The Great American Recipe

Alejandra Ramos: This season on "The Great American Recipe," over the last 7 weeks of competition, our home cooks from regions across the country have celebrated American home cooking...

These are alder planks.

As an Indigenous person from the Pacific Northwest, we grill all of our salmon over alder.

Alejandra: crafting their most cherished recipes... Khela: My grandmother had this amazing garden, and this is kind of an ode to her.

Alejandra: and sharing the stories that inspired each memorable dish.

Relle: That's a big thing for me is to be able to educate people on what Hawaiian food truly is, and I want my children to know where they come from and be proud of who they are.

Ted: For me coming into this, I knew there'd be, like, a culinary journey, but the bond that we've all had together has made it really into that extended family.

Abbe: Are you sure you're not Jewish?

Ha ha ha!

Alejandra: Now we are down to the final 3--Leanna... Leanna, voice-over: Everything that I know started with food started with my family's Bajan heritage.

If I cook for you, it's because I care about you.

Alejandra: Brad... Brad, voice-over: There's basically zero representation of Libyan Jews in the United States, so to have my recipes featured, it's a great way to show the world how beautiful our culture and our food is.

Alejandra: and Salmah.

Salmah, voice-over: I represent first-generation Guyanese Americans.

I feel that my food really speaks to who I am as a person.

It intertwines with my culture and my faith.

Food is my love language.

Alejandra: And for one of these home cooks, claiming the title as the winner of "The Great American Recipe" is just two rounds away.

[Indistinct chatter] Alejandra: Welcome, home cooks, or, shall I say, welcome, finalists.

[Laughter] I know we all are so proud to see you make it this far.

For the last time, here are our wonderful judges Tiffany Derry and Leah Cohen.

Hello.

Unfortunately, Judge Graham Elliot is still feeling under the weather, but hopefully, he'll be back with us later today.

When I look out at each of you, I'm reminded of so many of your delicious recipes that reflect the diversity and creativity of American home cooking.

It's been an honor and a pleasure to taste each of your dishes and share in the stories that have made you into the home cook you are today.

Last week's theme was about the recipes that remind you of your closest friendships, and now we're just two rounds away from naming one of you the winner of the "The Great American Recipe."

That special home cook will have one of their recipes featured on the cover of "The Great American Recipe Cookbook."

Leanna: Let's do it.

Salmah, voice-over: I want to win "The Great American Recipe" because I do represent an entire generation.

I represent first generation Guyanese Americans, and to be here having this platform to say that I'm a home cook and I made it this far, it's an amazing opportunity.

Alejandra: All right.

Let's talk about your first big finale round.

Leah: This has been quite a journey, and while we've enjoyed every moment with each of you, we know it must be tough being away from your closest family and friends.

Tiffany: So for this first round, we're bringing a little bit of home to you.

At each of your stations, you'll find a letter addressed to you.

Leanna, voice-over: Immediately, like, my throat catches because I recognize my father's handwriting.

"You have elevated the dishes of your grandparents and mom "to a new level.

"We are proud of your accomplishments, "kind heart, and service to others.

"Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica, and making this dish would make us proud."

Salmah, voice-over: My mom has written a letter to me.

"Just the thought of you making baigan choka "brings me back to your childhood days "in our gallery kitchen in Richmond Hill, "Queens, New York.

"You're an amazing daughter, and we all love you.

With God's blessings, Mom."

Brad: I got a letter from my mom.

"Brad, my kitchen is not the same without you.

Yes, indeed, it's much cleaner."

[Laughter] "Growing up, traditional matzah ball soup "has been an integral part of our menu.

"I'm sure you will prepare it with love "and include all of our secret ingredients.

Love, kisses, and matzah balls, Mom and family."

Alejandra: As you can see in your letters, each of your loved ones included one of your most cherished recipes, so for your last round before that final cook, you'll have 60 minutes to prepare that recipe for us.

The recipes from your loved ones will be judged on taste, presentation, and execution.

At the end of this round, the judges will select their favorite dish.

Your 60 minutes starts now!

All right, girl.

You don't need peppers right now.

Put those away.

Alejandra: So we've given the cooks 60 minutes to cook a dish that was requested by a loved one in these letters that they sent them.

Tiffany: I thought the letters were so touching and moving.

There was a moment where I felt like my cheeks were burning because I was smiling so hard.

Yeah.

I think the letters that they got-- I know if it were me it would make me want to do that much better.

Let's get that on, and let's get some cod in the water ASAP.

Alejandra: Leanna was obviously very moved by the letter, but I think even more than the recipe itself, it's that message of love and support from home.

I'm real excited to experience that in that plate.

In you go.

Leanna, voice-over: I'm so happy to be here.

I'm like, girl, you made it to the finale.

I presented the judges with Bajan recipes like fish cakes and cou-cou and snapper, and they were successful.

The best part of this whole dish to me is this sauce that should be bottled.

Leanna, voice-over: This round is no different.

It never hurts to have a little extra.

So the recipe for Letter From Home, I'm making ackee and saltfish.

Saltfish is dried, salted cod.

This is something that's important to me, you know.

This is the perfect dish to represent my Caribbean roots.

This is what home tastes like.

Ackee is actually a fruit.

It originated in West Africa and was brought to the Caribbean.

It's like a orangish kind of red color.

It's actually related to lychee.

To make ackee and saltfish, you need onion, tomato, a little bit of scallions, and a Scotch bonnet pepper.

Hoo!

Love the smell of Scotch bonnet pepper.

I know that's weird, but I do.

I have no doubt that ackee and saltfish is a dish that can compete in this finale.

It is the national dish of Jamaica, and when you think of a country's national dish, you think of the best of the best.

You know, we have this saying in the Caribbean "Out of many, we are one," and so even though this isn't a Bajan dish, I think it speaks to how all throughout the Caribbean, we use very similar ingredients and create things that are amazingly beautiful.

So I feel good.

I'm ready to just do my thing.

It's any of ours to win, and so if I want to come out on top, I'm gonna have to really just do what I do at the peak performance.

They're not going down without a fight.

I know that for a fact.

So Brad's mom and family requested that he make matzah ball soup.

I am interested to see how Brad does his own spin on it.

In the letter, Brad's mom said, "And use our secrets," or something about the secrets, so I'm excited to see what those secrets may be.

Brad, voice-over: I'm here to represent not just myself.

I'm here to represent, like, my family, and for us, there is nothing more warming and loving than matzah ball soup.

The broth itself has carrots, onions, garlic, chicken, parsley, dill, but elevated just a little bit more.

I like to add a little bit of turmeric and a little bit of saffron.

That's kind of my little secret weapon.

The saffron and the turmeric adds a beautiful color.

Getting the letter from my mom firstly was very unexpected, very touching.

We've been gone from home for so long, and I don't think it really necessarily registered kind of how much I miss home and especially my mom.

She's always been such a support.

There definitely is, like, a little bit of a challenge, like, being gay and also embracing a Sephardic traditional style of Judaism, which is more or less, like, pretty closed-minded, but I have my mom, who's so much the opposite.

My mom's always there to act as a loving force that whether she agrees or doesn't agree, whatever she thinks, like, she puts her feelings aside and just makes sure that, like, all her kids know that no matter what we're loved and supported and it's all gonna be OK.

I'm up against Salmah and Leanna, who are, like, ridiculously amazing cooks and amazing people, but at the same time, I definitely came here with a story to tell.

I really want to represent a heritage of Sephardic Jewish cuisine, and I did that with my baharat seasoned chicken thighs, my schnitzel and fried eggplant sandwich, and my spiced roasted rack of lamb.

Tiffany: Brad... Graham: Wow!

this is definitely a showstopper.

Something smells good.

Sure does.

Salmah's got eggplant in the foil on the flame over there.

And she stuffed a lot of garlic in there...

Yes.

which is great.

Perfect.

We all love garlic.

We love garlic.

Salmah: So I put the garlic inside the eggplant because it helps to infuse and flavor the eggplant from within, and then, you know, roasted garlic's just yummy.

I am making baigan choka.

So baigan choka is roasted eggplant with garlic, onions, and tomato.

They're looking good.

They're soft, so I'm just going to let it kind of roast a little bit more in the oven to continue the cook.

I'm going to serve it with a little bit of dhal, which is yellow split peas.

Baigan choka is the most simplest of dishes, but the smell literally will transport you back and not just from my home but, like, any Guyanese person who just gets a whiff of baigan choka or that, you know, eggplant roasting, it'll automatically-- it's like that's how you alert the neighbors there's a Guyanese around here.

I made it to this finale.

I did that.

I cooked my chicken curry and roti, my fry bake and pink salmon, my barfi, and mithai.

I cooked my way to the finale.

Leah: We loved your food.

The way you work with spices, it's an art.

My confidence has received a swift boost.

Ha!

For the dhal, I start by sauteing the onion and garlic with some yellow split peas in the pressure cooker.

Then I add a little bit of turmeric and jeera and of course pepper and spice.

That was something that my grandfather always taught us, and I remember my mother saying that "If there's spice in your food you know that Alibi cooked it."

That was my grandfather.

All right.

Leanna: 45 minutes, y'all.

45 minutes!

I think it's a constant moving target to figure out what the judges like, but the one thing that I am sure about is that when I just cook the way that I cook at home that that always resonates.

All right.

Dough.

The dough is gonna need time to rest, Leanna, so you need a mixing bowl.

I decide that the ackee and saltfish needs some texture, so I'm pairing it with fried dumpling.

Definitely gonna need some baking powder for rise and also gonna need butter.

Wonder if it's cool enough to grate.

When I'm in high-stress situations and I need to focus, I kind of have this running internal monologue.

I just got to move quick because my hands are warm, so they will melt the butter.

And when I really need to get laser-focused, that internal monologue becomes external.

Toss...the butter... in the flour.

Ha ha ha!

Hello, Brad.

Hey, Leah.

So you're making matzah ball soup.

I am.

OK.

So what's your secret so I can steal it?

Um, I mean, it's really the broth.

I do put a touch of saffron and a touch of turmeric... Oh!

for flavor and also for the color.

Who taught you those secrets?

My mom.

I love that.

So how do you feel?

Honestly, it's really an honor to be here.

Firstly, just being, like, a kosher cook and showing the world and showing the Jewish community that, like, you could be kosher and still, like, produce delicious food.

Yep.

But also, you know, today, I'm not doing something Libyan, but in general, there's no Libyan Jews.

We barely exist... Yeah.

and the idea of having potentially, like, a Libyan recipe on the cover is huge.

It's a big deal.

I want to make my family proud, and it's kind of my little thing.

Well, I'm excited.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Your station's not that messy, so great job.

Your mom would be so proud.

I am trying.

She would be.

Ha ha ha!

Thank you.

All right.

Thanks, Brad.

Salmah: Do you want to taste some dhal, Brad?

Brad: Yeah.

It's vegetarian, right?

Mm-hmm.

It's all yellow split peas, onion, cumin seeds, garlic.

It's so good.

Thank you.

I want another spoon of it.

It's really good.

Ha ha ha!

Salmah, voice-over: The dhal's done, so I then go ahead and chuankay it.

It's basically a tempering of whole jeera and thinly sliced garlic to infuse the dhal with that smoky flavor.

I am going for a thick liquid gold, and this is exactly it.

Then I take my eggplant out of the oven.

Oh, look at all that char.

Look at that char.

I'm just trying to make sure that the meat is cooked from within, which it is.

I put it into a bowl and start mashing it just so that I can mash out those chunks of onion, garlic, and tomato.

So, you know, give it a good puree.

Hello, Salmah!

Hello!

So tell me how you're feeling right now, especially after reading that letter.

Opening the letter and seeing my mom's handwriting, like, that in itself automatically made me start tearing up.

I could feel the pride.

I love that.

Oh, my gosh.

That looks fantastic.

Yeah.

Ooh!

look at that sizzle.

So what is that called again?

This is called choka.

Choka.

Yeah.

Choka.

So all of these terms, while they are Guyanese for me, Guyanese descent, it comes from the Indian ancestry.

So I believe baigan and choka are the Indian terminology.

Baigan meaning eggplant.

Yes.

I know the onions are quite big.

A little bit too big for my liking, so I think I am going to, like, cut it down.

I've just started removing bigger chunks just for the sake of time.

Yeah.

All right.

Well, I'm so excited to try this.

Thank you so much, Salmah.

Thank you.

Oh, needs salt.

I thought it had enough salt.

30 minutes left.

30 minutes.

Man, all this cooking's making me hungry.

I'm gonna make me an extra dumpling for myself.

So far, I'm feeling good.

You know, ackee doesn't take long to cook.

The thing that's gonna take longer is the dumplings.

Some of these might be a little too big.

I don't want the judges talking about the lack of uniformity, so this one needs to come down a little bit.

The dough is ready, but I'm having problems with maintaining the oil temperature in the pot.

This oil.

You really playing with me.

I'm gonna crank this up a little bit more.

Hey, Leanna.

Hey, Chef Tiffany.

How are we looking on your oil now?

Um, it's coming up.

I've got it almost on the highest temperature.

Going for 350 or 375?

375.

OK. Let's do this first.

Put a lid on it real quick.

This is kind of big, but we'll use this for now.

Yeah.

Just don't wait too long.

Check in in, like, 3, 4 minutes.

Thank you, chef.

And then just go from there.

All right.

You feeling any pressure right now?

I'm definitely feeling the added pressure of my family.

That letter from my dad and my mom kind of got me all in my feelings.

So I feel like, "Oh, gosh.

I got to represent now.

Like, there's no turning back."

So that's a little sense of extra pressure, but more than anything, I'm just feeling grateful.

I didn't expect to be here at all, so this is just amazing.

I can't wait to eat it.

Thank you, chef.

Leanna, voice-over: I have to say thank you to Chef Tiffany for that little alley-oop that helped me get the oil to the right temperature.

You have got to make these last ones smaller, Lea.

That's your backup plan.

You want them to cook through faster, cut them down.

Come on.

Brad, voice-over: Everything's in the pressure cooker-- chicken, carrots, saffron, turmeric.

As that's kind of going, I start now making the matzah balls.

I'm using this mini scoop thing, which I've never used before, but it's perfect to make little balls, and they'll cook in the water, and then I have some carrots doing their thing over there.

Hope it's enough.

It should be fine.

Leah: How is that matzah ball, Brad?

I like it.

It's not done yet, but the flavor is good.

Is it light and fluffy?

Good.

Alejandra: We have gotten to know these cooks really well.

We've heard their stories.

We've gotten to know their flavors.

I know when I'm having Salmah's dish or if I'm having Leanna's dish or Brad's dish just by the flavors.

It's all very distinct.

Yeah.

Tiffany: Week 7, their food was amazing, so I think that they have finally taken to what we're saying, and they're so focused, they're really concentrating on their dish, and they really want to do well.

Yeah.

3 minutes.

You need to be plating.

Final push, y'all.

We're almost there.

Leah: Leanna, you're on fire.

You are on fire.

I knew it.

Literally.

Literal fire!

Aah!

Leanna, voice-over: Judges look over at me, and they're like, "Leanna, you're on fire."

Literally.

Literal fire.

And I'm like, "I know!"

Then they're like, "No, Leanna.

Your napkin is on fire!"

Oh, dang it.

Brad: All right, Leanna.

I'm not the only one that's lit something on fire now.

Leanna: No, you are not.

[Laughter] No, you are not.

But at least it wasn't the food.

We're gonna pretend this never happened.

That's what we're gonna do.

[Hissing] One minute left.

Put a little bit extra.

A little bit extra.

Leah, Tiffany, and Alejandra: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

Alejandra: Time's up, cooks!

I don't know how I did that.

Ha!

Ha ha ha!

I literally told myself "Leanna, don't set this place on fire," and that is exactly what I did.

Ciao.

Alejandra: For this round, we gave you 60 minutes to make us a special recipe that your loved ones at home asked you to make.

Brad, please come join us.

Tell us the dish you made for us this round.

So after reading my mom's letter, I was inspired to make her matzah ball soup for you today.

Overall, I thought it was a really nice, light, well-seasoned matzah ball soup.

Thank you.

The turmeric and the saffron really make the broth stand out, and the matzah balls are...really good.

[Laughter] Tiffany: These matzah balls are light as air.

I mean, pillows.

The soup itself, the broth, its concentration of flavor is almost there, but honestly, the star here is the matzah ball.

Obviously, this is a recipe that you've made many times, and I'm so happy that your mother told you you were gonna make this here today.

Thank you.

Salmah, please come join us.

I made baigan choka and dhal, which is a traditional Guyanese dish.

Tiffany: Overall, it is a delicious dish.

The soup feels warm and feels bright at the same time, and it's an interesting combination because we don't always find sort of warmth with a bright soup.

I think you did a very good job of playing with textures.

I like the eggplant with the tomatoes that are in there.

I do think the onion here, some of them are a little big and feels a little raw to me.

Leah: But I love that smoky, charred flavor from the eggplant, and then you also gave us that dhal, which is very seasoned and in-your-face, which I love.

I mean, it's a beautiful dish.

Thank you.

Clearly, your parents are very proud of you that you're here and teaching everyone about your cuisine and your culture.

Thank you.

Leanna.

Leanna: Hello, chefs.

Alejandra: Tell us about the dish that your loved one mentioned in your letter.

So we have a saying in the Caribbean, "Out of many, we are one."

We've spent a lot of time talking about my family's Bajan heritage, but today I'm taking a hop, skip, and a jump over to Jamaica, and I've made for you ackee and saltfish with a fried dumpling.

Leah: You had me nervous.

You set the paper on fire.

We were all worried about the oil.

I mean, I really thought you were saying I was on fire, not the paper.

Alejandra: Ha ha ha!

Thank goodness for water bottles.

Leah: This is this really nice rustic dish that I wanted to just eat the entire plate of.

Some bites I get are a little salty because of the salt cod, but then you eat everything else, and it kind of mellows it out.

I also really enjoy how the onions have some texture.

I don't know if that was on purpose or not.

[Laughter] It really was.

You know, you all have given me lots of critique along the way, helpful critique, and so it really was intentional.

I mean, I think that was really smart.

Tiffany: And we were so worried about the dumpling, but it worked out for you, and I think it was crucial that it made it to this plate because with the crunch, the textures that you get together, and also just the flavor, you're gonna make a lot of people proud with this dish, so way to go.

Thank you, chef.

Alejandra: In this round, we asked you to show us the special recipes your loved ones requested in their personal notes to you.

We know you must miss them being by your side right now.

Hopefully, the dishes you just cooked made them feel a little closer to you today.

Obviously, the stakes are really high this week.

This was truly a great round of cooking.

Well done, each and every one of you.

Tiffany: But there is one home cook that plated a truly exceptional dish.

And the home cook is... Salmah.

[Laughter] Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The way you can just work with spices and make everything feel so balanced is truly amazing, and it had great texture, it had great seasoning.

Thank you.

Salmah, voice-over: Let me tell you, there are Guyanese around the world right now looking at this to say, "That girl won this round on baigan choka and dhal."

Like, you don't know the pride of that.

I'm winning, winning and grinning.

Alejandra: Well done, cooks.

Thank you.

Finalists.

[Laughter] Still crazy.

Yeah, I know.

Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.

We can't wait to enjoy which recipes you have for us next.

All right, everyone, this is it.

[Exhales] Only one round stands between one of you being named winner of "The Great American Recipe."

In the last round, you all received letters from loved ones and cooked a specially requested recipe that they love.

For your very final round of cooking, we're giving you your biggest task yet.

We want you to plate a full meal inspired by your food story.

Tiffany: That's right.

In this final round, we're looking for the total package, which must include an entree, side, and a tasty dessert.

In each element of your meal, you should make a statement about you, your culture, and your family heritage.

This is a cooking round we don't think anyone should have to do alone, so we've made a few calls and arranged a helping hand for each of you.

Salmah, here to join you is your husband Naim.

Ohh!

Oh!

Ha ha ha!

Ohh!

Salmah, voice-over: It has been 7 weeks, so to see his smile and to see his face, like, I just lost it.

Alejandra: Leanna, here to help you is your best friend Jackie.

Leanna: Jackie!

Ha ha ha!

Leanna, voice-over: There are so many reasons that Jackie is the perfect person to help me cook my dish.

She's my best friend, but we also lived together for 3 years, so she knows, like, how I cook, how I move, what flavors I like.

She knows Bajan cuisine.

Alejandra: And finally, Brad, say hello to your mom Jerilyn.

Ha ha ha!

Ahh!

Brad, voice-over: I'm extremely ecstatic that it's Mama Lyn.

My mom's name is Jerilyn, but I like to call her Mama Lyn.

As soon as I see her, she's like, "No matter what happens, I'm proud of you," and that immediately alleviates my feeling of nerves, and I just feel like because she's here, everything will be fine.

Alejandra: Naim, Jackie, Mama Lyn, welcome to the barn.

Today, we're giving you a full 3 hours to plate an all-encompassing meal that includes your very best entree, side, and dessert.

At the end of this round, the judges will declare one of you as the winner.

Good luck to you all.

I know you can do it.

Your 3 hours for your final round start now!

Hey, everybody.

Welcome back, buddy!

Hi.

Aloha, home cooks.

Welcome to the finale.

Yay!

Welcome back, Graham.

Leanna: I want you to work on the bread.

I'm gonna work on the oxtail.

We'll worry about the rice and the plantain after.

Got it.

For my final dish, I am making oxtail with rice and pigeon peas as my entree and fried plantains as my side and sweetbread and sorrel as my dessert.

There we go.

At home, when I do oxtail, I do it on the stove in a Dutch pot.

It takes about 5 hours to cook.

I'm trying to expedite it here using the pressure cooker, so I'm using every bit of the 3 hours I got, and that's exactly why I'm so glad that I have Jackie here to help me.

Having her get started on the dessert from now is a huge help Girl!

Leanna, voice-over: So for my oxtail, I season it up with lime and salt, a little bit of scallion, some spices, and a little bit of thyme.

I need the oxtail to, like, almost fall off the bone, so I immediately put it in the pressure cooker.

Hello, Leanna.

Hi, Chef Leah.

How are you?

How are you?

I'm doing well today.

Would you rather have your husband here cooking with you or Jackie?

I have to preface this with how much I love my husband... Uh-huh.

but Jackie.

Yeah.

OK. Great.

I love it.

Did I see her making the sweetbread dough?

Yeah, I put her on the sweetbread because I know that that's something she's familiar with.

She knows what it's supposed to feel like.

But you checked it out, right?

Because at the end of the day, it is all on you, right?

I said to myself when I started this challenge if I was lucky enough to make it to the finale I was going full Caribbean and I was going full home-based, and that's what this is.

I think that's a really smart game plan.

Thank you, Chef Leah.

Good luck.

I appreciate it.

You had to choose cassava?

Yes.

You can put your muscles to work.

I know.

Salmah, voice-over: So for this challenge, I plan on making pepperpot as my entree, plait bread on the side, and cassava pone as my dessert.

This is my great American recipe.

Because pepperpot is the national dish of Guyana, you know, it really speaks to who I am, just not as an American, but who I am as a Guyanese American.

Pepperpot is a stew made with the offcuts of the beef.

Growing up, we made it with cow heel.

Ha!

I'm grating.

You can do it.

I'm grating.

Ha ha ha!

I am so glad that Naim is here because I draw from him not just, like, inspiration, but he's my number one supporter, and I'm grateful that I was able to, you know, transition through so many phases in my life and have him there with me by my side.

Salmah: Now, to add the essence of the pepperpot.

Salmah, voice-over: What makes pepperpot so distinct is the casareep.

Casareep is a thick extract of cassava.

Casareep in itself is a natural preserver, so any casareep added to any meat will automatically preserve that meat.

It tastes both savory and sweet.

I'm adding some of that syrup and of course pepper.

Wiri wiri pepper.

I started with wiri wiri pepper, and I'm ending with wiri wiri pepper.

To make this dish, the national dish of Guyana, for me, it's a proud moment.

There's no other dish that can speak to the struggles that my parents went through and the access to ingredients that they had and what they created from that.

When the pressure cooker goes off, we're going to add in that beef.

Jerilyn: Brad, do you think this is enough, or do you need more?

Um, I think that's good.

Brad, voice-over: For round two of the finale, I am making mafrum, which is a Libyan meat-stuffed vegetable for my entree with couscous and then paired with several salads, and the dessert is going to be fig upside-down cake.

I'm making specifically eggplant mafrum.

The eggplant is gonna be what I'm stuffing, and then it's a lamb and beef filling with a lot of herbs, parsley, cilantro.

You then fry it, and then you braise it for several hours.

For the finale, I wanted to make sure that my dish was representing my Libyan Jewish heritage, but specifically I'm doing mafrum because this is the crown jewel of Libyan cuisine.

It's labor intensive, but it's a labor of love.

Hopefully, I don't mess it up.

Tiffany: Brad and his mom-- you can definitely tell they've spent some time in the kitchen together.

Yeah.

Leah: Absolutely.

Brad is focusing on the main components of the dish, and we see Jerilyn kind of prepping the herbs and stuff like that.

Alejandra: He mentioned that he had been anxious coming into this competition today, but then he felt calm because his mama was here.

It's almost like no matter what, they're sharing this experience together, and she's here to ground him.

Brad: So I've been making this dish since I was a kid, so actually, my mom could be a testament.

She never let us cook it in the house because she's, like, a neat freak and never let us fry in the house.

Jerilyn: I just make him crazy because I just put everything away while he's still using it, but for the most part, we get along in the kitchen.

[Sizzling] Two hours left, cooks.

Tell me if it needs more pepper, more salt, spice.

A little bit more, like, pepper.

OK. Bring me the wiri wiri pepper from the bottom there and bring me a tasting spoon.

Salmah, voice-over: The pepperpot is in the pressure cooker.

With about two hours left, I still haven't even started on the plait bread.

I start first by proofing my yeast in the warm water with a little bit of sugar.

I've got two mixers going, each with the same measurements of flour, melted butter, egg, and milk.

Hello!

Hi, Salmah.

Hi, Naim.

How are y'all?

Good.

Doing good.

Do y'all cook often at home together?

No.

Ha ha!

No.

I can't-- I can't keep up with Salmah in the kitchen.

I'm glad you get to experience this with me, which that's, above all anything else, I'm grateful for that, but I'm glad for a sous chef.

Good luck with everything, y'all.

Leanna: I'm gonna start going on this mixed peel so that you can focus on the dough.

Leanna, voice-over: Now that the oxtail is going, Jackie and I have to get the sweetbread into the oven.

Sweet bread is a Bajan baked treat.

To elevate my dough, I'm adding mixed peel in there to give the pops of color.

Mixed peel is the peel of various citrus fruits that's been dried out and then sweetened with sugar.

We also add some raisins in there to give texture.

Oh, yeah.

We could probably add a little bit more raisins.

More raisins.

Yeah.

You already read my mind.

Leanna, voice-over: And one of the things that my mom put in her sweetbread is the coconut filling.

That's not something that everyone does.

Here.

Try it now that I put some of the clove in it because you know that flavor gets overpowering real quick.

It does.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Good.

All right.

Let's go with that.

Leanna, voice-over: My granddad was actually the baker.

That's where my mom got it from.

He would make loaves of sweetbread or coconut turnovers, and there was always something delicious going on, so I think one of the reasons I want to win "The Great American Recipe" is because it's the chance for me to carry on my family's Caribbean legacy through food.

I'm gonna set the timer for 70 minutes, and then we can check it.

Jackie: OK. No.

This still has to go for some more.

Mom, I'm going to give you a task.

Need me to cut up dill?

Yeah, please.

A lot of dill because I need it for two things.

So I'm, like, let me get all the salads all done so, like, I don't have to worry about it later.

With my mafrum, I'm making: a corn and pickle salad; matbucha, which is a pepper and tomato salad; a cucumber and dill salad; and the tirshi, which is a butternut squash salad.

You want it finer?

A little bit.

Winning "The Great American Recipe" would be such an honor.

To win and to have your recipes featured in a published cookbook I think is very important, especially in the Libyan Jewish culture, where there's really no representation, and it would just be such an important thing for me to have that opportunity to share our food with America and put Libyan cuisine on the map.

One hour left.

Oh, we need, like, what, 36 pieces of plantain?

OK. Mmm!

That's good.

There's a good kick to that.

Salmah, voice-over: So I go ahead and check the pepperpot.

It tastes good, but it needs to go a little bit longer, and I'm peeping at my bread, making sure that the bread is baking and browning evenly.

Now I turn my attention over to the cassava pone.

I'm grateful that you're here to do this.

Salmah, voice-over: Cassava pone is a dessert made of grated cassava baked into a cake form with shredded coconut, coconut milk, evaporated milk, and egg, melted butter, and black pepper.

I know.

Black pepper is an odd thing to put into dessert, but somehow the black pepper just carries the nutmeg, the cassava, and all the sweetness.

It's all about balance, right?

And for good measure, because it's so sweet, a little bit of salt.

Tiffany: So Salmah's making cassava again.

I don't know if you remember, but her first cassava was not that great.

Graham: Salmah, we loved the flavor.

The execution is the thing that I have the biggest issue with, the consistency on the cook.

Tiffany: This could be the redemption of the cassava for Salmah.

I'm hoping that she can pull it off this time.

Salmah: I need the two small squares, the two small squares.

These two?

The two small squares.

Two small squares.

Oh, my gosh!

Stop!

Oh, there's two in there.

Yes.

Sorry.

Salmah, voice-over: I love my husband, but at this point is where I realize I have turned into my mother because this is exactly how my mom used to direct us in the kitchen.

I see the time is getting to you.

You're killing me, Smalls.

You're killing me.

All right.

Ooh!

This is a nice-looking plantain right here.

Leanna, voice-over: The oxtail's in the pot.

The sweetbread is in the oven.

I got to start working on the side of fried plantain.

You want the end pieces, or you want me to take those out?

Uh, fry them for us.

We'll eat them.

I like that.

I like that.

I like where your head is at.

Ha ha ha!

Leanna, voice-over: Plantain is just such a seminal piece of Caribbean cuisine, and so I wanted to make sure that I brought that flair to the finale.

Yeah, those are perfect.

Good.

Yeah, those are perfect.

Thanks, Boo.

Leanna, voice-over: We've prepped the plantain.

That's not gonna take long to fry.

Leanna: Plantain dropping.

Leanna, voice-over: So now I've got to start working on my rice and peas.

All right.

Leanna, voice-over: In the Caribbean, we always have rice.

Rice and peas.

Like, white rice.

There's always got to be rice, right?

So what's more Caribbean than that?

Jackie has had my rice and peas countless times.

She knows the texture and the fluffiness of the rice that I'm going for.

Jackie: Ooh!

We're running low on moisture.

Liquid?

Yeah.

She knows I want a little bit of sweetness from the coconut, but I still want the salt and the butter and the garlic and the thyme to come through.

Ooh!

It's so nice and fluffy.

That's what I want.

Fluffy rice.

I got you, girl.

I got you.

Graham: 30 minutes to go, cooks.

So I'm making caramel.

I'm gonna pour it over the figs.

Why don't you start taking the figs and taking the stems off and slicing them in half, and then I'm gonna start making the batter.

I'm doing a dessert because that's part of the finale challenge, so I decided to do an upside-down fig cake because it represents something that you might find in North Africa.

I use buttermilk, flour, cardamom, egg, honey, rose water.

I just blend it a little bit, get it all mixed up.

Alejandra: Hello, Brad!

Hi.

Tell me what you're making.

What are the figs for?

Jerilyn: So this is his specialty, and it's, like, a fig upside-down cake.

Ooh!

OK.

So figs are very, like, North African kind of foods that they have, so he's incorporated this into, you know, his baking talents.

And are you a baker?

No.

So I'm more of, like a meat and potato, like-- Savory, also.

Yeah.

Savory stuff.

I really don't bake at all.

Do you guys enjoy cooking a lot together?

Yeah, we do.

It's definitely more fun, like, when we cook together.

You're feeling good?

We're a little behind with time, but I think-- I think we'll pull through.

Yeah, we'll be good.

Get this done.

Good luck.

Fingers crossed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ha ha!

Salmah: Is it clean?

Uh, yeah.

It's coming out clean.

Salmah, voice-over: I go ahead, and I take a look at my cassava pone dessert, which at this point we're testing, and it seems to be done.

Want me to eat it?

Yeah.

Just taste it.

Taste it for sugar.

And how is it?

Is it, like, gooey inside?

That's good.

Salmah, voice-over: I'm on the cassava redemption pathway, and I'm not going to be cut based off of my dessert.

Salmah: It's gooey and soft.

I might just put a little bit of condensed milk on the top just for a little added sweetness.

Leanna: All right, 5-minute countdown for the bread.

Ooh!

Girl.

Hope I'm doing my mama proud.

It looks like hers.

Leanna, voice-over: We're feeling good.

The sweetbreads's in the oven, the oxtail is steeping.

The next thing that I've got to do is I've got to get my sorrel together.

Sorrel is a traditional Caribbean holiday drink.

Sorrel is actually dried hibiscus.

You strain off the actual plant.

You are left with this beautiful, like, deep red wine-colored liquid.

If you're feeling fancy, you add some rum... Jackie: Yes, you do!

and it's just a delicious celebration drink.

Tiffany: I think we're getting a little bit of a little drink today from....

The sorrel.

Leah: Nice.

A little extra something.

I'm excited.

Tiffany: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

You know, it's about time someone served us a drink.

Tiffany: Seriously.

Mmm!

That's the one.

Leanna, voice-over: The sorrel is ready.

Now it's the moment of truth.

We've got to open the pressure cooker.

Ooh, girl, I'm nervous.

No, I think they're doing great in there.

Leanna, voice-over: I'm hoping that when I open it there's a good bit of tenderness already because I plan to finish on the stove.

Hmm.

I don't know.

Jackie.

What's up?

Jackie.

Mmm.

I don't know.

We may have a problem.

Look at how this is sticking.

It's not tender yet.

Graham: That oxtail doesn't look super fall-off-the-bone tender, huh?

Tiffany: No.

Oh, look at these big ones, though.

These are looking great.

Leanna, voice-over: The time that I have left, I just don't know that it's enough for me to get it there.

15 minutes remaining.

No pressure.

Just the finale.

Brad, voice-over: The mafrum looks good.

I'm happy with it.

It's really this cake now.

If I lose this competition because of this cake, it's not gonna sit well with me.

Jerilyn: It looks pretty.

Brad, voice-over: It's, like, nice and beautiful, but, like, it's definitely soggy on top of it.

I wanted it a little more caramelized.

That didn't really work out, so I'm just gonna try to, like, caramelize it now.

This is called pivoting.

Graham: Two minutes to go.

Tiffany: You got this!

Let's go!

Leah: Oh, you got this!

Graham: Make it all count.

I'm gonna plate the oxtail.

Mama, start wiping plates, please.

I'm just gonna put the meat in for now, and then we'll do the gravy.

Graham: Let's go.

Come on, come on, come on.

Get it on the plate.

Alejandra: 10... Alejandra and judges: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

Hands up!

Yay!

[Cheering] Thank you!

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha!

I love you.

Thank you, my love.

Ahh.

We're done.

Alejandra: Thank you all for joining us.

Graham: Now it's a party.

Alejandra: Now it's a party.

Yeah.

Jerilyn: We're ready.

Tiffany: You all had 3 hours to prepare a 3-course meal complete with an entree, a side, and dessert.

Let's start with Leanna.

So today I made for you oxtail with rice and peas and a side of fried plantain.

Oxtail is something that I grew up with my mom making, and there's some of her recipes that I have left exactly as they are, and I haven't changed a thing.

So good.

Even though it's so different than, like, maybe like, what I would cook, it's, like, very familiar, too, and it's really delicious.

It just looks warm and inviting.

This is one of those rustic classic dishes that you just want to get down with.

The plantains are cooked beautifully.

They taste great.

I love all the flavors going on.

There's not much I would change.

Leah: You did a really good job with the execution of this dish, except for the cook on the oxtail.

I wish you got it just a little bit more tender, but the flavor that you were able to get in there in such a short amount of time is fantastic.

It has really nice depth.

Really appreciate that.

Alejandra: Tell us about your dessert and your dessert drink!

Leanna: This is my mother's recipe-- sweetbread and sorrel.

Ordinarily, it's actually served with tea, but today, I decided to serve sorrel.

Sorrel is a drink of celebration in the Caribbean.

Tiffany: I think you did a beautiful dish that feels very much celebratory.

I think the colors with the mixed peel you did in here really accents sort of the festiveness that I would expect when I eat this, and it did deliver that.

Leanna: Thank you, chef.

Cheers, everyone.

Graham: Cheers.

Salmah, tell us about your beautiful dish.

Salmah: Today, I made for you pepperpot and plait bread.

Pepperpot is actually the national dish of Guyana.

It was introduced to Guyana by the Amerindians or the Indigenous people of Guyana.

Leanna: Salmah, you know I love pepperpot.

You're speaking to my heart.

Absolutely love it.

Thank you.

But you knew that already.

Graham: Salmah, I love this pepperpot.

It's, uh, something I've never really had before.

If you can transform beef heel into something delicious, that's skills right there.

Do you have a bake shop that we're unaware of?

[Laughter] The bread itself-- incredible texture.

The beef flavors are really rich.

You took the time to toast out those spices, really bring out the flavor without overpowering each other.

I do think the beef itself feels a little drier in certain areas, so I think, you know, being careful when you cook this to maybe reduce the temp down if you're using a pressure cooker just a little bit just so that you can really appreciate every cut of meat in here.

OK. Alejandra: Tell us about your finale dessert!

I made for you cassava pone.

It's grated cassava baked together with shredded coconut.

Leah: You love to stay true to what the dish is supposed to be, and I think that's very commendable.

It's nicely balanced.

It's not overly sweet.

The fact that you added a little bit of salt, I think, really kind of enhanced the sweetness because it's not meant to be super sweet, even though it is a dessert.

So I thought it was really smart that you added that.

To me, this is just very comforting.

I love the flavors of this dish.

Salmah: Thank you.

Graham: This is, like in two words cassava redemption, right?

I was making sure that there was no egg hidden in the middle of this, like, hardboiled with something else going on.

My favorite thing is the texture.

Good job grating.

You've probably got, like, the big muscle now, like... Yeah.

That was a workout.

Yeah, right?

That's what I'm saying.

Tiffany: I'm not even playing right now.

I love this dish.

Even, like, cut into smaller pieces, I would love to just have that, right, and just munch on that.

I know that it's celebratory dessert, but I feel like it needs to come around a little more often.

Your husband may not be OK with it because he has to grate all the cassava.

Brad, tell us about your dishes.

Brad: I've made mafrum with couscous.

Mafrum is a meat-stuffed vegetable, and it's the crown jewel of Libyan Jewish cuisine.

Salmah: I'm looking at this, and I feel like I'm at a restaurant.

Like, it's delicious.

I had never eaten anything like this before.

I absolutely love it.

Thank you.

You know, we talk about eating with our eyes first, and you executed that at the highest level.

Flavor-wise, there are so many textures.

It is pungent but yet rich but yet still light in certain ways.

I think on its own, the dish itself really needs these sides.

Yes, it has a lot of flavor, but it doesn't have enough flavor to stand out on its own.

Overall, I mean, it's beautiful, well-executed.

I thought you did a great job.

Alejandra: Tell us about your dessert.

Brad: I've made a fig upside-down cake paired with some whipped cream and some shaved, sliced almonds on top.

Tiffany: Overall, this is a very good dish.

You haven't been able to do pastries as successful as you wanted to on your own, but just having your mother here helps you do better.

Leah: I actually think the cake was done well.

I don't think it was overcooked or undercooked, but you could have used some sort of acid just because it can feel a little sweet, but again, overall, this is by far the best baking that you have done all season.

Good job.

Judges, first of all, I'd like to thank each of you for all the guidance and care you've given our home cooks this season.

I know that you've made a positive impact on their lives that they're gonna take back to their home kitchens, but now is the toughest part of your jobs-- to determine which home cook prepared the winning meal.

I mean, they made it rough for you guys.

Let's start with Leanna's Caribbean delight.

Leah: I thought overall she did really well.

It was spicy, and then the rice and peas mellowed everything out, and then you had the sweet plantains that kind of balanced out the saltiness from the oxtails, and then that drink.

I really thought it was refreshing.

You know, oxtail can be a little heavy, and so that acidity from the sorrel drink really was a nice palate cleanser.

Tiffany: Yeah, I agree with you, Leah.

When you looked at that plate of oxtails, it looked delicious, exactly what it was supposed to be, but some execution needed a little bit of help.

It just needed to cook a few more minutes.

Graham: I agree the oxtail seemed a little clunky, but the flavor was great.

Alejandra: Let's talk about Salmah.

I thought that Salmah created a beautiful representation of the classic Guyanese dish.

Graham: I feel with the pepperpot it was an explosion of flavors.

However, some pieces are more tender, but I had a bunch of pieces-- you eat it, it almost has like a beef jerky texture.

Tiffany: I thought that Salmah redeemed herself with the cassava pone.

It really brought that dish together.

The texture was right, the flavors were delicious.

It was just a star for me.

Leah: I would eat that dessert over anyone else's dessert that we had.

Yeah.

She clearly has a way with her pastries and baking.

Let's talk about Brad's meal.

I think Brad brought it.

It was fun to watch him and his mom cook.

I'm hard pressed to find a lot of errors with it.

Leah: The fact that Brad did so many different dishes within a dish was very commendable.

He didn't have to do all that.

He kind of went above and beyond.

Tiffany: I'm not 100% on that one.

When you looked around the fig, it definitely was wet in a way that it shouldn't be, and you could tell there was some areas with baking that had a few problems, but all of Brad's food is always delicious.

It sounds like you've come to your final decision.

Mm-hmm.

Think so.

Yeah.

Let's bring back the home cooks and announce the big news.

Alejandra: Thank you, home cooks, for all the dishes and recipes you shared with us along this journey and especially for the beautiful meals you plated in this final round.

Leah: That's right.

Your final round recipes were the tastiest we've had in the past 7 weeks and again were a testament to why you 3 are our finalists.

And let's not forget your sous chefs.

Alejandra: Yay!

[Applause] Tiffany: After much consideration of all your dishes tonight, we have made our decision.

This home cook showed tremendous growth and was able to tell us the story of who they are.

You have shone brightly from the day you walked in the door.

Alejandra: Take a deep breath and take this moment in.

Brad, voice-over: It's such a privilege and honor to share Libyan heritage and my tradition and my Judaism with America and to embrace my heritage while still being able to connect with a part of my family.

Leanna, voice-over: There are a lot of other first generation Bajan Americans in America who will look at this and be, like, "Yeah!

Bajan girls to the world!"

So I am so happy to share my recipes with families all around the world.

Salmah, voice-over: To have cooked for Graham Elliot, Leah Cohen, and Tiffany Derry, for them to have tasted my Guyanese home-cooked food and meals that I eat at home is an honor.

I've made it.

Like, I've won already.

The winner of "The Great American Recipe" is... Brad!

[Cheering and laughter] I won!

Ha ha!

It's wild.

After all this hard work over the past 8 weeks, the ups, the downs, to then come to this moment.

Words can't describe how excited I am.

Alejandra: Congratulations, Brad.

This box is filled with all of your amazing recipes, and as the winner, you will have one of your recipes featured on the front cover of "The Great American Recipe Cookbook."

Brad: To be here and accomplish what I set out to do and, you know, represent my culture and these traditions that will now not be lost and continue to get passed down and hopefully be celebrated is very exciting, and I'm very thankful.

Alejandra: Congratulations.

It's all yours!

[Cheering] Salmah: Thank you for everything.

You did amazing.

Thank you so much.

Leanna: I'm so proud of you.

Congratulations.

Leanna, voice-over: Brad came here to preserve his culture, his history through food, not just for himself, not just for his family, but for an entire group of people.

I mean, what a powerful statement.

Leanna: I'm really happy for you, Brad.

Salmah: Brad set off on a mission, and it was accomplished.

Brad, voice-over: I'm so grateful to have been chosen to participate in this experience, and it's something that I'll cherish every single day.

[Owl hoots]