delicious.

It's still creamy.

It's soft.

You can taste the coconut in it, It's just a little sweetness.

Yeah.

I will never forget this.

Oh, thank you so much.

Lam: And then the rice noodles, the pancit, but also, he decided to make the spring rolls.

The rice noodle has so much flavor.

The spring roll itself, the mixture inside is a delicious mixture.

Ramos: I mean, mine's gone.

Ha ha ha ha!

Lam: That part of this is not new to him, him having to make multiple items... Derry: Sure.

so with the added time, I want to see him really lock in and make sure everything is perfect.

Yeah.

Bernadette: Babe, do I have to finish all of this papaya?

Rex: Uh, let me see.

At home, he normally would kick me out of the kitchen, but I don't want him to kick me out today.

Ha ha ha!

Rex, voice-over: I'm glad Bernadette came because she's always been very supportive... Oh, I'm sorry.

Ha ha!

Ow!

I'm sorry.

Rex, voice-over: but honestly, she can't cook.

Ha ha ha!

I'm sorry.

Rex, voice-over: Regardless, I'm just glad to share this experience with her.

Hey, you're doing great.

You're doing great.

Bernadette: OK. Let me take my time.

Ramos: Two hours left, folks!

Two hours.

Whoo!

All right, all right.

I'll get started on this cornbread.

How we looking on the potatoes, Toni?

Doing good, babe.

Good.

I got coleslaw done already.

I believe in you, babe.

Thank you.

Coby, voice-over: The next thing I need to get done is my cornbread and stuffed chicken with an andouille cream sauce.

The first thing I do is I get my chicken thighs and I beat 'em out so that they're a little thinner.

Next, I have Toni take that sausage out of the casing for me so I can get that brown so that I can start on this stuffing... And let's get this stuffed up.

Coby, voice-over: and then we stuff this chicken so that we can get him in the oven as fast as possible.

You can give me a little bit more on this one.

No, you're just right, actually, good job.

Then just do this.

Perfect.

For my qabeli palow, I have my veal shank and spices and onions all browned.

I'm gonna add it to the pressure cooker.

OK. What should I do next, Waigal?

We can go ahead and start preparing the borani sauce.

Hollingsworth: So Waigal is cooking a veal shank with rice, and we've seen a lot of great dishes from Waigal.

We've always loved the flavors that he's presented.

They're always bright, but I'm more concerned with technique.

Derry: Yeah.

As long as that veal is tender, I think he'll be in a very, very good spot.

And shank is one of those cuts where it is a lot of connective tissue, but also very lean meat.

Mm-hmm.

You want to break down so it's nice and silky and smooth and luxurious.

Ramos: Yes.

It's always gonna be a little bit tricky.

Pressure's on.

Yep.

Waigal: How are you feeling, Zakia?

I think we're doing amazing.

We really are.

Ha!

Just give me how much you need.

That's good.

Rex, voice-over: So, while my chicken is in the sous vide, me and Bernadette are working this side of atchara, or pickled papaya, so first, we need to boil vinegar and sugar, garlic, peppercorn, and ginger... OK.

Smells good.

and then we're gonna drop onions, carrots, bell peppers, green papaya, and then we're gonna add raisins.

While the atchara is cooling down, I'm gonna remove the chicken inasal from the sous vide bath so I can grill the chicken... Whoo!

and hopefully get that grill-like texture and flavor.

Gonna baste this.

This is a rendered chicken fat and some achuete powder in it.

Rex, voice-over: Achuete is a mild pepper flavor, but at the same time, it also brings out this orange color.

Hey, Rex.

Hey, Francis.

Tell me about your inspiration.

So, when I was a child, we always go to this restaurant and have chicken inasal.

Oh, I love that.

What would it mean to win today with this meal?

Oh, it would mean the world to me.

Rex, voice-over: This chicken inasal meal brings up memories we have with my mom, so I know that she'll be proud of me.

So you're feeling confident, you're feeling good?

I'm worried about the doneness of the chicken.

The only thing I wonder is if--we want the skin to be rendered and crisp, so when you're grilling it, you got to move it a lot 'cause those chicken legs are round, so keep getting the color you want.

Yes, yes, we got the grill mark we want And then get the chicken in there to roast?

Yeah, so it looks like we're hopefully getting there.

All right.

Good luck to you.

Thank you so much, Francis, thank you.

Ramos: One hour left, folks!

How's that feel?

Scary.

Come down to the wire again.

Shocked.

Ha ha ha!

I don't know if this pot's gonna be big enough.

Coby, voice-over: For the stuffed chicken, that's gonna get topped off with andouille cream sauce.

I use some smoked sausage, I cook that with the onions, I get my bell peppers.

Just get that browned and then we'll transfer it to a bigger one.

OK.

I'm gonna get working on the dessert.

I'm making a firehouse cobbler.

It's been an old recipe.

It's super sweet, it's good.

Basically, just put some blueberries down in the bottom.

Cake's on top, cover it with butter, let that crust kind of brown good, get that good, buttery flavor along with that sweet, and I love it.

Coby, voice-over: I need to be able to pull off something fantastic with my cobbler because I struggled in the competition with my bread pudding... Lam: There's a lot of sweetness, and I would love a little fresh pineapple to give it another dimension.

Gotcha.

so I want to knock down that sweetness a little bit.

It's not fancy or extravagant, but it's extremely tasteful.

I hope it carries me through.

Derry: Coby!

Coby: Hey, chef.

So you're thinking bold flavors right now.

Definitely the thing that's been working for you.

Absolutely.

Chicken's in the oven, but when they come out, I sauce 'em immediately.

Yup, and then you'll put something on top for garnish?

Oh, I got some greens, some pretty garnish.

Ha ha ha ha!

Very nice.

What about dessert?

We call it a firehouse cobbler.

What's the fruit?

Blueberry.

Blueberry?

Like, my bread pudding was sweet, so I did put a little bit of lemon on it to kind of... OK. knock a little bit of that sweetness down.

I like that.

OK.

I learned that here.

But you want to make sure your food feels in some way elevated through presentation... OK. so really think about how you want to plate that.

All right, I'm gonna let you finish cooking.

Yes, ma'am.

Good luck with everything.

Thank you.

Hope you enjoy it.

45 minutes left.

Zakia: Oh, boy.

What should I do next, Waigal?

We're just gonna layer this with the sauce.

The next thing I have got to get started is my borani bademjan.

I go ahead and layer the fried eggplant in the cardamom tomato sauce because adding that caramelization really elevates the dish.

Zakia: So put a layer of this in the pan... Yeah.

Exactly.

and then the eggplant?

Ramos: Waigal, how does it feel cooking with your sister here?

I'm having fun with it, and I just hope she's having fun.

I'm having a lot of fun.

Ramos: What are you working on?

Waigal: The components of my dessert.

Ramos: What are you making?

I'm making firnee.

It's an Afghan custard.

It's scented with cardamom and a bit of rosewater.

Amazing!

Waigal, voice-over: I go ahead and heat my half and half in milk and a bit of heavy cream, and then I add sugar, condensed milk, and let that come to a boil.

Waigal, how you doing?

Hello.

Good.

I'm gonna be giving this dish a twist by using kataifi dough and pistachio paste.

It's really just turned it a bit crunchy and it's gonna add a lot of texture.

It's gonna give amazing texture, right?

Yeah.

Right?

And it's very luxurious as usual, and my veal shank's going in the pressure cooker for my rice pilaf, and then can add the veal shanks to the rice and bake it off, top it with julienned carrots and raisins.

Oh, beautiful.

Yes.

Obviously, you must think this is a winning meal.

For me, it is.

This is a recipe that's been passed down from my mom.

I hope you guys like it as much as we do.

Well, I love veal shanks.

My advice to you is if you need to pivot and cook it longer... OK. don't be afraid to turn it back on...

Right.

give it a few more minutes.

That's gonna give the rice a flavor as well, right?

Yes.

Waigal, voice-over: Tim's feedback keeps me motivated throughout the competition.

Hollingsworth: You have all of these great spices, but I do wish that the meat had a little bit more caramelization on it.

It's cooked well, but just a little bit more char would be great.

Totally.

Thank you.

Waigal, voice-over: And I want the veal shank to be perfectly tender because it's my last chance to impress the judges.

Bernadette: What's next, babe?

Rex: We're gonna do the halo-halo stuff.

OK. Ramos: So Rex is making halo-halo.

Derry: Oh!

Ooh!

Lam: Yes, yes.

Ooh, ooh!

That's one of my faves.

Ooh, me, too!

Ha ha ha!

But we need to make fresh ice cream.

I'm gonna make the fresh flan, OK?

Oh, wow, would we have enough time for that?

Uh, we should have enough time.

Go big or go home.

Lam: "Halo-halo" in Tagalog means "mix, mix," and it's a shaved ice drizzled with condensed milk, and then just whatever.

Yes!

Canned fruit, jellies, beans, flan, a scoop of ice cream.

It's awesome.

Rex: I'm doing my flan right now, I'm caramelizing the sugar.

I'm using this llanera.

So the secret with the flan, I'm gonna do the custard.

You don't want to be in a hurry whisking it.

So while I'm making the flan, Bernadette's building up these beautiful layers and other flavors of the halo-halo with some red monggo beans, strips of coconut meat, tapioca pearls, jackfruit, ube jam, fresh mango.

So we're gonna steam this.

Rex, voice-over: And then, while we have our flan steaming, I have to make my ice cream.

So I'm gonna add a little bit of a ube.

This will be a topping on the halo-halo later on.

Lam: Ube is interesting because it's similar to a potato, but it's also naturally sweet, and it's used in desserts.

Uh-oh.

Uh-oh!

Oh!

How we doing, Rex?

I'm making a mess.

Sorry.

Hey, I make mess all the time.

[Rex snickers] It's all right.

Rex, voice-over: So freezing my ice cream, I'm gonna pour the mixture on a plastic bag, and then I'm gonna put that on another plastic bag with ice and ice cream salt.

And then you're just gonna shake it all up.

Hey, a little workout, huh, Bernadette?

Ha ha!

Yeah, I don't know if I signed up for this.

Just swish around.

Come on.

You're just making her shake it!

Ha ha ha ha!

Rex, voice-over: My dessert is very complicated, but I believe that my halo-halo can stand out and hopefully could help me to win this competition.

Like that?

Yep, yep, yep, yep.

15 minutes left.

Wow!

Hurry up, hurry up.

Waigal, voice-over: My grandmother will be turning in her grave if my rice doesn't turn out right.

Now there's even more pressure.

Hollingsworth: Waigal, how's that veal shank?

My veal shanks are completely tender.

Ramos: I am so excited to try all these flavors.

Wow.

Waigal, voice-over: Now I'm gonna go ahead and mix it with the drained rice and put it in the oven to bake.

Yes!

10 minutes, everyone!

Toni, Bernadette, how you feeling?

We're doing well over here.

Doing good so far.

Zakia, how's it going?

It's going!

Ramos: This is their absolute, final, last chance to impress you.

They need to pull it out now.

Derry: Yeah.

Make sure this, uh, this don't dry out.

Coby, voice-over: I feel great.

All my dishes taste absolutely phenomenal, so hopefully I get the win.

I want my plate ugly.

Derry: There's 3 minutes left!

Whoo hoo!

OK. Got it, got it.

Coby: How we looking, man?

How we looking?

Toni: I don't know.

You tell me.

I like it.

You're good.

Make sure you have all the finishing touches.

Derry: You got it, Rex.

Steady hands.

Steady hands.

Take it out, set it on top.

I'm so proud of you.

This is amazing.

Waigal, voice-over: My dishes look beautiful and presented what my mom has taught me, and I hope that that's enough that I could be the winner.

Toni: Where does this go?

Coby: Just on top.

On top of what?

On top.

On top of the chicken.

On top of the chicken.

One minute!

The final minute, folks!

Is everything on that dessert?

Ice cream, babe.

Ice cream, babe, please.

Rex: Go on this side!

Bernadette: Where?

Derry: Ice cream in the freezer!

Ice cream in the freezer!

Ramos: 10!

9!

8!

7!

6!

Ramos and judges: 5!

4!

3!

2!

1!

Ramos: Time's up!

[Applause] Zakia: Gosh!

[Laughter] Ha ha!

We did it.

Ha!

[Kiss] Ramos: Finalists, you had 3 hours to prepare your great American recipe.

These dishes look incredible.

Hollingsworth: Wow.

Lam: Yeah, they sure do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ramos: Coby, tell us what you made for us.

Coby: Today, I made a chicken with cornbread stuffing with an andouille cream sauce and a coleslaw with my grandmother's potatoes, so I hope you all enjoy.

Waigal: This is delicious.

The stuffing is so well-seasoned.

Rex: Your flavors all come through.

Very tasty.

Waigal: Good.

So good.

How can I add my Afghan pizzazz to this?

[Laughter] Waigal: But it's amazing as is.

Heh heh!

Hollingsworth: You know, Coby, a lot of the stuff that you've made before has kind of been like, sort of these one-pot, lot of browning, and this, to me, I really like it.

Thank you, Chef.

The technique of rolling and wrapping the chicken, and the fact that you put all of these flavors in there-- smoked sausage, cornbread stuffing--all of these things tying in together, I think you should be proud of the execution you did on it, and if this is Coby on a plate, I'm glad to meet you.

Coby on a plate.

All right.

Ha ha ha ha!

Derry: Coby, this chicken is really cooked nice, and Millie's potatoes are excellent.

They are buttery, but not in a heavy way, and I love there's a lot of bacon.

Thank you.

Your wife did good.

[Laughter] Every part on the plate sings, but I do think you could have put a little more flavor in your coleslaw.

OK. Lam: Yeah, I agree.

Even something like cucumber... OK. something like that, like something that gives you a juiciness, a freshness.

But the andouille cream sauce, the smokiness is so tasty, and this is not a dish that really relies on browning for flavor, but I love how you're showing us that you are, like, intentionally trying to move out of your comfort zone, even here in the finale.

Thank you, Chef.

Ramos: Waigal.

Today I prepared qabeli palow and borani bademjan.

Qabeli palow is the national dish of Afghanistan.

It is a rice pilaf with veal shank, and the borani bademjan is braised eggplant in a tomato-based sauce.

Hollingsworth: It's beautiful.

Coby: Waigal, I like the raisins with the rice.

Yeah.

And the gravy all together.

Rex: Your sister did well on the eggplant.

Waigal: Heh heh heh!

Lam: Waigal, this is so delicious because it is so sumptuous.

The veal shank, I thought you did a very nice job with that, and I love how it flavors the rice, but I do miss a little bit of the acid that you are so known for because there's a lot of richness on the plate.

Hollingsworth: I agree.

The veal goes so well with the eggplant.

It's delicious.

Thank you so much.

Derry: Yeah, in fact, my favorite thing on the plate is the eggplant.

This just melts in your mouth.

I thought the veal was tender, but I wouldn't mind having a little bit more spices just to kind of wake it up just a little, but I love the eggplant.

Thank you.

Ramos: Rex, tell us what you made for us.

Today I made a chicken inasal with garlic rice, and I also have atchara.

It's a pickled green papaya.

We always eat this with our hands.

Derry: All right!

Ramos: Yeah.

Waigal: The tanginess of that sauce with the chicken, it's phenomenal.

Very good, Rex.

Oh, thank you.

Hollingsworth: Well, Rex, I'm trying to think about all the different techniques that you used on this chicken, but it pulls right off the bone.

I think it's cooked very well.

The one thing I would say is I really do wish that it was grilled over charcoal... Rex: Charcoal.

Yes.

you know, and how that would actually change a little bit the texture of the skin.

I wish I had a little bit more live fire to it.

[All chuckle] Lam: Yeah, I agree.

Maybe a hotter oven could have helped render that skin out a little bit more, but to me, one of the stars of this is the atchara, the pickled papaya, which brings acid to it and a fresh crunch.

Very, very tasty.

Thank you.

Derry: I agree.

You could have been concentrating on the chicken skin a little bit more, but I think you had a lot going on, right?

But I think that you did a very good job of bringing this plate together.

Thank you.

Ramos: Well done, everyone.

Now, what do you say we bring in your sous chefs and loved ones to enjoy dessert with us?

Sounds like a sweet treat to me.

Ramos: All right, loved ones.

Thank you for joining us.

It's our pleasure.

Thank you for having us.

Hollingsworth: Great to have you.

OK, Rex.

So today I've made halo-halo.

Coby: Rex, what's the little crispy things?

Oh, that is a toasted young coconut.

Coby: That's fantastic.

Rex: Oh, thank you.

Waigal: Wow.

Zakia: Really good.

Rex: Thank you.

Hollingsworth: Wow.

Lam: When we heard that you were preparing halo-halo, I looked over at Tiffany and she was like, "Ooh!

Ooh!

Ooh!"

[Laughter] Lam: So now that we're eating it, it is definitely a party in a glass, from the shaved ice, this creamy, creamy ice cream, and the ube flavor, it's like a very sort of mild vanilla kind of flavor.

Derry: Yeah, every bite is different and it's, like, choose your own adventure, and the flan gives you another note.

It was perfect for this dish.

Hollingsworth: Yeah, Rex, I have to agree.

There's a lot of crunch, there's a lot of chewiness, sweetness, bitterness.

If I had to say anything, and I don't know if it's classically served in this tall of a glass or not, but, you know, I have to get all down and in there.

Um, I don't know.

It's a great dish.

He don't want to mess up his fingers.

[Laughter] Ramos: Thank you so much, Rex.

Rex: Thank you so much.

Ramos: And Bernadette.

Thank you.

Glad you guys liked it.

Toni: It was delicious.

Ramos: All right, Coby.

Coby: So today I made a firehouse cobbler.

This is one of the things that they passed down through the fire department.

I mean, look at you garnishing.

Rex: I know!

You got the citrus, the blueberries, the mint.

Lam: Coby, to me, the surprise is on top.

There was a chewy and crispy at the same time, and I was like, "Oh, that is good!"

and I really appreciate the blueberries and lemon 'cause they are quite sour, and like you said, it is very sweet.

Thank you, Chef.

Hollingsworth: It's very delicious.

The consistency that the blueberry has pairs well with that sort of cakey-ness.

Glad you all enjoyed.

Derry: Yeah, it's so good.

I do think one more element would have taken this, like, "Yes!"

Even just whipped cream would have been nice.

Coby: Thank you.

Ramos: All right.

Waigal.

I prepared firnee with a layer of kataifi and pistachio paste.

Rex: All you can say is, "Wow!"

[Laughter] Zakia: It's really good.

Waigal: Thank you.

Texture's just so beautiful and it pairs so well with the kataifi and the pistachio paste.

If I were to say any sort of critiques at all, as you're filling it up, maybe pushing it down with a spoon and creating a perfect layer and then putting the pudding on top, but ultimately, it's so delicious.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Derry: I love that it's not too sweet.

There is, like, savory notes with, like, the milk custard.

All of that is truly a party in your mouth and so good.

Waigal: Thank you.

Lam: Yeah, I agree, and I would have thought that if you put this custard on top, it would make it soggy, but it's, like, crispy, crunchy, and I love pistachio, so this is a beautiful, beautiful dessert.

Thank you.

Waigal: Thank you.

Ramos: Cooks, please give us a moment to discuss, and we'll bring you back in when we're ready to announce the winner.

Thank you.

[Birds chirping] Ramos: Judges, now is the toughest part of your job.

Let's talk about Waigal.

Derry: I thought the veal was tender, but I think he wasn't heavy-handed with the spices, and it wasn't seasoned like I would expect.

Lam: Yeah, I just wish he had made, like, lemon, cucumber... Yeah, cucumber, tomato, dried-- That freshness would have perked the whole thing up.

Derry: Sure, but the eggplant was my favorite bite.

It was so luscious.

Hollingsworth: With the spice, I think that brought out a really nice flavor.

Lam: Delicious.

Ramos: Waigal's dessert was a firnee with pistachio kataifi.

The balance that he had between the cardamom, custard, and the pistachio paste that he had in the kataifi was delicious.

Lam: My glass was a--almost, like, a whole spoonful of pistachio paste, which I love.

Derry: That wasn't my bite at all.

Ramos: Yeah.

Lam: Yeah, so I think there was an inconsistency in the filling.

There was, for sure, in the filling a bit, yeah.

Derry: Oh, you could see it?

Hollingsworth: I could see it.

Yeah.

Little things, you know?

Ramos: Waigal's dishes were equal parts delicious and visually stunning, not to mention consistently hitting the top marks throughout the competition with his Waigal twist.

Hollingsworth: Yeah.

Lam: Yeah.

That was great.

All right.

So let's talk about Rex.

What did you think about the chicken?

Lam: I thought the flavor was really nice, and I thought the dish, as a whole, I found really satisfying, but the skin was a little bit on the chewy side.

Derry: I do think the least successful part of the dish was the chicken.

I mean, he was trying, but it didn't do what it needed to do.

Yeah, I agree.

I think, to me, the papaya salad gave you the acidity and that brightness that you want.

Lot of textures, lot of flavor.

He did a good job.

Yeah.

So let's talk about Rex's dessert.

What did you think about the halo-halo?

He made a leche flan, he made the ice cream, and then all those different components made the dessert a standout.

Yeah, it was one of the most intricate desserts we had today, for sure.

Derry: But one thing we've continued to talk to Rex about is time management, and essentially doing too much.

Lam: Yeah, the attention, the detail may have hurt him a little with the chicken, but it made the dessert a standout.

Hollingsworth: Yeah.

Ramos: Let's talk about Coby.

Derry: I thought the chicken was really well-cooked.

The cornbread dressing inside had lots of flavor.

Millie's potatoes were also really nice with the bacon-y flavor, but the slaw was just cabbage and some mayo, but, like, maybe thinking about adding something else to it to give it a little bit more life.

Yeah.

Coby's meal was super-tasty, and he really was applying things that he had seen along the way through this whole competition.

Hollingsworth: Yeah, he's trying to share the learning that he's received not only from us, but from his fellow cooks.

Derry: Yeah.

Ramos: Let's move on to Coby's blueberry cobbler.

I think the nuttiness that you got from the butter, the little crunchiness was delicious.

Lam: But I would have loved to have seen whipped cream.

Something to give you a little bit of a break.

Derry: I felt like he needed lemon zest...

Yes.

and not just the juice that he used.

It does show that he has been listening and learning, though.

Derry and Lam: Yep.

Ramos: These were all incredibly strong meals.

Derry: Yeah.

I thought all of them really deserved to win.

True, but it sounds like you've come to your decision on who is the winner of "The Great American Recipe."

Hollingsworth: Yeah, I think so.

Ramos: All right, let's bring back the home cooks and announce your decision.

Hollingsworth: Let's do it.

Derry: All right.

Lam: Let's do it.

[Birds chirping] Ramos: Thank you, home cooks, for all the recipes and stories you've shared with us along this journey, and especially for the beautiful dishes you plated in the final round.

Hollingsworth: This final round of cooking really showed all of your personalities.

Honestly, it is very, very clear why the three of you are standing here today.

Lam: And we absolutely cannot forget your sous chefs today.

Ramos: Yay!

[Applause] Derry: After much consideration for all your dishes tonight, we have made our final decision.

This home cook stayed true to who they are, through every last one of their dishes that truly represented the heart of their cooking and their great American recipe.

Take a deep breath and soak in this moment.

Rex, voice-over: This experience was like a dream that I don't want to wake up.

I have learned a lot from the judges, but my goal was show the world the beauty of what Filipino cuisine is, and I feel like I've accomplished my goal.

My mom is always my guardian angel, and I believe she's really proud of me right now.

Coby, voice-over: I've learned so much, and I represented Louisiana, I represented the Cajuns, and I think everybody back home is gonna be extremely proud of me.

And if I win, I'll be over the moon because I know I stayed true to who I am.

Waigal, voice-over: Throughout this journey, I've shared so much of myself, my identity, and my Afghan culture just through food, and I am so honored, but it's just been a beautiful, blessed opportunity.

The home cook with the most successful recipes and the winner of "The Great American Recipe" is... Coby!

[Cheering] Ramos: Ha ha ha!

[Applause] Oh!

Amazing!

Coby, voice-over: I don't even believe it.

I'm super proud.

I'm glad I did it for my family.

I'm glad I won it for Louisiana.

I'm glad I won it for the Cajuns.

I love you, Louisiana!

[Cheering] Coby, voice-over: And when I get back, I want to celebrate with all my people.

Not just my family, but my whole Cajun family.

Ramos: How are you feeling right now?

Coby: Oh, my God.

I'm all over the place.

[Laughter] And now, you are officially the winner of season 4 of "The Great American Recipe."

Congratulations!

[Cheering] The Cajun King has won, and I'm so happy he did 'cause I know he's been through so much and he's such an amazing home cook.

Rex, voice-over: I'm really happy for Coby.

He's got a big heart, he loves his community, he's passionate in his cooking, and he deserves to win this competition.

Derry: Honestly, because of how y'all cooked, people will experience your culture and your cuisine for the first time, and so now you're introducing the world to your food, and I think that that right there, it's just pretty special.

Ramos: So exciting, yeah.

Coby, voice-over: This experience was really once in a lifetime because I tell everybody that I was put on this earth to be a firefighter, but now, I think I could leave my mark as being a great Cajun cook.

[Speaking Cajun French] Coby: The Cajuns!

[Applause] [Pen scratches]