"MasterChef (US)" - Season 9 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Joe Bastianich

Although Gordon Ramsay and Aarón Sanchez return from the previous season of the show, Christina Tosi does not for this ninth outing of "MasterChef", bringing a new crop of home cooks to the MasterChef Kitchen for their shot at the grand prize. Joe actually returned a little bit earlier, replacing Sanchez on the sixth season of "MasterChef Junior" shortly before this season aired. Tosi would come back for "Junior" seasons while Joe would reclaim his spot as third judge on the panel going forward.

He previously attended the main seasons as far as season 5.

Answer: Eight

As with previous seasons, the judges gave home cooks white aprons to indicate their acceptance into the competition, but this season changed things a bit, allowing each judge to grant eight white aprons, each with a pin with their initials on it. This would indicate that those authors would be mentored by their original chef judge throughout the competition, and with three judges it meant a Top 24 this season.

Interestingly, the judge division didn't have a significant role in challenges throughout.

Answer: Dungeness crab

After getting through the first couple of eliminations, the Top 22 were brought into the MasterChef Kitchen and taught, by Gordon, how to properly boil, shuck, ice, and break down a dungeness crab. boil it, shuck it, ice it, and break it down. It led a number of home cooks to rely on their ability to learn. Chelsea, in particular, excelled in this challenge, but for those who couldn't muster up a suitable serving of crab, the Elimination Test led them to learn how to make Gordon's crab eggs benedict dish. Two home cooks-- Olusola and Stephanie-- were sent home on this.

Answer: Shaun O'Neale

The Top 18 were split into two teams during the season's eighth episode and each of these teams was led by cooks chosen by the judges-- Juni for Red Team and Julia for Blue Team. While the captains chose their teammates, the judges swapped the leaders to lead those they did not select.

It led to some drama during Season 7 winner Shaun O'Neale's wedding when some team members struggled with the scallop appetizer and the duck breast entree. Following the challenge there was no Pressure Test-- the judges sent Juni home as he was unable to lead his team at all, being replaced as team leader by Taylor.

Answer: Cajun

The Top 17 came into a Mystery Box Challenge curated by Aarón Sanchez in episode nine during which they were given a bag of live seafood (crawfish, oysters, catfish, redfish, etc.) Their goal, in one hour, was to make a dish with two items from their bag as the star.

Unfortunately, Matt was sent home with his pan-seared redfish, braised oysters, and red leeks, reminding the home cooks that they would need to bring their best to every dish. Following this, the home cooks had another Elimination Test, this time based on creating an amazing salisbury steak dish with varied time restrictions. Lindsay was eliminated on this one.

Answer: Two

Bringing back the Skills Test for the top dozen cooks, this episode involved halibut in more ways than one. For the first challenge, home cooks had to filet an entire halibut with even portions-- four filets taken from the fish cut into equal, well-sized portions as well as the cheek. Cesar and Emily won this challenge sending the remaining ten into an Elimination Test involving preparation-- they could cook their salmon any way they wanted. Ultimately, poor decisions brought the Top 12 to a Top 10-- Chelsea and SJ were both sent home.

Answer: A tie scoring

The Top 10 home cooks headed to an air field to cook for one hundred members of the Air Force in episode 14, dividing their efforts to serve steak dishes and pork chop dishes to their diners. Though both teams suffered missteps during the service, all were surprised, judges included, by a straight down the line tie vote-- both teams received fifty votes each.

It led the home cooks back to the MasterChef Kitchen where the judges saved the Red Team and gave Emily, the Blue Team's leader, the chance to go head-to-head against a teammate in the Pressure Test or let all of the other chefs battle it out.

She opted to face off against Shanika in the Pressure Test to make a four-layer black forest cake and it got her sent home.

Answer: Mediterranean

After a Mystery Box Challenge themed around staple American ingredients, the Top 9 came across this season's Tag Team Challenge during which the teams would be selected by Gerron (who won the Mystery Box). Taylor and Julia, Bowen and Cesar, Samantha and Shanika, and Amanda and Farhan needed to make a series of dishes, switching places at their work stations every ten minutes while creating a platter of spanakopita, chicken skewers with peppers and onions, hummus and grilled pita chips, falafels and tahini, and lamb kofta with yogurt and sauce. Taylor and Julia were placed in the bottom, but Taylor was sent home.

Answer: Beef

In episode 20, the Top 5 were brought in for a trio of beef-related Skill Tests to prove their mettle to the judges. In the first of these, the home cooks had to cook three beef kabobs with New York strip steaks (and their choice of vegetables and seasoning). Cesar and Gerron won this challenge and proceeded to the balcony to leave the other three to duke it out in a second challenge.

This second challenge involved making meatballs in marinara sauce, and for this one Ashely won out. It left Samantha and Bowen to fight in a final challenge making filet mignon three ways-- rare, medium, and well-done. Samantha was able to eke out the win over Bowen and secure a spot in the semifinals.

Answer: Gerron

For this finale, the top three chefs-- one from each of the season's mentor judges-- made their way to a head-to-head-to-head battle for the MasterChef Trophy. Cesar, Amanda, and Gerron had an hour to make an appetizer course, an hour for an entree, and an hour for dessert, presenting them one at a time to the trio of judges.

It was ultimately Gerron who won the season with his meal, taking with him the trophy, the $250,000 grand prize, the title, and a cookbook deal.