MasterChef USA

- Season 2

(2011)

Masterchef hopefuls will prepare their signature dishes and present them to judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot. The amateur cooks will be put through the paces, and only the most deserving will win a white apron and move on to the next round of the competition.

Nerves are tested as the judges continue to winnow down the Top 100 in their search for the America's best amateur cook.

The auditions continue and as usual the contestants have five minutes to cook their signature dishes in front of the judges. Once they receive at least two votes from the three judges, they receive a white apron.

The top 18 contestants are revealed.

For their first mystery box challenge the contestants had sixty minutes to create a dish with salmon as the main ingredient as well as other ingredients as well.

The contestants were divided into two teams and had to cook for five-course meal which consisted of a soup, a salad, pizza, a special entrée and a dessert for three hundred and fifty office workers.

The contestants had sixty to create a dish consisting of a rack of New Zealand lamb and other ingredients.

For their next team challenge The contestants were split into 2 teams and had to cook a sausage sandwich for 101 bikers then the bikers would vote and the first team to receive 51 votes would win.

Season one winner Whitney Miller returned to present her new cookbook.

The contestants were brought to Ramsay's restaurant, The London West Hollywood hotel to cater for Hollywood party. The contestants were required to make 3 different Hors d oeuvres, a beef, vegetable and desert.

For their 4th Mystery Box Challenge, the contestants had to cook fresh lobster.

The contestants were divided into two teams and were required to cook a three course meal for the judge's mothers. The captain for each team spent 2 minutes with the mothers to find out what kind of foods the mothers like and dislike.

For their fifth Mystery Box Challenge, the contestants had to cook a dish using three hand-dived scallops and other ingredients.

The contestants were divided into two teams and had to cook a slider and a side dish for a children's block party without using beef or potatoes.

Surf and Turf was the theme for the contestant's 6th Mystery Box Challenge. The Mystery Box consisted of live jumbo shrimp, Alaskan king crab, live craw fish, buffalo rib eye, porterhouse steak, and short ribs.

The remaining six contestants were divided into two teams at Patina restaurant and for one dinner service they had to replicate two signature appetizers and two signature entrées from the restaurant's menu.

The top five contestants had to create a dish using ground pork, ground veal, ground beef, and other ingredients.

The top four contestants had cook six portions of the same dish for the three judges of the American version of MasterChef and three guest judges from MasterChef India, MasterChef France, and MasterChef Israel.

final three contestants were required to cook a dish using chicken with other ingredients using any style and any technique in one hour.

For the finale Adrien and Jennifer had two hours to cook an appetizer, an entrée, and desert using any ingredients they preferred and cook in any style and any technique.