MasterChef Junior (2013) s01e02 Episode Script
School's Out... But the Masterchef Kitchen is Open!
Last week the search for America's first MasterChef Junior Wow! began with the most talented young home cooks in America competing for a spot in the MasterChef kitchen.
Yes! But only a handful made the grade.
It's pretty phenomenal.
I'm blown away.
Wow.
This is a great dish.
This is probably the best molten lava cake that we've had, and you're nine years old.
Now the top 12 junior home cooks in America will face huge challenges.
They uncover their very first Move it! mystery box challenge.
Oh, my god! Young man, that packs a powerful punch.
And then it's an elimination challenge inspired by the judges' childhoods.
Any reselance? Tonight, these pint-sized chefs I love it.
will perform like culinary giants.
You nailed it.
- Explosive flavor.
- You have a natural gift.
The food world is gonna be lucky to have you in it.
Welcome, everybody.
The top 12 feels amazing because it makes me one step closer to becoming the next junior MasterChef.
Come down here and join us.
Let's go! And I definitely want to have a restaurant when I grow up or be a wrestler.
Being in the top 12 is honestly the most amazing thing I could ever imagine.
There's pretty fierce competition, I'm not gonna lie, but I think I'm very capable of winning.
Congratulations to you all on making it into the next round of MasterChef Junior.
Now, whoever does win will be taking home the MasterChef Junior trophy, and there's something else.
Another small prize.
$100,000.
I'm like: "What? This is real?" And I was so, so excited.
If I get it, I would really like to take my brothers to an amusement park or something.
Imagine how much candy you can buy with $100,000.
What would you do? I'd throw a party.
Would you buy your mum something special? - Nah.
- No? Alexander? My dream is to go to the culinary institute of America for college.
- Didn't you go there, Graham? - I did not.
You did not.
It explains a lot.
No matter who wins, you all represent the culinary future of America.
Now, you might be small, but the challenges that we set for you will be as big as we always set in this kitchen.
Please, go to your stations.
It's time to face your first mystery box challenge.
You'll each have one hour to cook and present to us one amazing dish using the ingredients hidden under those boxes.
The person with the best dish will get a huge advantage in the next round of the competition.
It's really incredible just to think that we're using real mystery boxes just like the adult MasterChef contestants.
On the count of three carefully lift your boxes, and there is one very, very special ingredient we've never used before in a mystery box challenge.
Oh, my god.
What is it gonna be? What is gonna is it gonna be duck, chicken, horse? - You never know, man.
- One, two, three.
Lift! Whoa! You have under your boxes filet mignon, tiger shrimp, puff pastry, mixed berries, butter potatoes, blue cheese.
Yucky.
It smells like feet, and I've had blue cheese.
It tastes feety-ish.
Gross.
Has anybody spotted that very special ingredient? Dig a little deeper.
I see it.
I found a tablet.
This is awesome.
Yes.
It's a tablet.
You'll each have three minutes to use skype on that tablet to call a friend or a family member who can help you come up with a dish that will make the most of those amazing ingredients.
Is everybody ready to use skype? Yes, chef! Your time starts now.
- Hi! - Hi, jewels.
Hi, daddy.
Nice seeing you.
- Oh, my god, I miss you.
- We miss you too.
So I just opened up this mystery box.
- Okay.
- So listen what I'm gonna make.
Great grandma's latkes with a twist.
Yeah.
I like it.
I like it.
Thanks.
Break a leg! Good-bye! Wait, wait! Just don't try to get rid of me so quick.
I'm super excited to get some tips from one of my mom's best friends.
- Here are the ingredients.
- Okay.
She's really good at cooking.
You have some great stuff there to make a teriyaki sauce.
If you want to do, like, shrimp skewers and then use the ginger and the soy sauce.
- Okay.
- I don't know what to make with the shrimp.
My friend Frank owns a restaurant, and he just has really good advice.
Why don't we try and do something like a garlic-basil, something Asian? So olive oil, basil, soy sauce, garlic.
- What do you think? - Okay.
It is time to end your skype calls.
Skype high-five! Whoo! Thank you! Bye.
Everyone know what they're planning to make? Yes, chef! Let your imagination go wild.
Your 60 minutes starts Now.
Let's go! This is really important.
First mystery box coming right out of the gate to establish your place as a real competitor, and kids, with their imaginations, are so wide-open.
They open that mystery box, and the world is their oyster.
I'm making Asian-style marinated steak and shrimp.
Not many people are marinating their steak and their shrimp in soy sauce and Asian-style food, so I think that flavor of the steak was gonna wow the judges, and hopefully I'll get on the top.
I'm making a rub for my filet mignon, and then I'm gonna make a mixed berry vinaigrette over an arugula salad and garnish with onion rings.
I feel really good about this dish.
I think that it's different.
Young lady, what are you making? I'm making grilled filet mignon and I'm going for really spiced.
You're going for medium rare, medium, well done? - How do you - Medium rare.
And how do you know it's going to be medium rare? By touch.
It's all by touch.
By touch, okay.
So you're the youngest in this competition? - Yes.
- Yup.
You feeling nervous? No.
Age doesn't really matter.
- Good luck.
- Jack.
So what's up with the Hawaiian shirts? - Dude, I love it.
- I don't know.
I just really like Hawaiian shirts.
- You have a lot of 'em? - They're really comfortable.
- Can I call you "Hawaii Jack"? - Sure.
You got a lot of stuff going on here, buddy.
I know.
It's a lot.
- It's a lot.
- Like, a lot.
What are you makin', man? Pan-seared filet mignon and sauteed shrimp.
Well, you did a good job.
What's in the sauce? That's just some butter, some heavy cream, and some mushrooms and stuff whoa! Uh-oh.
That's hot.
Be careful.
Don't burn yourself.
Yeah.
Good luck, buddy.
Hi, Molly.
How are you? I'm doing great.
So you're 12 years old.
This is your first mystery box.
Yes.
What were you thinking when you saw the ingredients under there? I wanted to stick with my traditional background and do a Hungarian goulash.
We have everyone from age 9 to 13.
What do you think that age actually has to do with the competition? than 9-year-olds since they've had more opportunity to practice.
Doesn't mean that they're not good enough to win.
Sure.
Good luck.
Right, Alexander.
Describe the dish for me, please.
It's a pan-seared filet mignon with a thyme-ginger butter, roasted carrots, and I'm also doing a mixed berry puree, a spicy one.
Well, that's a lot to do in that short period of time.
Now on an average week how many times do you cook? Five to six.
You cook five to six times a week? - Yes, I do.
- Wow.
You are definitely a chef in the making, aren't you? - Yes.
- Good luck.
- All right, Troy.
- Yes, sir.
What does it take to win this competition? What it takes to win is to be focused, creativity, some skill.
What'd you put on there? A little salt and pepper, bay leaves, and some thyme and butter.
Good.
Got a good flavor.
Like blowing it, like, blows up in your mouth.
- Explosive flavor.
- Exactly! Nice.
Just under four minutes to go.
If I look around this room, it would be very difficult for me to identify these plates as belonging to junior MasterChefs between the ages of 8 and 13.
I would really say we have dishes out there that are at adult level.
I mean, Sarah, she has marinated those filet mignons in a spice rub.
That is absolutely phenomenal.
Alexander's seriously composed.
I mean, he cooks five, six nights a week.
Oh, he does? That's more than most adults in America.
Yeah.
Jack has got it all going on.
I tasted his mushroom cream sauce.
Fabulous.
Be creative! Show off your artistry, your talent.
We want to see beautiful dishes, guys.
They have to be beautiful and delicious.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop! Three, two, one, and stop! Well done.
Throughout the mystery box challenge, the judges taste elements of all the junior home cooks' dishes as they come together.
They now take one last look to choose the top three standouts, and the winner of this challenge will receive a major advantage in the next round.
We have been absolutely blown away on the back of the standard that you have produced this evening.
There are three standout dishes tonight that we would like to examine further.
This junior MasterChef really challenged themselves, and the final result really showed.
Please step forward Alexander.
Let's go.
Right.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a pan-seared filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes, butter-glazed carrots, and a spicy mixed berry puree with a fresh green salad.
So, visually, it's got that wow factor.
We don't generally serve salad underneath the steak.
If you're gonna have a salad, then you got enough room on the plate here to have the salad on the side.
Here's the thing.
Carrots, cooked beautifully.
Love that fragrance of the ginger in there as well, but what you have nailed, tonight, is that mash.
I've tasted thousands of plates of mash cooked by professional chefs, and there's always the occasional lump, or there's a rawness to the garlic.
Roasting the garlic, and then pureeing the garlic through the mash, a very smart thing to do.
As a challenge in your first mystery box, you came up with a very good dish.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Looking at the steak, the outside is beautifully seared, so your pan was at the right temp.
Alexander, how old are you? I'm 13.
I see a lot of myself in you.
I was nowhere near where you are at your age.
It took me twice as long to get to that point.
I'm extremely excited to see what you can keep doing as we go along.
Good job.
Thank you.
Where did the idea come from for the spicy berry sauce? I was really fascinated.
Well, immediately when I saw the mixed berries, I knew that I wanted to make a puree with them, But I didn't want to just blend them.
I wanted to make them a little bit more unique, so I decided to make it spicy.
- Good job, Alexander.
- Thank you.
All right, the second dish that we would like to look at closer, this cook was bold enough to use both the shrimp and filet mignon.
Please step forward Jack.
Oh, my god, yes.
Yes! I'm not here right now.
Like, this is a dream, right? Wow.
It is a pan-seared filet mignon with sauteed shrimp, a potato puff, and some glazed carrots with a mushroom cream sauce.
Beautiful.
Look at the outside.
Look at that crust.
Yeah.
That sear, and then nice and pink in the middle.
- Awesome job.
- Thank you.
So look at that.
It's like a sea monster.
Doesn't it look like it's gonna come and get you? Oh, god.
How do we know if this is perfect? Just white, not transparent, and we don't want it to be rubbery.
It looks perfect.
How old are you, Jack? I'm ten years old.
Do you like carpentry? Have you ever worked with hammers and stuff? - Hm, not that much.
- Okay, 'cause you nailed it.
I mean, I'm talkin', like: "Bam" Like with a hammer.
Like, destroyed it.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Who did you talk to for some last-minute tips? My dad's friend, Frank.
He and his wife own a restaurant.
It's called Frankly Thai.
What's Thai about your dish? - I used a lot of soy sauce.
- Here's the thing.
You cook like a dream, I'm telling you.
The filet is beautifully done.
Shrimps are seasoned and cooked beautifully.
Yeah, you put food on a plate with finesse.
A small, young man that packs a very powerful punch.
- Thank you.
- Oh, my god.
You should all know that the third dish was a very, very difficult decision.
The person we want to come up here and join Alexander and Jack is Troy.
Well done.
Troy's dish looked really good and was "presentated" beautifully.
Troy's just an amazing cook, and I think that he deserves it.
Tell me about your dish.
I made a filet mignon with root vegetable hash with a poached egg on top and a demi-glazed soy sauce.
- It's gorgeous.
- Thank you.
Who taught you how to plate like that? - You been studying? - Yes.
Wow.
You have the bitterness from the arugula, and you have the sweetness from the root vegetables.
The steak has a good crust.
The rub is amazing.
I nevethought about putting bay leaves for a steak rub, but the flavor is veryntense.
Very impressive.
Thank you.
Why medium well? Because I like the crunch on it.
And what would I change? Not much, to be honest.
Maybe cook the beef medium rare.
- Okay.
- But that's how you like it.
- Yeah.
- But, remember, you're trying to win us over, not yourself.
- Yeah.
Okay.
- You've done an amazing job.
- Thank you very much.
- And great finesse.
- Really well done.
- Thank you.
Alexander, Jack, and Troy, Great job.
Three phenomenal dishes.
However, only one dish can be the best and win tonight's first mystery box challenge and receive a huge advantage in the next stage of this competition.
I want this advantage really badly because it can help me get through to the next round.
Please call my name! I have to let everybody know that I'm a fierce competitor.
I feel I performed great in that challenge.
I want to win so bad.
The winner and the best dish of the night, Congratulations There was one dish that literally nailed everything.
The winner and the best dish of the night, congratulations - Jack.
- Oh, my god! My god.
Jack, the sear and the temperature on that filet mignon was beautiful.
The shrimp was exceptional, and even some of the best seafood houses anywhere in the country, They don't cook shrimp like that.
- Delicious.
- Oh, my god.
For winning the MasterChef Junior first mystery box challenge, you get to come into the MasterChef pantry - Yes.
- To find out your huge advantage.
- Are you ready? - Yes.
Let's go, big man.
- Good job, man.
- Thank you.
Amazing.
Thank you.
- Great job.
- Thank you so much.
Let's go, bud.
10-year-old Jack is now in control of the elimination test.
At the end of this challenge, two junior home cooks will leave the competition.
Jack, welcome to the amazing MasterChef pantry.
It's time to find out the theme of this challenge.
Now I know that we look like wise, old men to you.
Not really.
- No? - You look like wise, young men.
Ohh.
Thanks, bud.
You're welcome.
Under these cloches are our favorite dishes from back when we were your age.
Jack, do you recognize this handsome young man with a full head of hair? No, but I'm guessing it's you.
I was eight years old, and you know what my favorite food was back then? No.
What was it? Chicken wings smothered in a delicious, tangy sauce.
I could literally eat them every day.
Those look great, but This guy enjoyed something totally different.
Any resemblance? Um, not really.
- None? - No.
When I was a kid my favorite food to eat was basically a party in a bun.
A perfectly-cooked burger.
I love burgers.
To me they represent what's best about America beef.
Jack, look at that dude.
Seriously.
Not a wrinkle anywhere.
- That is me, age eight.
- Wow.
When I was your age, it wasn't chicken or beef.
They weren't my favorites.
It was something crunchy, delicious that came from that beautiful English seaside.
Delicious fish fingers.
Now, we want you to make a refined, MasterChef-worthy, restaurant-quality dish inspired by the kind of food that we loved when we were young.
Wow.
For your first advantage, Jack, you will not have to cook in this challenge.
You are safe.
Oh, my gosh, yes.
And you will not be leaving tonight.
Yes! And for your second game-changing advantage, you and you alone will get to decide which of our three childhood favorites everyone else out there in the competition will have to cook tonight.
Jack, which one of our three childhood favorites, fish fingers, hamburgers, or chicken wings, is everybody out there going to have to make? Wow.
Um Hello.
Oh, my god.
That's right, everybody.
Because Jack won the mystery box challenge, he is now safe from elimination tonight.
The second advantage we gave Jack was deciding what all of you will be cooking in tonight's challenge.
In the pantry we gave Jack the choice of three different types of food that we actually used to love to eat as kids.
All right.
Everybody, Jack chose Hamburger! But we are not looking for a plain, flat, gnarly-looking burger like this one.
We want a gourmet burger.
I think that Alexander's the one to beat.
He's got the most knowledge about food.
He's been cooking for the longest, and I'm hoping that he will over-think the burger and put ridiculous toppings on it.
Unfortunately, at least two of you talented home cooks will be leaving this competition tonight.
You're gonna have one hour to make us an innovative MasterChef-worthy burger.
Your time starts Now.
Let's go.
Let's go, guys.
Use the time wisely.
Check everything, guys.
The pantry was absolutely nuts.
Everyone was freaking out.
Everyone was running all over the place like: "Oh, my gosh.
I need this.
I need that.
" Everyone was freaking out.
It was totally chaotic.
Move, you animals! Move it! All you could hear was, "Where's the oregano? Where's the potatoes?" - Watch out! Ketchup.
- Ketchup's right here.
But overall it was pretty awesome.
Go! This is so heavy! Here we go.
Let's go, guys.
Come on.
Create that stunning, MasterChef-worthy burger.
I'm making an Italian-style burger.
Jeff's from Italy, so he's probably had an Italian burger, so I'm a little bit nervous.
I think Jack picked a really good food because it takes a lot of time to perfect, you know, beef and mixtures of pork, and my ingredients come from Italy and then American and Mediterranean, so I call it the "all around the world" burger.
This is our first elimination.
Sadly, I mean, there's gonna be some tears tonight.
So we're not looking for the average burger.
We're not looking for the sort of comfort zone.
Okay, chef.
What would you do, Gordon? I would do a classic gourmet beef burger with an 80/20 blend, so 80% beef, 20% fat, and then I would top it with a nice caramelized bacon and then a beautiful slice of mature cheddar.
What I would do is three sliders, very small, just beef, and then I would distinguish them by doing, like, three European cheeses, and I think that would really get the judges' attention.
Right, Molly.
How are you doing? - I'm doing good.
- What are you making? I'm making a Korean barbecue burger with kimchi.
I'm flattening rice, and then I'm gonna fry it.
Okay, you're gonna make a rice cake out of that? - Mm-hmm.
- Why Korean? I just thought it was different, and I wanted to try it.
It's definitely different.
What's in here? There is soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic.
So, that's quite dangerous tonight, going Korean style.
You're gonna make a rice cake.
That's gonna go on top of the burger.
And the rice cake in a bun with all those layers? I've never done an Asian-style hamburger in my life.
Does that sound appetizing to you? This could cost me this competition and make me go home.
For this elimination test, mystery box winner Jack has assigned the junior home cooks the task of creating a restaurant-quality gourmet burger in just 60 minutes.
Make us the best burger of your lives because at least two of you talented home cooks will be leaving this competition tonight.
Being up here on the balcony, it feels really good, because I'm not being eliminated, and I can observe the other competitors to see what they're good at, to try to trip them up if I win another challenge.
Right, Tommy.
What are you making? I'm making a breakfast burger with tater tots side.
What's inside that blend? It is cheese, turkey, pork sausage, and it's seasoned with salt and pepper.
What kind of cheese have you put in there? - I put American cheese.
- Aye-yi-yi.
That's the ones I use to stick the paintings on the wall.
So breakfast burger.
However, we're looking for a gourmet burger, so make sure you elevate that burger, get those flavors right.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Jewels, how we doing? Talk me through it.
So I have prepared a lamb burger, and That could be dangerous, 'cause that can dry out so quick.
Yes.
Did you put anything in that lamb mixture to I didn't.
However, I have a really nice sauce.
You want to taste this? It's really, really good.
Basically it's tzatziki with mint, goat cheese, and greek yogurt.
Mm-hmm, mint, goat cheese and greek yogurt.
- Yeah.
- Good luck.
Alexander, so the reason we're all cooking hamburgers today is Jack said that he was really worried about you as his number one competitor, so he thought the burger might take you out.
He said that you might over-think it.
Well, I didn't get tripped up with the berries.
I'm not getting tripped up with the burger today.
What are you doing? Sliders? I see the little buns.
I'm gonna do some sliders on mini brioche buns.
I'm about to make my crispy mini fried onion rings.
Are you serious? Is Jack right? Are you over-thinking this? I'm not over-thinking this, 'cause all my components on my plate will mingle together.
You may want to stand back, 'cause these pop.
I may want to stand back? You're right.
I may want to stand back.
I like the fried kale.
That's a cool technique.
Good luck, buddy.
- They're pretty incredible, huh? - Yeah.
I mean, a complete array.
Diversity beyond belief.
Alexander is doing everything.
He's making his own kale chips.
He's making his own spicy onion rings, sauteed mushrooms, and then sliders on top of it.
- Unbelievable.
- It's amazing.
Tommy's doing a breakfast turkey burger, which doesn't really sound appetizing.
Dry.
Not only that, but it's very bland.
There's hardly any seasoning there, and then he put a processed American cheese in there.
So Gavin is taking on the theme of an Italian burger.
It's square.
It has an Italian pork sausage in it, and then his side is a cucumber tomato burrata salad.
- Wow.
- So he's got an Italian theme going through the whole burger and side.
One minute to go! Got to start applying your finishing touches now to your burgers.
Taste everything before it goes on that plate! Jack, who's lookin' in trouble? Sarah's definitely looking like she's in a little bit of trouble.
Sarah, what do you think about Jack? - Do you agree? - I don't agree, chef, and I am telling Jack I will remember that.
Finish 'em up, guys.
Come on.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop! Whoo! Great job.
Even from here your dishes look stunning.
Right, let's start off with Alexander.
- Incredible.
- Thank you.
The plating, visually, When we talk about restaurant-quality dish, guys? This is a dish that I couldn't distinguish from a restaurant.
It's amazing.
I only hope the taste is amazing as it looks.
How did you want to cook the meat? Medium, medium-rare.
It looks perfectly medium to medium-rare.
How did you get the temperature of the beef just right? I just do it by eye, and I've done this many times before.
You've done this many times before? Yeah, I make sliders for my family at home.
Oh, you do, do you? What else is on here? What kind of cheese? It's pepper Jack cheese, and then there's a simple lemon arugula salad, caramelized mushrooms with crispy mini onion rings, and there's also a black garlic aioli.
It's interesting.
I never thought of making a black garlic aioli.
Nice idea.
- Take some notes, chef.
- Yeah.
Wow.
Jack? - Yes.
- Tough competition here.
- I know.
- You worried? No.
Jack, I might be worried.
That has to be one of the most attractive sliders anywhere in the country tonight.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
So, why the kale? I think it's, like, a really nice alternative than using potatoes.
I really like going outside of the box and making things really different, and it's also, like, a lighter option.
Burger's delicious.
They taste as good as they look, and they've got that star-quality.
You know, I come across a lot of young chefs, and there are chefs that need to be taught, and then there's a bracket of chefs that are natural at cooking.
Young man, you have a natural gift and a very strong connect with food.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Well done.
Alexander, what more needs to be said? It tastes great.
The food world is gonna be lucky to have someone like you in it.
Thank you.
Okay, next up.
Tommy.
Let's go, please.
Walking up the judges, it was really nerve-racking.
My heart was pumping, and I really hope that I did enough well to get me, you know, safe.
All right.
Describe your burger.
I have made a breakfast burger with American cheese, then the patty, bacon, a fried egg, and sweet potato tater tots.
And what's this? That is the cheese that has been put Inside the middle of the patty.
- And is that the processed cheese squares? - Yes, it is.
Mm-hmm, and why would you put that in between the burger? I wanted it to melt nicely so that, when you eat the burger, you get that taste of melted cheese.
So, when you've got this thick, processed cheese, You're never gonna melt that.
Because it's processed, it needs help.
Either salamander, where it gets glazed, or like something on top to cover it so it melts.
However, the bun, really nice and crispy, Bacon cooked beautifully.
Fried egg, um, it sort of gets lost with that strong cheese flavor inside that turkey, Which is slightly dry.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, chef.
I got some little bit of bad news for you.
I've never had a turkey burger in my life that I've liked.
I just don't like it.
If you had to do it again, would you do a turkey burger? Probably because I really love the taste of turkey, but it's just kind of hard to cook since there's no fat on it.
It's so dry.
Now, here's the thing.
In life you make lots of decisions, and the one thing you need to learn, you're never gonna make everybody happy, But I do believe that all you really need to know about the restaurant business is that people want to eat breakfast all the time.
You've certainly hit on that theme with your breakfast burger.
The question is, can breakfast save you from elimination? I do believe that people want to eat breakfast all the time.
You've certainly hit on that theme.
Now, the question is, can breakfast save you from elimination? We'll find out.
All right.
Next up, Gavin.
How we doin', boss? - Good.
- Explain to me your burger.
It's like an Italian-inspired burger.
It has grilled onions, sliced tomatoes, arugula.
I also have a cucumber tomato salad with a little bit of aged balsamic vinaigrette.
So now we'll taste it.
Very smart seasoning all the way through.
- Thank you.
- The salad over here? Amazing on its own.
It's a really smart side.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Gavin.
Know any Italians? I think you're Italian.
I am Italian.
Yes, I am.
There's two kinds of people in the world.
There's Italian people and people who wish they were Italian.
- That's it.
- Okay.
My shoes are Italian.
I love the Italian sausage in the burger.
- Yeah.
- How'd you think of that? Was that just something that ca popped into your head? Yeah.
I like the sausage a lot, so Me too.
I love the Italian seasoning.
I think your salad's really smart, and any of my Italian restaurants, if I wanted to put on an Italian burger, this would be a terrific example.
- Bravo.
- Thank you.
Next up, Sarah.
Yeah! Describe the dish.
Today I made for you a pretty straight-forward all-American burger with grilled pineapple, bacon, and accidentally cabbage instead of lettuce.
Did you not realize that it was a cabbage? No.
The burger itself is slightly overcooked.
However, the pineapple works.
I like that kind of flavor.
You've elevated a basic grain burger into the premier league.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
Next up, please, Jewels.
Explain to me what we have.
That is my lamb burger.
I have caramelized onions, arugula, avocado, and tomato.
The meat is a little dry, but the whole idea behind it, it's really great.
Thank you.
Next, Kaylen.
Tell us the dish.
It is a beef and pork patty with bacon and a parmesan chip.
That's a great sear on the outside.
Very good grilling discipline.
I'll tell you a secret.
If you invited me to your house and you made me this burger? - Yeah.
- I would want to come, like, once a week.
Keep on cooking like that.
Molly, let's go.
Walking up to the judges, I'm feeling very nervous.
I'm just not proud of my plate.
What's in there? It's a Korean barbecue burger with kimchi, fried onions, togarashi fries, and a little bit of slaw.
Wow.
I love your tenacity.
You know, you're fearless.
But the patty's slightly dry, the season's way off balance, and the kimchi? Yeah, that doesn't really work.
However, it's a gallant effort.
Thank you.
You look disappointed.
- You are? - Mm-hmm.
You thought you should have done better? - Yeah.
- It's tough.
I have to tell you, Molly, in these kind of competitions we see even adults, everyone wants to do their best, and sometimes when you can't put on the plate what's in your mind, it's very frustrating.
Mm-hmm.
So, I love the idea of an Asian burger.
It's a very, very good idea, and I think that you know as well as I do it could have been a little bit more in the execution.
It's very risky.
Yeah.
Do you think this was a risk worth taking? I don't know.
I just wanted to do something I've never done.
Sometimes it can be a risk that doesn't pay off.
All 11 of you that cooked tonight, you should all be very proud.
You've done an exceptional job.
Yes, we've had highs and lows.
Based on the quality that you just produced, we need a serious discussion and a moment together.
Thank you.
Excuse us.
Ah, dear.
It's a tough one, this one.
Alexander's was certainly the most restauranty dish.
You know, the thing is with that kale, you can get it crispy in the oven, drizzle it with olive oil.
You don't need to fry it.
So, Gavin, impressive.
- It didn't have the presentation.
- No.
But it had the flavor.
Kaylen's? - Yeah.
- The "around the world" burger.
- One of my favorites.
- It was so creative.
- One of my favorites.
- Really good flavor.
And Molly's was way overcooked.
It felt like she kind of gave up.
Yeah, and Tommy's was dry.
Tommy's was really dry.
I think Jewels shot herself in the foot by doing that lamb.
Not good at all.
- Ready? - Yeah.
Okay, let's start off with the good news first tonight.
There were three stand-out burgers that we found to be simply amazing.
The first of the top three tonight, congratulations Gavin.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Gavin.
Another great dish from the top three, and he's definitely a major player - Well done, Alexander.
- Thank you.
Great job.
For the third of the top three dishes, this home cook gave us a burger that was exceptionally seasoned, and I would go all around the world to get one.
It is of course Kaylen.
Well done.
Thank you.
Well done, all three of you.
Unfortunately, it's time to find out the three junior home cooks that just didn't quite hit those high notes that we were looking for.
And the sad news is, unfortunately, at least two of you talented home cooks will be leaving this competition tonight.
Could the following three please come down to the front? Jewels Tommy And Molly.
Jewels, Tommy, Molly, this is very difficult for all of us, let me tell you.
Jewels, a talented 12-year-old New Jersey girl.
I am hoping I am able to stay here as long as I can.
This is just such an amazing opportunity that I don't want it to ever end.
Tommy, 11 years of age and a great, vast knowledge of food.
I really want to stay in the MasterChef kitchen.
I definitely don't want to go home.
It's an amazing place to be with the judges and with all the amazing equipment.
I'm definitely not ready to go home.
Molly, a local girl from Pasadena.
Sixth-grader and someone that is incredibly ambitious.
I know I'm in trouble.
I'm trying to stop myself from thinking this, but I'm just hoping Jewels' and Tommy's dish were worse than mine, if that's possible.
Jewels, Tommy, Molly.
There can only be one junior MasterChef winner.
Please step forward Jewels.
Jewels, you just did enough tonight to remain safe.
Please head back to your station.
Thank you, chef.
Which means, Tommy and Molly, I'm sorry to say your journey in junior MasterChef ends tonight.
But let me tell you something really important.
Behind you two there are thousands and thousands of youngsters trying to get where you are tonight, and so you must continue to wear those MasterChef aprons, and every time you cook for your family, your friends, just think what you achieved in this competition.
You should both go back with your head held high.
Come up and say good-bye.
- Good luck, my darling.
- Thank you.
- Well done, Tommy.
- Thank you.
I'm really disappointed about not making it farther, but it was a really great experience.
Just being here was definitely like a dream.
My passion for cooking has gotten so much stronger since I've been here.
I definitely am making my number one straight goal in life to become a chef.
I'm a little sad because Molly and Tommy are gone.
They were very talented.
I don't want to say good-bye to my friends.
- You did amazing, okay? - Thank you.
Competition is hard.
I'm kind of sad because my friends are leaving, and you never want, like, someone you really like to leave.
Keep cooking.
You're gonna do great, okay? I'm sad that this opportunity is over, but this was a great experience.
I met a lot of cool people.
I mean, the first day I cooked, the judges said they loved it.
I mean, that's insane, being 12 years old.
My dream has always been to open up a restaurant when I'm older, and one day I will open that restaurant.
You will definitely see me again.
The best, top ten junior amateur chefs in the country.
How does that sound? Well done.
Okay.
Get some rest.
Finish your homework.
Good night.
Next week at 8:00 on MasterChef Junior The competition whips into a frenzy.
Whip it! Whip like a man! And a dish any adult chef would fear.
The world-famous Gordon Ramsay beef Wellington.
As the toughest challenge in MasterChef history - Quick! Quick! - Salt! Salt in the Wellington! with amazing results.
I don't think it gets any better than that cook.
- A complete grand slam.
- Absolutely incredible.
- Great job.
- Whoo! sync, corrections: Ajvngou.
cz
Yes! But only a handful made the grade.
It's pretty phenomenal.
I'm blown away.
Wow.
This is a great dish.
This is probably the best molten lava cake that we've had, and you're nine years old.
Now the top 12 junior home cooks in America will face huge challenges.
They uncover their very first Move it! mystery box challenge.
Oh, my god! Young man, that packs a powerful punch.
And then it's an elimination challenge inspired by the judges' childhoods.
Any reselance? Tonight, these pint-sized chefs I love it.
will perform like culinary giants.
You nailed it.
- Explosive flavor.
- You have a natural gift.
The food world is gonna be lucky to have you in it.
Welcome, everybody.
The top 12 feels amazing because it makes me one step closer to becoming the next junior MasterChef.
Come down here and join us.
Let's go! And I definitely want to have a restaurant when I grow up or be a wrestler.
Being in the top 12 is honestly the most amazing thing I could ever imagine.
There's pretty fierce competition, I'm not gonna lie, but I think I'm very capable of winning.
Congratulations to you all on making it into the next round of MasterChef Junior.
Now, whoever does win will be taking home the MasterChef Junior trophy, and there's something else.
Another small prize.
$100,000.
I'm like: "What? This is real?" And I was so, so excited.
If I get it, I would really like to take my brothers to an amusement park or something.
Imagine how much candy you can buy with $100,000.
What would you do? I'd throw a party.
Would you buy your mum something special? - Nah.
- No? Alexander? My dream is to go to the culinary institute of America for college.
- Didn't you go there, Graham? - I did not.
You did not.
It explains a lot.
No matter who wins, you all represent the culinary future of America.
Now, you might be small, but the challenges that we set for you will be as big as we always set in this kitchen.
Please, go to your stations.
It's time to face your first mystery box challenge.
You'll each have one hour to cook and present to us one amazing dish using the ingredients hidden under those boxes.
The person with the best dish will get a huge advantage in the next round of the competition.
It's really incredible just to think that we're using real mystery boxes just like the adult MasterChef contestants.
On the count of three carefully lift your boxes, and there is one very, very special ingredient we've never used before in a mystery box challenge.
Oh, my god.
What is it gonna be? What is gonna is it gonna be duck, chicken, horse? - You never know, man.
- One, two, three.
Lift! Whoa! You have under your boxes filet mignon, tiger shrimp, puff pastry, mixed berries, butter potatoes, blue cheese.
Yucky.
It smells like feet, and I've had blue cheese.
It tastes feety-ish.
Gross.
Has anybody spotted that very special ingredient? Dig a little deeper.
I see it.
I found a tablet.
This is awesome.
Yes.
It's a tablet.
You'll each have three minutes to use skype on that tablet to call a friend or a family member who can help you come up with a dish that will make the most of those amazing ingredients.
Is everybody ready to use skype? Yes, chef! Your time starts now.
- Hi! - Hi, jewels.
Hi, daddy.
Nice seeing you.
- Oh, my god, I miss you.
- We miss you too.
So I just opened up this mystery box.
- Okay.
- So listen what I'm gonna make.
Great grandma's latkes with a twist.
Yeah.
I like it.
I like it.
Thanks.
Break a leg! Good-bye! Wait, wait! Just don't try to get rid of me so quick.
I'm super excited to get some tips from one of my mom's best friends.
- Here are the ingredients.
- Okay.
She's really good at cooking.
You have some great stuff there to make a teriyaki sauce.
If you want to do, like, shrimp skewers and then use the ginger and the soy sauce.
- Okay.
- I don't know what to make with the shrimp.
My friend Frank owns a restaurant, and he just has really good advice.
Why don't we try and do something like a garlic-basil, something Asian? So olive oil, basil, soy sauce, garlic.
- What do you think? - Okay.
It is time to end your skype calls.
Skype high-five! Whoo! Thank you! Bye.
Everyone know what they're planning to make? Yes, chef! Let your imagination go wild.
Your 60 minutes starts Now.
Let's go! This is really important.
First mystery box coming right out of the gate to establish your place as a real competitor, and kids, with their imaginations, are so wide-open.
They open that mystery box, and the world is their oyster.
I'm making Asian-style marinated steak and shrimp.
Not many people are marinating their steak and their shrimp in soy sauce and Asian-style food, so I think that flavor of the steak was gonna wow the judges, and hopefully I'll get on the top.
I'm making a rub for my filet mignon, and then I'm gonna make a mixed berry vinaigrette over an arugula salad and garnish with onion rings.
I feel really good about this dish.
I think that it's different.
Young lady, what are you making? I'm making grilled filet mignon and I'm going for really spiced.
You're going for medium rare, medium, well done? - How do you - Medium rare.
And how do you know it's going to be medium rare? By touch.
It's all by touch.
By touch, okay.
So you're the youngest in this competition? - Yes.
- Yup.
You feeling nervous? No.
Age doesn't really matter.
- Good luck.
- Jack.
So what's up with the Hawaiian shirts? - Dude, I love it.
- I don't know.
I just really like Hawaiian shirts.
- You have a lot of 'em? - They're really comfortable.
- Can I call you "Hawaii Jack"? - Sure.
You got a lot of stuff going on here, buddy.
I know.
It's a lot.
- It's a lot.
- Like, a lot.
What are you makin', man? Pan-seared filet mignon and sauteed shrimp.
Well, you did a good job.
What's in the sauce? That's just some butter, some heavy cream, and some mushrooms and stuff whoa! Uh-oh.
That's hot.
Be careful.
Don't burn yourself.
Yeah.
Good luck, buddy.
Hi, Molly.
How are you? I'm doing great.
So you're 12 years old.
This is your first mystery box.
Yes.
What were you thinking when you saw the ingredients under there? I wanted to stick with my traditional background and do a Hungarian goulash.
We have everyone from age 9 to 13.
What do you think that age actually has to do with the competition? than 9-year-olds since they've had more opportunity to practice.
Doesn't mean that they're not good enough to win.
Sure.
Good luck.
Right, Alexander.
Describe the dish for me, please.
It's a pan-seared filet mignon with a thyme-ginger butter, roasted carrots, and I'm also doing a mixed berry puree, a spicy one.
Well, that's a lot to do in that short period of time.
Now on an average week how many times do you cook? Five to six.
You cook five to six times a week? - Yes, I do.
- Wow.
You are definitely a chef in the making, aren't you? - Yes.
- Good luck.
- All right, Troy.
- Yes, sir.
What does it take to win this competition? What it takes to win is to be focused, creativity, some skill.
What'd you put on there? A little salt and pepper, bay leaves, and some thyme and butter.
Good.
Got a good flavor.
Like blowing it, like, blows up in your mouth.
- Explosive flavor.
- Exactly! Nice.
Just under four minutes to go.
If I look around this room, it would be very difficult for me to identify these plates as belonging to junior MasterChefs between the ages of 8 and 13.
I would really say we have dishes out there that are at adult level.
I mean, Sarah, she has marinated those filet mignons in a spice rub.
That is absolutely phenomenal.
Alexander's seriously composed.
I mean, he cooks five, six nights a week.
Oh, he does? That's more than most adults in America.
Yeah.
Jack has got it all going on.
I tasted his mushroom cream sauce.
Fabulous.
Be creative! Show off your artistry, your talent.
We want to see beautiful dishes, guys.
They have to be beautiful and delicious.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop! Three, two, one, and stop! Well done.
Throughout the mystery box challenge, the judges taste elements of all the junior home cooks' dishes as they come together.
They now take one last look to choose the top three standouts, and the winner of this challenge will receive a major advantage in the next round.
We have been absolutely blown away on the back of the standard that you have produced this evening.
There are three standout dishes tonight that we would like to examine further.
This junior MasterChef really challenged themselves, and the final result really showed.
Please step forward Alexander.
Let's go.
Right.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a pan-seared filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes, butter-glazed carrots, and a spicy mixed berry puree with a fresh green salad.
So, visually, it's got that wow factor.
We don't generally serve salad underneath the steak.
If you're gonna have a salad, then you got enough room on the plate here to have the salad on the side.
Here's the thing.
Carrots, cooked beautifully.
Love that fragrance of the ginger in there as well, but what you have nailed, tonight, is that mash.
I've tasted thousands of plates of mash cooked by professional chefs, and there's always the occasional lump, or there's a rawness to the garlic.
Roasting the garlic, and then pureeing the garlic through the mash, a very smart thing to do.
As a challenge in your first mystery box, you came up with a very good dish.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Looking at the steak, the outside is beautifully seared, so your pan was at the right temp.
Alexander, how old are you? I'm 13.
I see a lot of myself in you.
I was nowhere near where you are at your age.
It took me twice as long to get to that point.
I'm extremely excited to see what you can keep doing as we go along.
Good job.
Thank you.
Where did the idea come from for the spicy berry sauce? I was really fascinated.
Well, immediately when I saw the mixed berries, I knew that I wanted to make a puree with them, But I didn't want to just blend them.
I wanted to make them a little bit more unique, so I decided to make it spicy.
- Good job, Alexander.
- Thank you.
All right, the second dish that we would like to look at closer, this cook was bold enough to use both the shrimp and filet mignon.
Please step forward Jack.
Oh, my god, yes.
Yes! I'm not here right now.
Like, this is a dream, right? Wow.
It is a pan-seared filet mignon with sauteed shrimp, a potato puff, and some glazed carrots with a mushroom cream sauce.
Beautiful.
Look at the outside.
Look at that crust.
Yeah.
That sear, and then nice and pink in the middle.
- Awesome job.
- Thank you.
So look at that.
It's like a sea monster.
Doesn't it look like it's gonna come and get you? Oh, god.
How do we know if this is perfect? Just white, not transparent, and we don't want it to be rubbery.
It looks perfect.
How old are you, Jack? I'm ten years old.
Do you like carpentry? Have you ever worked with hammers and stuff? - Hm, not that much.
- Okay, 'cause you nailed it.
I mean, I'm talkin', like: "Bam" Like with a hammer.
Like, destroyed it.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Who did you talk to for some last-minute tips? My dad's friend, Frank.
He and his wife own a restaurant.
It's called Frankly Thai.
What's Thai about your dish? - I used a lot of soy sauce.
- Here's the thing.
You cook like a dream, I'm telling you.
The filet is beautifully done.
Shrimps are seasoned and cooked beautifully.
Yeah, you put food on a plate with finesse.
A small, young man that packs a very powerful punch.
- Thank you.
- Oh, my god.
You should all know that the third dish was a very, very difficult decision.
The person we want to come up here and join Alexander and Jack is Troy.
Well done.
Troy's dish looked really good and was "presentated" beautifully.
Troy's just an amazing cook, and I think that he deserves it.
Tell me about your dish.
I made a filet mignon with root vegetable hash with a poached egg on top and a demi-glazed soy sauce.
- It's gorgeous.
- Thank you.
Who taught you how to plate like that? - You been studying? - Yes.
Wow.
You have the bitterness from the arugula, and you have the sweetness from the root vegetables.
The steak has a good crust.
The rub is amazing.
I nevethought about putting bay leaves for a steak rub, but the flavor is veryntense.
Very impressive.
Thank you.
Why medium well? Because I like the crunch on it.
And what would I change? Not much, to be honest.
Maybe cook the beef medium rare.
- Okay.
- But that's how you like it.
- Yeah.
- But, remember, you're trying to win us over, not yourself.
- Yeah.
Okay.
- You've done an amazing job.
- Thank you very much.
- And great finesse.
- Really well done.
- Thank you.
Alexander, Jack, and Troy, Great job.
Three phenomenal dishes.
However, only one dish can be the best and win tonight's first mystery box challenge and receive a huge advantage in the next stage of this competition.
I want this advantage really badly because it can help me get through to the next round.
Please call my name! I have to let everybody know that I'm a fierce competitor.
I feel I performed great in that challenge.
I want to win so bad.
The winner and the best dish of the night, Congratulations There was one dish that literally nailed everything.
The winner and the best dish of the night, congratulations - Jack.
- Oh, my god! My god.
Jack, the sear and the temperature on that filet mignon was beautiful.
The shrimp was exceptional, and even some of the best seafood houses anywhere in the country, They don't cook shrimp like that.
- Delicious.
- Oh, my god.
For winning the MasterChef Junior first mystery box challenge, you get to come into the MasterChef pantry - Yes.
- To find out your huge advantage.
- Are you ready? - Yes.
Let's go, big man.
- Good job, man.
- Thank you.
Amazing.
Thank you.
- Great job.
- Thank you so much.
Let's go, bud.
10-year-old Jack is now in control of the elimination test.
At the end of this challenge, two junior home cooks will leave the competition.
Jack, welcome to the amazing MasterChef pantry.
It's time to find out the theme of this challenge.
Now I know that we look like wise, old men to you.
Not really.
- No? - You look like wise, young men.
Ohh.
Thanks, bud.
You're welcome.
Under these cloches are our favorite dishes from back when we were your age.
Jack, do you recognize this handsome young man with a full head of hair? No, but I'm guessing it's you.
I was eight years old, and you know what my favorite food was back then? No.
What was it? Chicken wings smothered in a delicious, tangy sauce.
I could literally eat them every day.
Those look great, but This guy enjoyed something totally different.
Any resemblance? Um, not really.
- None? - No.
When I was a kid my favorite food to eat was basically a party in a bun.
A perfectly-cooked burger.
I love burgers.
To me they represent what's best about America beef.
Jack, look at that dude.
Seriously.
Not a wrinkle anywhere.
- That is me, age eight.
- Wow.
When I was your age, it wasn't chicken or beef.
They weren't my favorites.
It was something crunchy, delicious that came from that beautiful English seaside.
Delicious fish fingers.
Now, we want you to make a refined, MasterChef-worthy, restaurant-quality dish inspired by the kind of food that we loved when we were young.
Wow.
For your first advantage, Jack, you will not have to cook in this challenge.
You are safe.
Oh, my gosh, yes.
And you will not be leaving tonight.
Yes! And for your second game-changing advantage, you and you alone will get to decide which of our three childhood favorites everyone else out there in the competition will have to cook tonight.
Jack, which one of our three childhood favorites, fish fingers, hamburgers, or chicken wings, is everybody out there going to have to make? Wow.
Um Hello.
Oh, my god.
That's right, everybody.
Because Jack won the mystery box challenge, he is now safe from elimination tonight.
The second advantage we gave Jack was deciding what all of you will be cooking in tonight's challenge.
In the pantry we gave Jack the choice of three different types of food that we actually used to love to eat as kids.
All right.
Everybody, Jack chose Hamburger! But we are not looking for a plain, flat, gnarly-looking burger like this one.
We want a gourmet burger.
I think that Alexander's the one to beat.
He's got the most knowledge about food.
He's been cooking for the longest, and I'm hoping that he will over-think the burger and put ridiculous toppings on it.
Unfortunately, at least two of you talented home cooks will be leaving this competition tonight.
You're gonna have one hour to make us an innovative MasterChef-worthy burger.
Your time starts Now.
Let's go.
Let's go, guys.
Use the time wisely.
Check everything, guys.
The pantry was absolutely nuts.
Everyone was freaking out.
Everyone was running all over the place like: "Oh, my gosh.
I need this.
I need that.
" Everyone was freaking out.
It was totally chaotic.
Move, you animals! Move it! All you could hear was, "Where's the oregano? Where's the potatoes?" - Watch out! Ketchup.
- Ketchup's right here.
But overall it was pretty awesome.
Go! This is so heavy! Here we go.
Let's go, guys.
Come on.
Create that stunning, MasterChef-worthy burger.
I'm making an Italian-style burger.
Jeff's from Italy, so he's probably had an Italian burger, so I'm a little bit nervous.
I think Jack picked a really good food because it takes a lot of time to perfect, you know, beef and mixtures of pork, and my ingredients come from Italy and then American and Mediterranean, so I call it the "all around the world" burger.
This is our first elimination.
Sadly, I mean, there's gonna be some tears tonight.
So we're not looking for the average burger.
We're not looking for the sort of comfort zone.
Okay, chef.
What would you do, Gordon? I would do a classic gourmet beef burger with an 80/20 blend, so 80% beef, 20% fat, and then I would top it with a nice caramelized bacon and then a beautiful slice of mature cheddar.
What I would do is three sliders, very small, just beef, and then I would distinguish them by doing, like, three European cheeses, and I think that would really get the judges' attention.
Right, Molly.
How are you doing? - I'm doing good.
- What are you making? I'm making a Korean barbecue burger with kimchi.
I'm flattening rice, and then I'm gonna fry it.
Okay, you're gonna make a rice cake out of that? - Mm-hmm.
- Why Korean? I just thought it was different, and I wanted to try it.
It's definitely different.
What's in here? There is soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic.
So, that's quite dangerous tonight, going Korean style.
You're gonna make a rice cake.
That's gonna go on top of the burger.
And the rice cake in a bun with all those layers? I've never done an Asian-style hamburger in my life.
Does that sound appetizing to you? This could cost me this competition and make me go home.
For this elimination test, mystery box winner Jack has assigned the junior home cooks the task of creating a restaurant-quality gourmet burger in just 60 minutes.
Make us the best burger of your lives because at least two of you talented home cooks will be leaving this competition tonight.
Being up here on the balcony, it feels really good, because I'm not being eliminated, and I can observe the other competitors to see what they're good at, to try to trip them up if I win another challenge.
Right, Tommy.
What are you making? I'm making a breakfast burger with tater tots side.
What's inside that blend? It is cheese, turkey, pork sausage, and it's seasoned with salt and pepper.
What kind of cheese have you put in there? - I put American cheese.
- Aye-yi-yi.
That's the ones I use to stick the paintings on the wall.
So breakfast burger.
However, we're looking for a gourmet burger, so make sure you elevate that burger, get those flavors right.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Jewels, how we doing? Talk me through it.
So I have prepared a lamb burger, and That could be dangerous, 'cause that can dry out so quick.
Yes.
Did you put anything in that lamb mixture to I didn't.
However, I have a really nice sauce.
You want to taste this? It's really, really good.
Basically it's tzatziki with mint, goat cheese, and greek yogurt.
Mm-hmm, mint, goat cheese and greek yogurt.
- Yeah.
- Good luck.
Alexander, so the reason we're all cooking hamburgers today is Jack said that he was really worried about you as his number one competitor, so he thought the burger might take you out.
He said that you might over-think it.
Well, I didn't get tripped up with the berries.
I'm not getting tripped up with the burger today.
What are you doing? Sliders? I see the little buns.
I'm gonna do some sliders on mini brioche buns.
I'm about to make my crispy mini fried onion rings.
Are you serious? Is Jack right? Are you over-thinking this? I'm not over-thinking this, 'cause all my components on my plate will mingle together.
You may want to stand back, 'cause these pop.
I may want to stand back? You're right.
I may want to stand back.
I like the fried kale.
That's a cool technique.
Good luck, buddy.
- They're pretty incredible, huh? - Yeah.
I mean, a complete array.
Diversity beyond belief.
Alexander is doing everything.
He's making his own kale chips.
He's making his own spicy onion rings, sauteed mushrooms, and then sliders on top of it.
- Unbelievable.
- It's amazing.
Tommy's doing a breakfast turkey burger, which doesn't really sound appetizing.
Dry.
Not only that, but it's very bland.
There's hardly any seasoning there, and then he put a processed American cheese in there.
So Gavin is taking on the theme of an Italian burger.
It's square.
It has an Italian pork sausage in it, and then his side is a cucumber tomato burrata salad.
- Wow.
- So he's got an Italian theme going through the whole burger and side.
One minute to go! Got to start applying your finishing touches now to your burgers.
Taste everything before it goes on that plate! Jack, who's lookin' in trouble? Sarah's definitely looking like she's in a little bit of trouble.
Sarah, what do you think about Jack? - Do you agree? - I don't agree, chef, and I am telling Jack I will remember that.
Finish 'em up, guys.
Come on.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop! Whoo! Great job.
Even from here your dishes look stunning.
Right, let's start off with Alexander.
- Incredible.
- Thank you.
The plating, visually, When we talk about restaurant-quality dish, guys? This is a dish that I couldn't distinguish from a restaurant.
It's amazing.
I only hope the taste is amazing as it looks.
How did you want to cook the meat? Medium, medium-rare.
It looks perfectly medium to medium-rare.
How did you get the temperature of the beef just right? I just do it by eye, and I've done this many times before.
You've done this many times before? Yeah, I make sliders for my family at home.
Oh, you do, do you? What else is on here? What kind of cheese? It's pepper Jack cheese, and then there's a simple lemon arugula salad, caramelized mushrooms with crispy mini onion rings, and there's also a black garlic aioli.
It's interesting.
I never thought of making a black garlic aioli.
Nice idea.
- Take some notes, chef.
- Yeah.
Wow.
Jack? - Yes.
- Tough competition here.
- I know.
- You worried? No.
Jack, I might be worried.
That has to be one of the most attractive sliders anywhere in the country tonight.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
So, why the kale? I think it's, like, a really nice alternative than using potatoes.
I really like going outside of the box and making things really different, and it's also, like, a lighter option.
Burger's delicious.
They taste as good as they look, and they've got that star-quality.
You know, I come across a lot of young chefs, and there are chefs that need to be taught, and then there's a bracket of chefs that are natural at cooking.
Young man, you have a natural gift and a very strong connect with food.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Well done.
Alexander, what more needs to be said? It tastes great.
The food world is gonna be lucky to have someone like you in it.
Thank you.
Okay, next up.
Tommy.
Let's go, please.
Walking up the judges, it was really nerve-racking.
My heart was pumping, and I really hope that I did enough well to get me, you know, safe.
All right.
Describe your burger.
I have made a breakfast burger with American cheese, then the patty, bacon, a fried egg, and sweet potato tater tots.
And what's this? That is the cheese that has been put Inside the middle of the patty.
- And is that the processed cheese squares? - Yes, it is.
Mm-hmm, and why would you put that in between the burger? I wanted it to melt nicely so that, when you eat the burger, you get that taste of melted cheese.
So, when you've got this thick, processed cheese, You're never gonna melt that.
Because it's processed, it needs help.
Either salamander, where it gets glazed, or like something on top to cover it so it melts.
However, the bun, really nice and crispy, Bacon cooked beautifully.
Fried egg, um, it sort of gets lost with that strong cheese flavor inside that turkey, Which is slightly dry.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, chef.
I got some little bit of bad news for you.
I've never had a turkey burger in my life that I've liked.
I just don't like it.
If you had to do it again, would you do a turkey burger? Probably because I really love the taste of turkey, but it's just kind of hard to cook since there's no fat on it.
It's so dry.
Now, here's the thing.
In life you make lots of decisions, and the one thing you need to learn, you're never gonna make everybody happy, But I do believe that all you really need to know about the restaurant business is that people want to eat breakfast all the time.
You've certainly hit on that theme with your breakfast burger.
The question is, can breakfast save you from elimination? I do believe that people want to eat breakfast all the time.
You've certainly hit on that theme.
Now, the question is, can breakfast save you from elimination? We'll find out.
All right.
Next up, Gavin.
How we doin', boss? - Good.
- Explain to me your burger.
It's like an Italian-inspired burger.
It has grilled onions, sliced tomatoes, arugula.
I also have a cucumber tomato salad with a little bit of aged balsamic vinaigrette.
So now we'll taste it.
Very smart seasoning all the way through.
- Thank you.
- The salad over here? Amazing on its own.
It's a really smart side.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Gavin.
Know any Italians? I think you're Italian.
I am Italian.
Yes, I am.
There's two kinds of people in the world.
There's Italian people and people who wish they were Italian.
- That's it.
- Okay.
My shoes are Italian.
I love the Italian sausage in the burger.
- Yeah.
- How'd you think of that? Was that just something that ca popped into your head? Yeah.
I like the sausage a lot, so Me too.
I love the Italian seasoning.
I think your salad's really smart, and any of my Italian restaurants, if I wanted to put on an Italian burger, this would be a terrific example.
- Bravo.
- Thank you.
Next up, Sarah.
Yeah! Describe the dish.
Today I made for you a pretty straight-forward all-American burger with grilled pineapple, bacon, and accidentally cabbage instead of lettuce.
Did you not realize that it was a cabbage? No.
The burger itself is slightly overcooked.
However, the pineapple works.
I like that kind of flavor.
You've elevated a basic grain burger into the premier league.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
Next up, please, Jewels.
Explain to me what we have.
That is my lamb burger.
I have caramelized onions, arugula, avocado, and tomato.
The meat is a little dry, but the whole idea behind it, it's really great.
Thank you.
Next, Kaylen.
Tell us the dish.
It is a beef and pork patty with bacon and a parmesan chip.
That's a great sear on the outside.
Very good grilling discipline.
I'll tell you a secret.
If you invited me to your house and you made me this burger? - Yeah.
- I would want to come, like, once a week.
Keep on cooking like that.
Molly, let's go.
Walking up to the judges, I'm feeling very nervous.
I'm just not proud of my plate.
What's in there? It's a Korean barbecue burger with kimchi, fried onions, togarashi fries, and a little bit of slaw.
Wow.
I love your tenacity.
You know, you're fearless.
But the patty's slightly dry, the season's way off balance, and the kimchi? Yeah, that doesn't really work.
However, it's a gallant effort.
Thank you.
You look disappointed.
- You are? - Mm-hmm.
You thought you should have done better? - Yeah.
- It's tough.
I have to tell you, Molly, in these kind of competitions we see even adults, everyone wants to do their best, and sometimes when you can't put on the plate what's in your mind, it's very frustrating.
Mm-hmm.
So, I love the idea of an Asian burger.
It's a very, very good idea, and I think that you know as well as I do it could have been a little bit more in the execution.
It's very risky.
Yeah.
Do you think this was a risk worth taking? I don't know.
I just wanted to do something I've never done.
Sometimes it can be a risk that doesn't pay off.
All 11 of you that cooked tonight, you should all be very proud.
You've done an exceptional job.
Yes, we've had highs and lows.
Based on the quality that you just produced, we need a serious discussion and a moment together.
Thank you.
Excuse us.
Ah, dear.
It's a tough one, this one.
Alexander's was certainly the most restauranty dish.
You know, the thing is with that kale, you can get it crispy in the oven, drizzle it with olive oil.
You don't need to fry it.
So, Gavin, impressive.
- It didn't have the presentation.
- No.
But it had the flavor.
Kaylen's? - Yeah.
- The "around the world" burger.
- One of my favorites.
- It was so creative.
- One of my favorites.
- Really good flavor.
And Molly's was way overcooked.
It felt like she kind of gave up.
Yeah, and Tommy's was dry.
Tommy's was really dry.
I think Jewels shot herself in the foot by doing that lamb.
Not good at all.
- Ready? - Yeah.
Okay, let's start off with the good news first tonight.
There were three stand-out burgers that we found to be simply amazing.
The first of the top three tonight, congratulations Gavin.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Gavin.
Another great dish from the top three, and he's definitely a major player - Well done, Alexander.
- Thank you.
Great job.
For the third of the top three dishes, this home cook gave us a burger that was exceptionally seasoned, and I would go all around the world to get one.
It is of course Kaylen.
Well done.
Thank you.
Well done, all three of you.
Unfortunately, it's time to find out the three junior home cooks that just didn't quite hit those high notes that we were looking for.
And the sad news is, unfortunately, at least two of you talented home cooks will be leaving this competition tonight.
Could the following three please come down to the front? Jewels Tommy And Molly.
Jewels, Tommy, Molly, this is very difficult for all of us, let me tell you.
Jewels, a talented 12-year-old New Jersey girl.
I am hoping I am able to stay here as long as I can.
This is just such an amazing opportunity that I don't want it to ever end.
Tommy, 11 years of age and a great, vast knowledge of food.
I really want to stay in the MasterChef kitchen.
I definitely don't want to go home.
It's an amazing place to be with the judges and with all the amazing equipment.
I'm definitely not ready to go home.
Molly, a local girl from Pasadena.
Sixth-grader and someone that is incredibly ambitious.
I know I'm in trouble.
I'm trying to stop myself from thinking this, but I'm just hoping Jewels' and Tommy's dish were worse than mine, if that's possible.
Jewels, Tommy, Molly.
There can only be one junior MasterChef winner.
Please step forward Jewels.
Jewels, you just did enough tonight to remain safe.
Please head back to your station.
Thank you, chef.
Which means, Tommy and Molly, I'm sorry to say your journey in junior MasterChef ends tonight.
But let me tell you something really important.
Behind you two there are thousands and thousands of youngsters trying to get where you are tonight, and so you must continue to wear those MasterChef aprons, and every time you cook for your family, your friends, just think what you achieved in this competition.
You should both go back with your head held high.
Come up and say good-bye.
- Good luck, my darling.
- Thank you.
- Well done, Tommy.
- Thank you.
I'm really disappointed about not making it farther, but it was a really great experience.
Just being here was definitely like a dream.
My passion for cooking has gotten so much stronger since I've been here.
I definitely am making my number one straight goal in life to become a chef.
I'm a little sad because Molly and Tommy are gone.
They were very talented.
I don't want to say good-bye to my friends.
- You did amazing, okay? - Thank you.
Competition is hard.
I'm kind of sad because my friends are leaving, and you never want, like, someone you really like to leave.
Keep cooking.
You're gonna do great, okay? I'm sad that this opportunity is over, but this was a great experience.
I met a lot of cool people.
I mean, the first day I cooked, the judges said they loved it.
I mean, that's insane, being 12 years old.
My dream has always been to open up a restaurant when I'm older, and one day I will open that restaurant.
You will definitely see me again.
The best, top ten junior amateur chefs in the country.
How does that sound? Well done.
Okay.
Get some rest.
Finish your homework.
Good night.
Next week at 8:00 on MasterChef Junior The competition whips into a frenzy.
Whip it! Whip like a man! And a dish any adult chef would fear.
The world-famous Gordon Ramsay beef Wellington.
As the toughest challenge in MasterChef history - Quick! Quick! - Salt! Salt in the Wellington! with amazing results.
I don't think it gets any better than that cook.
- A complete grand slam.
- Absolutely incredible.
- Great job.
- Whoo! sync, corrections: Ajvngou.
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