MasterChef Season 13 episode 8 exclusive clip: Impressing Gordon with flavor

In the current season of the popular FOX culinary competition, MasterChef Season 13 episode 8 features the second Mystery Box Challenge. While chicken might be on the menu, Purvi is ready to impress Gordon Ramsay with a favorite Indian dish, Butter Chicken. Will her version live up to Gordon’s expectations?

MasterChef Mystery Box challenges give insight into the home cooks’ culinary perspective. While this MasterChef season focuses on the various regions, it does not overlook who each cook is and how their personal backgrounds impact their cooking. This episode is a good reminder that every region has diversity in flavors.

According to FOX, MasterChef Season 13 episode 8, “Birds of a Feather Mystery Box” featured the following:

"The top 17 home chefs return to the kitchen for their second Mystery Box Challenge, but this time with a twist – one region will begin the challenge 10 minutes behind the rest. With one box per region, the chefs must race against time to incorporate flavors from home in their dishes and impress the judges in the all-new “Birds of a Feather Mystery Box” episode of MasterChef: United Tastes of America airing Wednesday, August 2 (8:00-9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX."

In an exclusive clip provided to FoodSided, Gordon Ramsay discusses with Purvi his love of Butter Chicken.

Although these moments give the food television audience more insight into not only the dish but also the home cook’s culinary point of view, the reality is that moment is far different when the cameras are rolling. Everyone appreciates that this situation is not like cooking in the home kitchen, but it is more than that simple scenario. It is a recognition that the judges are watching, and that dish better be on point.

Prior to the episode airing, FoodSided spoke to Purvi about this experience and, specifically, her Butter Chicken dish. While it is a recipe that her family loves, it might not be what Gordon expects.

Purvi shared, “Gordon is the best man, he encourages you on everything. But, if he looks at your dish and he’s talking about it, that is a nightmare.”

While she explained that Butter Chicken might be a favorite dish in her house, Gordon’s commentary was even more surprising. Purvi said, “there was definitely more pressure. And, he started saying that he went to the original place from where it was made. To be honest with you, I didn’t even know where.”

She continued, “I was just making it because I’ve been making it for years. For him talking that way definitely made me nervous. Gordon had tasted the actual dish where it originated from and it could be different version. With Butter Chicken, my brother makes a version, my friends make a different version, everyone has their own recipe.”

While Purvi admits that some days you are a better chef and some days you are not, that scenario makes MasterChef relatable to the food television audience. Who hasn’t burnt the chicken for dinner or over seasoned the dish? Mistakes happen, but it how a cook recovers, learns, and adapts from those mis-steps that can make them a MasterChef. Hopefully, those down days do not end the journey to earn the title of MasterChef Season 13 winner.

Be sure to watch MasterChef Season 13 episode 8, “Birds of a Feather Mystery Box” on FOX, Wednesday, August 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream on HULU the next day.