MasterChef ™

Complete Dish: Crispy Skin Salmon with Israeli Couscous, Roasted Vegetables, Wilted Rainbow Chard and Herb Oil

The Vision vs. Reality: Michelle originally felt overwhelmed: "30 minutes is going to go by really fast, and I'm seeing that happen right now. It's getting away from me a little bit."

She explained to Gordon: "I'm doing a crispy skin salmon with some roasted vegetables and Israeli couscous. That's going to sit on some white wine broth and an herb oil over the top."

Gordon warned: "That's a lot."

In final judging, Michelle clarified: "It was intended to have a white wine broth."

Zach explained his confusion: "I saw the couscous going. We make couscous at home with, like, a risotto a lot, so I locked in on that."

Michelle reflected: "I think that my vision was a little particular in hindsight, and it obviously didn't translate."

Final Judges' Assessment:

• Tiffany: "Looking at the dish, couscous feels a little dry. I know that you said, like, risotto style, but, like, when I think of risotto, I think of, like, the finish of it as well, where it's creamy and there's, like, something else. Some butter, some cheese. This just feels like boil couscous."

• Gordon Ramsay: "Salmon's cooked beautifully, seasoned beautifully, both sides skin like the bacon of the sea. And the salmon's just pink all the way through, so it's translucent. But when you've got a fish like this, that takes eight, nine minutes to cook. Everything else around, it should be so much better."

• Tiffany: "I think with the broth, this would have been a very different dish. The couscous would have had a chance to cook in it. It would have had all the flavor."

• Joe: "Think that choosing Israeli couscous and to cook it in the style of risotto and to transmit that without being able to communicate, unfortunately tripped you up. But it's too bad, because some of the components of the dish are really good."