Cliff and Sam get to work on a scallop and foie gras dish. Cliff teases Sam that since he has Immunity, he'll just be sitting in a corner smoking a cigar while Cliff sweats the challenge. Sam takes it all in good fun, just as it was intended. They're both clearly ridiculous rockstars, even if Sam's topknot does make him look like a Sumotori. They'll both be in the final four. Michael and Ted Ilan tell Colicchio they're making baked paella out of partially-cooked risotto and plating it in individual dishes. Pretty nice use of the partially cooked risotto. I was at an alumni thing once and one of the passed appetizers was a tiny risotto cake that had been fried on both sides and topped with some sort of red pepper aioli. I turned to my husband and said, "The remains of last night's risotto." Giada has a recipe for doing that in larger scale. Not that I like Little Big Head, mind you, but I can't contest that she has fabulous recipes. ["Aw. I love her and her frighteningly toothy grin." -- Joe R] Ted Ilan assures us that Michael came up with just as many ideas as he did and he really thinks Michael's food has become more refined and elegant throughout his Top Chef term. Moving on to Mia for a babysitting Sniff 'n' Sneer, Colicchio learns that the fourth course will be a pan-seared duck breast Napoleon. Michael tells us, "Betty and Mia, they're, like, doing this puff pastry contraption. It looks like they're starting their duck a little early. Duck is traditionally served rare and if they're going to let that sit and they're going to refire it, it's not going to be rare." Knock me down with a fiddlehead fern for two reasons. One, Michael used the word "contraption" in a sentence, and two, he's holding forth on the right way to cook and he's completely correct! Far cry from his Cheeto penis.