It’s time for Part 1 of the finale for MasterChef’s Back to Win season

When it comes to MasterChef and finale night, we know that they always go big. So does it come as any surprise that the finale was broken into multiple parts? Probably not.

And with this being Part 1 of the Finale, it’s time for our chefs to go head-to head to determine who will be the ultimate winner of the Back to Win season.

Not only did we get a look back at the journey to make it to finale night, but we also learned more about what was expected of our top three. And yes, we get to see what they will win if they are named the MasterChef: Back to Win champion. (Plus, we get to see previous MasterChef judge, Graham Elliot, step back into the kitchen to help with the entree course!)

It’s time to find out who is Back to Win the title of MasterChef

Up first, we have the appetizer round! And with each chef creating very different menus, Michael (Tex-Mex inspired), Christian (Southern cooking inspired), and Dara (her childhood favorites) will be able to stand out from their fellow competitors.

In this first round of cooking, each judge visited one of the contestants in order to find out what they were making for their appetizer dish. So what did we learn from these chats? We know Christian is making a dish with crawfish and fried green tomatoes, while Dara is doing a Crispy Skinned Red Snapper dish and Michael is working on a dish spotlighting a smoked steelhead trout.

On to the first round of judging where Michael served a Cold Smoked Trout to the judges and it was a dish that received high marks on presentation alone. There were a few criticisms, but overall it was a good dish.

Next up we had Dara, who presented the judges with Crispy Skin Red Snapper. Her presentation was commended for being visually intriguing, while the judges also pointed out that the fish itself was cooked perfectly. Sadly, it was her sauce that was less than impressive.

Finally we had Christian, who served the judges Fried Green Tomato with a Crawfish Salad. It was definitely appreciated by the judges for its creativity and ability to elevate a southern classic. And yet, there were a few notes about the dish and how it could have been made better.

After a bit of deliberation, the judges revealed that it was anyone’s game. And while we have no idea who has the edge heading out of the appetizer round, now was  the time to bring out Graham Elliott to help with this round. (And it was a chance to remind people that Graham was a judge during both Christian and Dara’s seasons.)

The chefs have just 60 minutes to make their MasterChef finale entrees. And after revealing what they are making in this round (which all sound amazing), it was time to get back into the kitchen and get to cooking.

On the menu we have a loin of lamb (from Michael), short ribs (from Dara), and finally a filet mignon (from Christian). All of which are elegant dishes that could be on any elevated dining menu.

Of course, with this being Part 1 of the finale, we didn’t actually get to see the end of the entree round. And that means we have to wait until next week to see how everything turns out and what desserts the chefs will be creating.