Masterchef 11, the final: Tracy is the winner of this edition

What happened in the March 3 episode

The episode opens with the classic Mystery Box, a mirrored box for the occasion. Its intrinsic meaning is to reflect the four semifinalists: their vision of cooking, their inner world, and what they've learned throughout the masterclass. At the center of the studio are the dishes of chef Enrico Crippa, a three-Michelin-star chef with his restaurant Piazza Duomo in Alba, the guide and mentor of the competition. He has given the four contestants a basket of ingredients, primarily plant-based, with which they must prepare a dish that best represents them. With a look to the future and a return to their roots, the aspiring chefs present four dishes: Christian and Tracy, both lamb-based; Lia, mackerel; and Carmine, a reimagined stuffed eggplant. The winner of the competition, who takes first place in the finals, is Carmine, who felt deeply inspired by Chef Crippa's philosophy. His fried, glazed, and stuffed eggplant was considered a high-quality recipe, well-representing the journey he'd taken thus far, yet innovative at the same time. Carmine received the award from Crippa, amid the delighted looks of his competitors, who deemed him worthy of the recognition. He flew to the balcony while the other three competed in the invention test to secure the final two spots.

The invention test features another three-Michelin-starred chef, Andreas Caminada of the Schloss Schauenstein restaurant in Fürstenau, Switzerland. He studies the contestants' favorite ingredients to assign each a dish to replicate that reflects their preferences. Christian's chosen dish is venison with yogurt, black garlic, and beetroot; Lia is challenged with trout with kohlrabi and a caviar emulsion; Tracy must replicate an all-vegetarian dish of Milanese cauliflower and spiced fennel. The test is arduous, and the recipes are complex. Tracy emerges as the best, and Chef Caminada credits her with creating a nearly perfect dish. Lia, who unexpectedly overcooked the trout, is the one who comes out on top, while Christian, who perfectly cooked the venison, is the one who wins. Cannavacciuolo is the winner, moved by the young chef's growth during the masterclass.

Finally, the moment arrives for the grand finale, with the three contestants presenting their three menus. Guests of honor in the studio are all the season's contestants, including Mime, dressed in Japanese attire and supporting Carmine, and Elena, ready to strip for the chefs at a moment's notice. The three contestants' families are also present in the studio, bringing with them the inevitable dose of emotion and tears expected from a televised reunion. The contestants present their menus: for Christian, it's a tasting dedicated to his history and that of cooking; Tracy's is based on the concept of a hug, a way of returning the affection she received on the show and uniting the two cultures that define her; Carmine, on the other hand, places a promise in his menu, that of a boy who doesn't want to change, paying homage to his homeland but also to flavors beyond Campania. During the rehearsal, Carmine is the most agitated and confused, with several dishes on the stove. He always takes too long to present his dishes, while Tracy and Christian undoubtedly work more focused, cleanly, and, above all, on time. The cheering for all three is warm and enthusiastic, as is the pride and anxiety of the family. Carmine presents dishes that are almost mini-menus in themselves; Tracy manages to balance refinement and flavor well; Christian lags behind his two feared challengers in terms of aesthetics and ideas.

The final menu of the contestants and the winner of Masterchef 11

The menus presented by the three contestants in the episode are rich and varied. It begins with the appetizers, where Tracy stands out with a creamed cod, elegantly plated and a burst of flavor that the chefs describe as "from another planet." Carmine's Japanese-Campanian appetizer, on the other hand, seems more like a mixed aperitif with too many ingredients, not all of them expertly cooked, like the fried fish that isn't crispy. Christian presents a juniper-smoked venison carpaccio, a dish that's too simple and poorly presented, always with this very '80s-inspired salad underneath, which not only looks ugly but is also used incorrectly, according to the chefs. As for the first course, however, the three are more evenly matched: Tracy's dish is transparent goat ravioli, with a strong but very balanced flavor; Carmine brings his signature dish, gyoza, this time with macha tea and stuffed with octopus genovese, which the judges called a great effort even though the pasta thickness is incorrect. Christian celebrates the discovery of tomato sauce in Italy with ravioli filled with tomato broth. These immediately kill Cannavacciuolo, but they get the point across thanks to their "liquidity."

With the second courses, the three contestants take things up a notch: Christian presents a lamb chop in Bra sausage crepinette with deconstructed ratatouille; Carmine celebrates the flavors of home with a mock eggplant parmigiana bonbon, roasted broccoli rabe stuffed with buffalo ricotta and cruschi peppers, and slow-cooked pigeon breast with bone marrow stock; Tracy uses banana leaf cooking for her Nigerian-style plantain porridge, accompanied by slow-cooked Iberian pluma with fried plantain, butter cream, and soy sauce. The dessert moment, as always, puts the aspiring chefs on edge, forcing them to make last-minute alternative plans, like opting for a crumble or discarding the ice cream that hasn't reached the desired consistency. Carmine uses liquid nitrogen smoke as a backdrop for a dessert that pays homage to Battipaglia in all-white: a coconut and buffalo mozzarella parfait with a yuzu center, served with salted peanut shortbread and citron cream. Tracy celebrates diversity and inclusivity with a triple-chocolate mousse, mango sauce, and crumbled shortcrust pastry. Christian's dessert is a play on illusion, featuring a sweet sandwich with fake mayonnaise and a cocktail.

Who won after this intense competition? Who deserved it, to use Christian's words. All three undoubtedly competed with great strength and determination, as well as inventiveness and high-quality plating. The judges are unanimous in saying that a lot of work went into the competition, as did the conception of the dishes presented. Tracy seems to have achieved the most balanced blend of taste, aesthetics, innovation, and technique. Carmine, perhaps, is lacking in youth in wanting to do as much (too much) rather than better, while Christian lags behind the other two in terms of preparation and performance.

The winner of the eleventh edition of Masterchef Italy is Tracy.

Our report cards

Tracy: 9. Let's start with the winner of the night and the season: Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright in the forests of the night, to use the words of William Blake. Tracy proved to be this season's tiger, from start to finish. Her brilliant light never faded, and it also marked this fierce finale. If we can criticize her, it's only for her negative emotions, which clash with her expertise. Too much distrust, too much rigidity, and too many tears. She didn't even trust Chef Crippa's advice in the mystery room. It's wonderful, however, to see her return to the flavors of her roots in this new concept of Italian-African fusion cuisine, looking to the future without denying her roots. In the final menu, she was a true warrior, with high-quality dishes presented with refined elegance. She was the only one capable of truly balancing, with courage and inventiveness, taste, aesthetics, technique, and originality.

Carmine: 8. He bounces back strongly from the slip-ups of the past few weeks. He reaches the finals first with a truly remarkable dish, a lot of enthusiasm and desire to succeed, but above all, a sincere and pure joy in cooking. He rediscovers the lost energy in his Campania roots and the flavors of home, understanding that life is a journey of discovery, but one meant to return to the starting point enriched. His parents admit they struggled with such a strong and determined son, but now they are proud of the path he has taken. We love the clean-cut face of this young, yet passionate man.

Christian: 7. Christian soars in these last episodes, both in his dishes and in his attitude. I'm happy for Carmine, who takes the title first because, in his words, "he deserved it, and his culinary skills push me to always do better." We can't forgive him for those '80s-style salad leaves on the mystery dish and in the finale, but his exponential growth on the show is undeniable. He doesn't seem like the same chef, or the same guy, as in the first episodes. He's also gained in humility and humor. It's beautiful to see him confront his parents after such a long time, who are also the most aware of his remarkable growth. Frightened by the possibility that his limitations could hurt him on such a journey, their joy and emotion in seeing him get this far is touching, especially in terms of the emotional and personal cost. The embrace with his father, who "regrets" not having believed enough in his resilience, is one of the most beautiful moments of the entire talent show.

Lia: 6. Lia stumbled at the last minute, both in the cooking of the trout that cost her a spot in the final and in the dish presented to chef Crippa, which was unspeakably ugly. It almost seemed like a mixed appetizer from a low-end seafood restaurant. In any case, we're disappointed not to see her in the finals, putting her menu to the test, and she, rightly, doesn't hide her disappointment at having lost so close to the finish.

The judges: 10. This season was once again enlivened by the three judges, who excelled at keeping the audience engaged with irony, severity, empathy, and humor. We cherish Cannavacciuolo's tears of emotion, as well as Barbieri's flamboyant suits and Locatelli's old-fashioned charm. Constantly exchanging views with each other and the contestants, they managed to come up with catchphrases and gags that have kept us company over the past few weeks. They were excellent hosts to all the guests, from the most prestigious to the regulars, as well as to the contestants' families, who were welcomed with open arms to this final evening.