MasterChef Junior (2013) s01e07 Episode Script
Junior Edition: Finale (2)
This season on MasterChef Junior Wow.
The most talented pint-sized home cooks in America faced the ultimate culinary battle.
You are the best of the best.
The biggest cooking competition in the world Let's go! took things to a whole new level.
Move it.
That is embarrassing.
Get rid of it.
The home cook were small - How old are you? - 8.
- 11.
- I'm 10 years old.
but the challenges were huge, with spectacular results week after week.
- I'm blown away.
- Wow.
- Beautiful.
- This is delicious.
Tonight only two remain in the grand finale.
Dara and Alexander, it's time for the main event.
As the final two go head to head in a television first I'm not going home without that trophy.
I'm here to take the title.
only one can walk away with $100,000 and the title of America's first MasterChef Junior.
The winner is Tonight television's biggest culinary battle will be taken on by America's smallest home cooks.
It's the culinary showdown that the whole of America is talking about.
Welcome to the junior MasterChef finale.
First up from Los Angeles, California, Regardless of her age, Dara is one of the most talented home cooks to ever enter the MasterChef kitchen.
Personally, I hate blue cheese, but I'm using it.
From the beginning, Dara has impressed us with her ambitious cuisine.
The dish is delicious.
It's accomplished, it's got great finesse.
You hit it out of the park with this one.
That is a restaurant's signature dish.
Thank you.
This young cook has plated intense flavors - with youthful spirit.
- Sorry.
Can I have a look at that, please? - Yes.
- Beautiful.
Oh, it's stuck.
Oh, god.
Let's go.
One burrata, one tuna.
Okay, go.
How about, "Yes, chef"? - Yes, chef.
- This was delicious.
You're good.
Didn't you say you baked - your mom's wedding cake? - Yeah.
I make beautiful food, and that is my passion in life.
It's like I was born to do this.
You have every reason to be happy.
I mean, I want to cry, it's that good.
I'm not here to fight for the title.
I'm here to take the title.
You did great.
Tonight, can Dara continue to dazzle us and take home the junior MasterChef title? I can.
The only obstacle that stands in Dara's way is From New York, New York, You may want to stand back.
I may want to stand back? You're right.
I may want to stand back.
A seventh grader, Alexander showed promise from the start.
That is amazing.
It's beautiful.
It could be the cover of your cookbook.
Visually, they look beautiful.
You've now perfected the most dangerous dessert - anywhere in the world.
- Thank you.
A serious competitor from the beginning, his rivals put a target on his back.
Who would you like to see leaving next? - Alexander.
- Oh.
- Alexanr.
- Alexander.
- Duh.
- Duh.
Known affectionately as "Big Al" Whip like a man! - Whip it! - Whipped.
- Big Al.
- Well done.
- Alexander! - Oh! I thought I could trust you, Big Al.
This talented young home cook demonstrated a natural culinary gift There's a bracket of chefs that are natural at cooking.
You are one of them.
Never shying away from complex, sophisticated flavors.
It's delicious.
"Wow".
I want that title so badly.
There's just nothing that I want more.
This is what I was meant to do.
Congratulations, Dara and Alexander, on making it to America's first-ever MasterChef Junior finale.
You both know what's on the line $100,000 and the chance to be America's first-ever junior MasterChef champion.
And here to cheer you on, please welcome your parents.
All right, Dara! And all of your past competitors.
Also here to cheer you on, the 2013 MasterChef winner, Luca.
Dara and Alexander, it's time for the main event.
For tonight's challenge, you have just 90 minutes to create a perfectly-composed three-course dinner.
One appetizer, one entree, and one dessert.
Alexander, Dara, you'll now both shop for the last time in the MasterChef pantry where I've got a surprise for you.
Are you both ready? Yes, chef! Your time in the pantry starts Now! Off you go.
We run in, and I see my auntie Fran on a huge tv.
Hi, Dara.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
I haven't seen her since last summer, so I was so excited.
- I just wanted to wish you luck.
- Thank you so much.
Keep up the good work.
Hey, Alexander.
I'm really excited to see my uncle Marty and my cousin Anna supporting me from a skype call from New York.
That's pretty amazing.
We're rooting for you.
You know, I just know from everything you've cooked for us so far - you're gonna do fantastic.
- Thank you.
- So what's up, guys? - Hi.
It's time to end this skype call and to get started on tonight's big event.
- Love you guys.
- See ya.
It's gonna be really tough.
to create three amazing dishes.
For my appetizer, I'm going to do a shrimp and baby heirloom tomato crostini.
For my entree I'm going to make a potato gnocchi with a pan-seared veal chop.
And for dessert a deconstructed cannoli Napoleon with a mixed berry sauce.
Where's the rice? For my appetizer, I'm doing a duo of ahi tuna.
For my entree I'm doing sauteed spot prawns with wontons in a thai coconut curry sauce, and for my dessert I'm doing a poached pear in a lemon-ginger miso sauce.
Come on, please.
Dara and Alexander, are you both ready? Yes, chef.
Your final 90 minutes in the MasterChef kitchen starts Now.
Let's go.
I'm America's MasterChef of season four, and it's amazing just to think that these two kids are, like, 12, 13 years old.
Like, I couldn't cook when I was 12, 13 years old.
Probably at 18 years old, I couldn't have even make a fried egg.
Keep it going.
Come on.
I'm rooting for both of them, but I do think that Dara might win because if Alexander over-complicates it he might get a little bit worn down, and Dara might leap and grab that advantage and she might win.
I think Dara's menu is creative, but it doesn't sound very appealing.
I think Alexander's gonna win.
Come on, Alexander! Oh, snap, it's Alexander versus Dara.
This is gonna be epic.
Come on, guys.
Come on, guys.
In the battle to become America's first, MasterChef Junior, 12-year-old Dara and 13-year-old Alexander are fighting it out over a three-course menu that they devised.
Come on, Dara! Dara is preparing a dual ahi tuna appetizer, an entree of spot prawns with wontons and a thai curry sauce, and for dessert poached pears in a lemon-ginger miso sauce.
I have to make a three-course meal in 90 minutes to win this competition.
Like, oh, my gosh.
Like, they think we can do this? It's crazy.
Come on, Alexander! Alexander's menu features a shrimp and heirloom tomato crostini appetizer, a seared veal chop and potato gnocchi entree, and a Napoleon cannoli with a mixed berry sauce for dessert.
I might have bit off more than I can chew with the gnocchi, the cannoli, the appetizer with, like, But I can't change it now.
I've already got those ingredients.
I've just got to stick to it.
We came into this competition knowing Dara was a good cook, but not knowing to what extent.
To get to this point has blown me away.
Come on, Alexander.
For Alexander, it's not about the money, it's about being junior MasterChef and having that trophy.
He's in his element.
I mean, this has been the ride of his life.
Come on, Dara.
Alexander, come on.
- Mm.
- Yeah.
Wow, this is it.
- Amazing.
- We are in for a big treat.
Just think what Dara and Alexander have achieved so far in this competition.
This is the culmination of one of the most incredible culinary journeys that I've ever seen in my life, children 8 to 13 years old who have this kind of talent and then take - this kind of an evolution on their MasterChef journey - Yeah.
- Mind-blowing.
- Come on, Dara.
I love the fact that Dara is playing to her strengths.
I think that Dara's menu is way too ambitious.
I think doing a double appetizer is bold almost to the point of being slightly naive, because, if she doesn't finish, she will lose because of time management.
Hey, Alexander, keep it moving, keep it moving.
Stay focused.
Right now I think that Alexander's menu is infinitely more executable.
I disagree.
Alexander is trying to attempt to do too many different things in 90 minutes.
Right.
Keep it going.
Come on.
Come on, buddy! Right, Dara, how are you feeling? I'm feeling great, chef.
The menu sounds like you're playing to your strengths.
I am going for an Asian theme, 'cause I feel that it is, like, my heritage and it is a lot of what I know.
- Yeah.
- So I'm just gonna go with that, and I know that this is where my strength is.
Yeah, it sounds incredible.
- Thanks.
- A duo of tuna first, and then that amazing, fragrant curry.
How are you making that curry? It's ginger, garlic, coconut milk, curry powder.
Is that fresh ginger in there? Yes.
Mm, that's delicious.
And the dumplings? The dumplings are this is the mixture.
It's scallops and shrimp.
I love rounding off dinner with an amazing dessert.
Your poached pear sounds incredible, especially the miso.
Where'd you get the idea from? So I feel like those flavors would go really good together.
And you guys have said a lot about how my flavors are so bold, and I feel like this just elevates it.
- Young lady, good luck.
- Thank you.
- Good job.
- Yay! Good job.
Stay focused.
Stay focused.
Come on! - Yeah.
- Whoo! - Alexander.
- Yes, chef.
How's your appetizer coming? My appetizer is coming along really great.
I'm almost done with it.
I've got my shrimp marinating.
What are they marinating in? - Basil, lemon juice, olive oil.
- Yeah.
I'm just gonna quickly grill them because since the acid is in there, they'll cook much faster.
How we doin' entree-wise? You have a bone-in veal chop.
How long do you think it's gonna take to cook? I'm putting it in the oven for about ten minutes or so, and I still have to sear the veal.
You got gnocchi with that too, right? I'm going to pan-fry them.
What are you using the pasta cutter for? For my cannoli dough.
Smart.
Talk us through your dessert.
When I think of Italian desserts, I think of cannoli.
I wanted to do something different, and, since it's a Napoleon, I'm doing it with three layers.
All right.
Good luck, Alexander.
Thank you.
Dara! I need powdered sugar.
Um You can use some of mine, Dara.
Here.
Here.
Dara.
Dara! - Dara.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- Sorry.
Thank you! Dara.
Thank you so much.
- Look at me.
- Look at me.
- Look at me.
- Don't panic.
Okay.
Okay? You can do this.
Okay? Keep it together.
I know how these kids are feeling.
They feel nervous.
They feel excited.
They feel scared.
Where'd I put the gremolata? I don't know how these kids can handle this situation, being so young, 'cause I could barely handle myself.
I love the idea of Dara's menu.
It sounds incredible.
- It's a lot to do in 90 minutes.
- It's a lot to do.
I'm worried about that curry sauce being heavy.
I don't know if Dara has the experience to know how to keep it light.
Good job, Dara.
Now, Alexander is running slightly behind.
- Mm-hmm.
- The veal is not seared.
Yeah, if it's at room temperature, he just has enough time to finish it if he puts it in immediately.
You've got to start visualizing those dishes in your mind.
There's 20 minutes to go, and I'm just getting my veal chop searing.
I've got to get these things in the oven.
They've got to finish off cooking.
I don't want to serve them raw veal chops, because that would obviously send me home right away.
Okay.
That's good, sweetie.
That's good.
- Yeah! - Come on, Alexander! One stunning appetizer, one stunning entree, and one stunning dessert.
Good.
Good.
Guys, to win it, you got to get it on the plate.
If it stays in your head, it doesn't count.
Come on, Dara.
I need my water.
I feel like I'm gonna faint.
I feel, like, light-headed.
Come on, please.
Come on, Dara.
I need my water.
I feel like I'm gonna faint.
I feel, like, light-headed.
Water, please.
Relax.
Relax.
Relax, relax, relax.
- It's all right, Dara.
- Look at me.
Okay? Now, the most important part now, you just need a big, deep breath - and relax.
- It's okay.
Drink it all.
- Dara, you're okay! - Take a deep breath! Amazing job, Dara.
Well done.
An amazing job.
Everybody, amazing job.
Stay calm.
Well done.
Great job.
Hey, amazing.
Yeah, Dara! You're amazing! Just under 20 minutes to go.
- Dara, you okay? - Yeah, I'm good.
Good.
Right.
Come on, guys.
Keep it going.
I was feeling light-headed, and I felt like I was gonna faint, and it was just totally hectic, but I know I can do this, and I'm feeling so much better.
Good job! Good job, Dara! That's it.
Come on, Alexander.
Get 'em finished.
Let's go.
Guys, just over 15 minutes to go! So in the desserts you have poached pears with an Asian twist versus a deconstructed Napoleon.
I love the idea of the miso broth that's poaching the pear in there.
Alexander's going for a little bit more classic dessert with that cannoli, Napoleon-style.
You see, I think that's a smarter move.
You know what it's like when you deconstruct.
Unless you know exactly what you're doing, - It could be a decon-saster.
- Right.
Good job! Let's go, Alexander! Get focused.
- Alexander, okay? - Yes, chef.
Good man.
Now, potato gnocchi, please make sure you cook it properly.
Dara, how we doin'? The prawn itself, is that gonna get cooked off at the last second? Yeah.
I'm gonna saute it.
Smart, 'cause it'll turn to rubber real quick.
Guys, just five minutes left.
You should be well into plating your dishes now.
Whoa.
The last five minutes, I'm still making stuff.
You got it, Alexander! Just stay focused.
Stay focused.
Go, Alexander! I'm trying to get it on the plate, and I don't know if I'm gonna make it to the finish line.
Get it all on there! - Come on, Alexander! - Come on.
- Let's go! - Good job, Dara.
Good job, Dara! Whoo! Dara! Dara! Dara! Dara! Dara! Shrimp, Alexander! I know.
I have it here.
Come on, Alexander! Edible art.
That's what we want.
Everybody! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Stop! Dara, Alexander, well done.
Congratulations to the both of you.
What an extraordinary finish, ladies and gentlemen.
- Yeah! - Whoo.
- Incredible.
- Whoo.
Please, very carefully bring your dishes down to the front.
Thank you.
I look down at my dishes.
I am pretty proud of them.
I'm pretty impressed that I have almost all of the components on my plate right now.
Looking at all the dishes, I think that it looks really good.
The presentation looks amazing, and I'm just feeling really confident.
It's time to head to the MasterChef restaurant where you will serve us your appetizers, your entrees, and then finally your desserts.
We will then decide which one of you two standing before us now will become America's first-ever MasterChef Junior.
Good luck.
Whoo! Dara, please bring us your appetizer.
Today I have prepared for you guys ahi two ways.
On the right a tuna poke, and on the left is seared tuna.
- Wow.
- Visually, it looks stunning.
- I'm really proud.
- Thank you.
Well done.
So, this is effectively two appetizers in one.
Yes.
I wanted to showcase the poke because it has so many flavors in it, but I wanted to show more skill by doing the seared tuna.
The rice cake's very rich and crunchy.
The white rice on the inside is still moist.
Very good.
The tuna's beautiful.
- So, here's the seared tuna? - Yes.
Rare in the middle.
Nice char on the outside.
Did you season or marinate this tuna in anything? Yes.
I marinated it in soy sauce, sesame oil and sriracha.
The same as the poke.
It's an amazing dish.
The rice cake is delicious.
Tuna itself is fabulous.
This is a $25 appetizer in Manhattan.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
I think you went above and beyond what we asked, and the flavors are amazing.
The fact that at your age you're able to pull something this technical off speaks volumes.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
You know, when I was 12 years of age, I was eating canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise.
I thought it was the best thing that my mum would ever feed me.
But to see you cook three courses is mind-blowing.
I wouldn't change anything.
Amazing start.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Okay, Alexander, please bring us your appetizer.
It's a basil lemon shrimp and baby heirloom tomato crostini with a roasted red pepper puree.
Well, I love the flavor of the roasted pepper.
It really kind of amps up the whole dish.
I love this dish 'cause you can taste every individual component as you eat it.
Good job.
Thank you.
Just from here I can see that the shrimp are cooked like magic.
It's delicious.
It's beautiful.
It looks like you stumbled upon it in the woods.
Very natural.
The only thing I would change is a pinch more salt.
That's the only thing that it's missing for me, Um, but great job.
Thank you.
Visually, young man, beautiful, vibrant.
I love the fragrance of it, and it looks so appetizing.
Hmm.
Delicious.
However, I think your dish is so much simpler than Dara's.
You're depending more on the ingredients than the actual cooking skills because you didn't really do much to those tomatoes.
Fragrant, delicious, bright, colorful, but not as technical as Dara's appetizer.
I've come this far, this close, to lose at this point would just really suck.
Alexander, fragrant, delicious, bright, colorful, but not as technical as Dara's appetizer.
Well done, both of you.
Please, very carefully, bring in those amazing entrees.
Let's go.
Thank you.
Go, Dara! Come on, Alexander! I'm really proud of my appetizer, but there were mixed feelings from each judge, so I don't know.
It's all in the judges' hands right now.
- What a start.
- Amazing.
Amazing beginning of a huge dinner experience, I think.
- Yeah, yeah - Yeah.
I really was impressed with Alexander's appetizer.
I thought it was a study in purity in flavors.
A lot of courage.
But it wasn't as complex as Dara's appetizer, and it certainly was nowhere near as technical.
Nonetheless, I think his dish is about the confidence of ingredients, and that's what we - No.
- Preach today in our restaurants.
I think if you look at her dish and the fact that she seared the tuna, then added Hawaiian tuna poke and crispy rice - that she made - Cooked fresh rice.
- Right there.
- Come on.
Ultimately we are dealing with a 12 and 13-year-old.
Young.
We keep forgetting that.
We got to rein that in.
Well, I'm very excited about what's coming next, that's for sure.
For sure.
Whoo, Dara! Way to go! I have an amazing respect for these kids.
I was scared a few months ago to go in front of these three judges.
I'm so glad they didn't compete in MasterChef adult.
Because I don't know if I was gonna win if I have to go against one of those two.
Wow.
Well, that was an amazing start.
Let's hope you've got just as delicious entrees.
Dara, let's go, please.
I know my shrimp is just a bit overcooked Wow.
But the presentation looks amazing, and I'm just feeling really confident.
Please describe your dish.
On the top you have a fried spot prawn head with sauteed spot prawns and wontons in a Thai coconut curry sauce.
So, the dumplings? Why dumplings? Well, I had a rice in the appetizer, so I didn't wantto do a rice in the entree, so I thought wontons would be perfect.
It's delicious.
Love the lightly spicy, fragrant curry sauce.
Dumplings are delicious.
Inside you've got scallop.
What else? Scallop and shrimp.
Spot prawns, delicious.
Could have done with a minute less cooking - Okay.
- But you got the sear on there.
Phenomenal.
Well done.
Thank you.
I love the fact that you steamed those.
That's the kind of mentality that a chef has.
Not a 12-year-old.
What's wrong with you? It's delicious, but the curry itself seems a little thick.
Like I think maybe it over-reduced, and that coconut milk gets thick and kind of concentrated, but delicious.
- Thank you.
- Isn't it? The curry, I disagree.
I think it's delicious, rich, very extracted.
The dumplings are fabulous.
Very light.
Very handmade.
Ve delicious.
I'd pay $45 for this dish.
- Good job, Dara.
- Thank you.
Alexander, please present your entree.
Thank you.
If that veal chop isn't cooked perfectly, I have no chance at the title of junior MasterChef.
Explain your entree, please.
It's a potato gnocchi with a sage and shallot butter sauce and a pan seared veal chop with wild rocket greens on top.
I'm gonna slice inside this veal chop now.
Tell me what I'm expecting.
You should be expecting a medium-rare cook in the middle, so I'm hoping it's just that.
Wow.
Young man, that is one of the best visually-cooked veal chops anywhere in the country tonight, and there are chefs right now shuddering with the way that's cooked.
- Phenomenal.
- Thank you.
Why the sage? I think that it just gives a nice herb flavor.
The gnocchi's delicious.
They're like little pillows of magic.
Crisp on the outside, fluffy in the center.
A bit like you and I Hard on the outside, but magical in the center.
It looks amazing.
It tastes sensational.
What you lacked in your appetizer you got back 100% on your entree.
- Amazing job, young man.
- Thank you.
I wish I could nail this temp every time too.
- This is incredibly cook.
- Thank you.
First of all, I love any food that comes with a handle.
You know? To be able to, like, "Rawr, rawr, rawr.
" Like, that's love that.
So is this luck, or did you really know what you were doing? I think that I really did know what I was doing because it's a dish that I cook at home.
Maybe not like very often, but I do have experience with it, so I had an idea of how long it should be cooked, how long I should finish it off in the oven.
It speaks for itself.
It's amazing.
Great job.
What's more heroic in your opinion, the gnocchi or the veal chop? I think that it would have to be the veal chop because it's the protein on the plate, but I still that the gnocchi is a really important element of the dish as well.
You know what the hero of this dish is? You.
The 13-year-old who cooked it.
That's amazing, Alexander.
- Thank you.
- Congratulations.
Phenomenal.
That was an amazing performance by both of you.
It is so close.
Please, go in and pick up your final plates.
Wow.
That was one of the best dishes we've ever tasted in a finale.
I'm slightly lost for words, but was that a fluke? Was that luck? Seriously, Joe? The way the chop was seasoned, as juicy as it was, the way it was handled, it was not luck.
Perfectly caramelized all the way around.
Fat rendered, the bone, pure white, and then cutting into it - and seeing it glisten - And let's not forget the gnocchi.
The gnocchi were fabulous.
The gnocchi and the sage sauce That could have been a dish in itself.
But that delicious spot prawn curry and those wonderful dumplings, the technical ability of passing those little pods of I could have eaten a bowl of those dumplings.
I think those shrimp were a little bit overcooked.
They were overcooked, but the dumplings, what'd you think of those? - Amazing.
Delicious.
- Steamed.
- I thought those were super.
- Very handmade.
- Very good.
- A super cool technique that she threw there.
I keep on having to remind myself that these two are 12 and 13-year-old chefs.
It's really amazing.
So it really does come down to the dessert, and I think my dessert's amazing.
It looks great, and I think they'll really like it.
These two rounds have been so close, and it could l come down to dessert.
I don't know.
Whoever has a better dessert could be the winner.
Do you know any MasterChef Juniors? Wow! If you do, go to fox.
Com/MasterChef-Junior.
We are in for a treat.
Well, so far we've had two amazing courses from both of you.
I'm psyched to try these desserts.
Dara, please bring us your dessert.
Wow.
Today I've made a poached pear in a lemon-ginger miso sauce with a ginger tuile and a meyer lemon cream.
Wow.
Miso? Not something that you would generally see in dessert.
These pears here, what did you poach 'em in? I poached them in water, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon peel.
That's fragrant.
It's so light and beautiful.
Like It's hard to put into words.
It's like nothing i never had before.
I think it's very creative.
It's really balanced.
- And I like it.
Good job.
- Thank you.
Visually, again stunning.
Why poaching pears and not roasting them? I wanna to poach them, 'cause i feel like it makes it more dessert quality, I guess you could say.
Delicious.
Spicy.
The pears are poach beautifuly.
They just melt in your mouth.
Not a big fan of the miso, but, when you eat the cream and the miso, then it actually works.
But having that kind of confidence to put miso in a dessert and to make it pop the way it did, I want to give you a hug.
Delicious.
Well done.
It's actually quite amazing in its simplicity.
It's sweet, but it's still acidic at the same time.
What's the acidity in there? I poached them in lemon juice and lemon peel.
I think it's the perfect harmonious ending note to a incredible symphony of dishes.
- Thank you.
- Great job, Dara.
Thank you.
I think my dessert's amazing, but Alexander, he's very great at pastry chef, so I don't know.
Alexander, please bring us your dessert.
I think that Dara's dessert is less ambitious.
I think that I took my dessert to the next level.
Wow.
So, first of all, what is it? Well, it's kind of like a deconstructed cannoli.
I like to call it a cannoli Napoleon with a mascarpone cream, a mixed berry sauce, and macerated berries as the side.
So, "cannolapoleon.
" Listen to that texture.
I mean, beautifully crispy.
I love the berries.
I love the dough.
It's rolled out and how crisp it is.
It's got that flavor that we've all come to know and love from a cannoli.
The filling with the mascarpone, I'd say the only thing is that it's a touch on the sweet side.
Okay.
Just remind us again.
What year were you born in? Dara? - 2001.
- 2001.
So, thank you for making me feel like an old fart.
Here's the thing.
You, at 13 years of age, deconstructing? I mean, come on.
You shouldn't be deconstructing anything at the age of 13.
Do you know what I was doing at the age of 13? No.
Please don't tell us.
What? In jail in Glasgow? Why the fruit in between? Well, I think that it just needs, like, a little blast of citrus and a little bit of lightness.
Um, it's bloody phenomenal.
The mascarpone needs fruit.
The tartness of the fruit lifts that mascarpone's density.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
So, Napoleon.
Cannoli.
Napoleon, the great French emperor.
Do you know who Cannoli was? No.
Johny Cannoli's the guy from Bay Ridge.
Italian guy.
He's a little short guy about this big.
So you got little Johny Cannoli from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and you got Napoleon, the great French military emperor, and you put 'em both one plate.
Amazing.
I think the emperor Napoleon of France and Johny Cannoli would both love your deconstructed cannoli.
Congratulations, Alexander.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
Dara and Alexander, whatever happens from this point on, you guys should both be extremely proud with what you've accomplished.
Well done, both of you.
The next time we see you both, we'll be crowning America's first-ever MasterChef Junior.
Please, go back into the kitchen.
We'll see you shortly.
Great job, guys.
Thank you.
Wow.
How do you separate those two desserts? Because they're two amazing desserts.
I mean, Dara went to the extent of making a tuile, poaching the pear, miso.
I mean, Dara's dessert was a perfect end to a stunning dinner.
My fate is in the judges' hands.
I just hope they can see past the few minor mistakes and see that I'm amazing.
What did you think of Alexander taking that dough and rolling it like pasta through the machine? - Absolutely phenomenal.
- More interpretive.
Very, very deconstructing cannoli.
Pastry cream.
Very clever.
There was so much skill in that.
I am thinking that it can go either way at this point.
It's gonna be a really close call.
I think both menus were very intellectual and intuitive for a 12 and 13-year-old.
I mean, extraordinary.
With Alexander's menu starting with the shrimp and tomato salad Very, very Southern Mediterranean.
Really quite delicious.
Alexander paid homage to the classics with the gnocchi and the veal chop.
Stunning ingredients.
Cooked like an angel, and then deconstructs a cannoli.
- Mm-hmm.
- Napoleon-style.
I don't care how old they are.
We've sat in this room for four years and tasted dishes.
We've never had a dish as good as Alexander's gnocchi - and veal chop.
- I agree.
But what about the balance, Joe? It's not just about one course.
We asked them to produce restaurant quality, three courses, and I feel that Dara did.
I thought her menu was extremely cohesive.
Yeah, for me, Dara's menu summed up her confidence and her composure and the technical ability from start to finish.
Not just the appetizer and the entree, but the dessert as well.
The tuile, the meyer lemon cream at the end, the syrup, miso.
To take a risk like that tonight, extraordinary.
We really think we're making the right decision? I think that, at the end of the day, it's what we have to do.
Shall we? I hope, I pray that they see that my food is amazing, and this could change my whole life.
I just want to win so badly.
Winning the title of junior MasterChef would mean the world to me.
In my mind, I think that I did enough to win.
This might be the most important day of my life.
Dara, Alexander, you guys came here as young home cooks.
Talented kids just learning their way around the kitchen, but after your journey in this competition, you guys have both proven to us and the world that you are so much more than young amateur home cooks.
After tonight, you should both be known as junior MasterChefs.
That's why we would like both of you to come up here and switch places with us.
Well done.
You guys have done something that is powerful.
You have changed how every in this country thinks about food, cooking, and what they can achieve, and, for all three of us, you give us great optimism in the future of our industry, and it makes me very proud to be part of your incredible journey.
Thank you for that.
Dara and Alexander, your performance in tonight's finale was so close, the smallest details gave one individual the slightest edge.
The dishes were that good, but there can only be one winner.
Just one of you is about to receive $100,000.
Just one of you is about to hold this stunning trophy in your hands.
Just one of you can make history by becoming America's very first MasterChef Junior.
The winner of MasterChef Junior Congratulations Alexander.
Oh, my gosh! Absolutely incredible.
Come here, you.
You were great.
- Well done.
- Congratulations, my man.
I never thought that I would make it this far, and to actually win words can't describe it.
Yeah! It's just beyond that.
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight this young man has made history.
Whoo! Congratulations, America's first-ever MasterChef Junior, Alexander! Oh, my god.
Absolutely amazing.
Dara, it was so close.
You have been phenomenal.
Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for our runner-up, Dara.
Incredible.
It was all worth it.
I'm definitely gonna, like, cook way more.
- Amazing job.
- Thank you.
Amazing.
I mean, I'm a winner.
I made it to the finale.
I mean, I have this jacket.
It says "Dara, junior MasterChef.
" Yay.
I love you.
- You're amazing.
- Wow.
I'm so proud of you.
I congratulate Dara because she did an amazing job.
I think that this is like an inspiration for kids to cook because we're cooking just as good as adult MasterChefs.
It means the world to me.
I mean, it just signifies that this is what I really love to do.
I am America's first junior MasterChef! sync, corrections: Ajvngou.
cz
The most talented pint-sized home cooks in America faced the ultimate culinary battle.
You are the best of the best.
The biggest cooking competition in the world Let's go! took things to a whole new level.
Move it.
That is embarrassing.
Get rid of it.
The home cook were small - How old are you? - 8.
- 11.
- I'm 10 years old.
but the challenges were huge, with spectacular results week after week.
- I'm blown away.
- Wow.
- Beautiful.
- This is delicious.
Tonight only two remain in the grand finale.
Dara and Alexander, it's time for the main event.
As the final two go head to head in a television first I'm not going home without that trophy.
I'm here to take the title.
only one can walk away with $100,000 and the title of America's first MasterChef Junior.
The winner is Tonight television's biggest culinary battle will be taken on by America's smallest home cooks.
It's the culinary showdown that the whole of America is talking about.
Welcome to the junior MasterChef finale.
First up from Los Angeles, California, Regardless of her age, Dara is one of the most talented home cooks to ever enter the MasterChef kitchen.
Personally, I hate blue cheese, but I'm using it.
From the beginning, Dara has impressed us with her ambitious cuisine.
The dish is delicious.
It's accomplished, it's got great finesse.
You hit it out of the park with this one.
That is a restaurant's signature dish.
Thank you.
This young cook has plated intense flavors - with youthful spirit.
- Sorry.
Can I have a look at that, please? - Yes.
- Beautiful.
Oh, it's stuck.
Oh, god.
Let's go.
One burrata, one tuna.
Okay, go.
How about, "Yes, chef"? - Yes, chef.
- This was delicious.
You're good.
Didn't you say you baked - your mom's wedding cake? - Yeah.
I make beautiful food, and that is my passion in life.
It's like I was born to do this.
You have every reason to be happy.
I mean, I want to cry, it's that good.
I'm not here to fight for the title.
I'm here to take the title.
You did great.
Tonight, can Dara continue to dazzle us and take home the junior MasterChef title? I can.
The only obstacle that stands in Dara's way is From New York, New York, You may want to stand back.
I may want to stand back? You're right.
I may want to stand back.
A seventh grader, Alexander showed promise from the start.
That is amazing.
It's beautiful.
It could be the cover of your cookbook.
Visually, they look beautiful.
You've now perfected the most dangerous dessert - anywhere in the world.
- Thank you.
A serious competitor from the beginning, his rivals put a target on his back.
Who would you like to see leaving next? - Alexander.
- Oh.
- Alexanr.
- Alexander.
- Duh.
- Duh.
Known affectionately as "Big Al" Whip like a man! - Whip it! - Whipped.
- Big Al.
- Well done.
- Alexander! - Oh! I thought I could trust you, Big Al.
This talented young home cook demonstrated a natural culinary gift There's a bracket of chefs that are natural at cooking.
You are one of them.
Never shying away from complex, sophisticated flavors.
It's delicious.
"Wow".
I want that title so badly.
There's just nothing that I want more.
This is what I was meant to do.
Congratulations, Dara and Alexander, on making it to America's first-ever MasterChef Junior finale.
You both know what's on the line $100,000 and the chance to be America's first-ever junior MasterChef champion.
And here to cheer you on, please welcome your parents.
All right, Dara! And all of your past competitors.
Also here to cheer you on, the 2013 MasterChef winner, Luca.
Dara and Alexander, it's time for the main event.
For tonight's challenge, you have just 90 minutes to create a perfectly-composed three-course dinner.
One appetizer, one entree, and one dessert.
Alexander, Dara, you'll now both shop for the last time in the MasterChef pantry where I've got a surprise for you.
Are you both ready? Yes, chef! Your time in the pantry starts Now! Off you go.
We run in, and I see my auntie Fran on a huge tv.
Hi, Dara.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
I haven't seen her since last summer, so I was so excited.
- I just wanted to wish you luck.
- Thank you so much.
Keep up the good work.
Hey, Alexander.
I'm really excited to see my uncle Marty and my cousin Anna supporting me from a skype call from New York.
That's pretty amazing.
We're rooting for you.
You know, I just know from everything you've cooked for us so far - you're gonna do fantastic.
- Thank you.
- So what's up, guys? - Hi.
It's time to end this skype call and to get started on tonight's big event.
- Love you guys.
- See ya.
It's gonna be really tough.
to create three amazing dishes.
For my appetizer, I'm going to do a shrimp and baby heirloom tomato crostini.
For my entree I'm going to make a potato gnocchi with a pan-seared veal chop.
And for dessert a deconstructed cannoli Napoleon with a mixed berry sauce.
Where's the rice? For my appetizer, I'm doing a duo of ahi tuna.
For my entree I'm doing sauteed spot prawns with wontons in a thai coconut curry sauce, and for my dessert I'm doing a poached pear in a lemon-ginger miso sauce.
Come on, please.
Dara and Alexander, are you both ready? Yes, chef.
Your final 90 minutes in the MasterChef kitchen starts Now.
Let's go.
I'm America's MasterChef of season four, and it's amazing just to think that these two kids are, like, 12, 13 years old.
Like, I couldn't cook when I was 12, 13 years old.
Probably at 18 years old, I couldn't have even make a fried egg.
Keep it going.
Come on.
I'm rooting for both of them, but I do think that Dara might win because if Alexander over-complicates it he might get a little bit worn down, and Dara might leap and grab that advantage and she might win.
I think Dara's menu is creative, but it doesn't sound very appealing.
I think Alexander's gonna win.
Come on, Alexander! Oh, snap, it's Alexander versus Dara.
This is gonna be epic.
Come on, guys.
Come on, guys.
In the battle to become America's first, MasterChef Junior, 12-year-old Dara and 13-year-old Alexander are fighting it out over a three-course menu that they devised.
Come on, Dara! Dara is preparing a dual ahi tuna appetizer, an entree of spot prawns with wontons and a thai curry sauce, and for dessert poached pears in a lemon-ginger miso sauce.
I have to make a three-course meal in 90 minutes to win this competition.
Like, oh, my gosh.
Like, they think we can do this? It's crazy.
Come on, Alexander! Alexander's menu features a shrimp and heirloom tomato crostini appetizer, a seared veal chop and potato gnocchi entree, and a Napoleon cannoli with a mixed berry sauce for dessert.
I might have bit off more than I can chew with the gnocchi, the cannoli, the appetizer with, like, But I can't change it now.
I've already got those ingredients.
I've just got to stick to it.
We came into this competition knowing Dara was a good cook, but not knowing to what extent.
To get to this point has blown me away.
Come on, Alexander.
For Alexander, it's not about the money, it's about being junior MasterChef and having that trophy.
He's in his element.
I mean, this has been the ride of his life.
Come on, Dara.
Alexander, come on.
- Mm.
- Yeah.
Wow, this is it.
- Amazing.
- We are in for a big treat.
Just think what Dara and Alexander have achieved so far in this competition.
This is the culmination of one of the most incredible culinary journeys that I've ever seen in my life, children 8 to 13 years old who have this kind of talent and then take - this kind of an evolution on their MasterChef journey - Yeah.
- Mind-blowing.
- Come on, Dara.
I love the fact that Dara is playing to her strengths.
I think that Dara's menu is way too ambitious.
I think doing a double appetizer is bold almost to the point of being slightly naive, because, if she doesn't finish, she will lose because of time management.
Hey, Alexander, keep it moving, keep it moving.
Stay focused.
Right now I think that Alexander's menu is infinitely more executable.
I disagree.
Alexander is trying to attempt to do too many different things in 90 minutes.
Right.
Keep it going.
Come on.
Come on, buddy! Right, Dara, how are you feeling? I'm feeling great, chef.
The menu sounds like you're playing to your strengths.
I am going for an Asian theme, 'cause I feel that it is, like, my heritage and it is a lot of what I know.
- Yeah.
- So I'm just gonna go with that, and I know that this is where my strength is.
Yeah, it sounds incredible.
- Thanks.
- A duo of tuna first, and then that amazing, fragrant curry.
How are you making that curry? It's ginger, garlic, coconut milk, curry powder.
Is that fresh ginger in there? Yes.
Mm, that's delicious.
And the dumplings? The dumplings are this is the mixture.
It's scallops and shrimp.
I love rounding off dinner with an amazing dessert.
Your poached pear sounds incredible, especially the miso.
Where'd you get the idea from? So I feel like those flavors would go really good together.
And you guys have said a lot about how my flavors are so bold, and I feel like this just elevates it.
- Young lady, good luck.
- Thank you.
- Good job.
- Yay! Good job.
Stay focused.
Stay focused.
Come on! - Yeah.
- Whoo! - Alexander.
- Yes, chef.
How's your appetizer coming? My appetizer is coming along really great.
I'm almost done with it.
I've got my shrimp marinating.
What are they marinating in? - Basil, lemon juice, olive oil.
- Yeah.
I'm just gonna quickly grill them because since the acid is in there, they'll cook much faster.
How we doin' entree-wise? You have a bone-in veal chop.
How long do you think it's gonna take to cook? I'm putting it in the oven for about ten minutes or so, and I still have to sear the veal.
You got gnocchi with that too, right? I'm going to pan-fry them.
What are you using the pasta cutter for? For my cannoli dough.
Smart.
Talk us through your dessert.
When I think of Italian desserts, I think of cannoli.
I wanted to do something different, and, since it's a Napoleon, I'm doing it with three layers.
All right.
Good luck, Alexander.
Thank you.
Dara! I need powdered sugar.
Um You can use some of mine, Dara.
Here.
Here.
Dara.
Dara! - Dara.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- Sorry.
Thank you! Dara.
Thank you so much.
- Look at me.
- Look at me.
- Look at me.
- Don't panic.
Okay.
Okay? You can do this.
Okay? Keep it together.
I know how these kids are feeling.
They feel nervous.
They feel excited.
They feel scared.
Where'd I put the gremolata? I don't know how these kids can handle this situation, being so young, 'cause I could barely handle myself.
I love the idea of Dara's menu.
It sounds incredible.
- It's a lot to do in 90 minutes.
- It's a lot to do.
I'm worried about that curry sauce being heavy.
I don't know if Dara has the experience to know how to keep it light.
Good job, Dara.
Now, Alexander is running slightly behind.
- Mm-hmm.
- The veal is not seared.
Yeah, if it's at room temperature, he just has enough time to finish it if he puts it in immediately.
You've got to start visualizing those dishes in your mind.
There's 20 minutes to go, and I'm just getting my veal chop searing.
I've got to get these things in the oven.
They've got to finish off cooking.
I don't want to serve them raw veal chops, because that would obviously send me home right away.
Okay.
That's good, sweetie.
That's good.
- Yeah! - Come on, Alexander! One stunning appetizer, one stunning entree, and one stunning dessert.
Good.
Good.
Guys, to win it, you got to get it on the plate.
If it stays in your head, it doesn't count.
Come on, Dara.
I need my water.
I feel like I'm gonna faint.
I feel, like, light-headed.
Come on, please.
Come on, Dara.
I need my water.
I feel like I'm gonna faint.
I feel, like, light-headed.
Water, please.
Relax.
Relax.
Relax, relax, relax.
- It's all right, Dara.
- Look at me.
Okay? Now, the most important part now, you just need a big, deep breath - and relax.
- It's okay.
Drink it all.
- Dara, you're okay! - Take a deep breath! Amazing job, Dara.
Well done.
An amazing job.
Everybody, amazing job.
Stay calm.
Well done.
Great job.
Hey, amazing.
Yeah, Dara! You're amazing! Just under 20 minutes to go.
- Dara, you okay? - Yeah, I'm good.
Good.
Right.
Come on, guys.
Keep it going.
I was feeling light-headed, and I felt like I was gonna faint, and it was just totally hectic, but I know I can do this, and I'm feeling so much better.
Good job! Good job, Dara! That's it.
Come on, Alexander.
Get 'em finished.
Let's go.
Guys, just over 15 minutes to go! So in the desserts you have poached pears with an Asian twist versus a deconstructed Napoleon.
I love the idea of the miso broth that's poaching the pear in there.
Alexander's going for a little bit more classic dessert with that cannoli, Napoleon-style.
You see, I think that's a smarter move.
You know what it's like when you deconstruct.
Unless you know exactly what you're doing, - It could be a decon-saster.
- Right.
Good job! Let's go, Alexander! Get focused.
- Alexander, okay? - Yes, chef.
Good man.
Now, potato gnocchi, please make sure you cook it properly.
Dara, how we doin'? The prawn itself, is that gonna get cooked off at the last second? Yeah.
I'm gonna saute it.
Smart, 'cause it'll turn to rubber real quick.
Guys, just five minutes left.
You should be well into plating your dishes now.
Whoa.
The last five minutes, I'm still making stuff.
You got it, Alexander! Just stay focused.
Stay focused.
Go, Alexander! I'm trying to get it on the plate, and I don't know if I'm gonna make it to the finish line.
Get it all on there! - Come on, Alexander! - Come on.
- Let's go! - Good job, Dara.
Good job, Dara! Whoo! Dara! Dara! Dara! Dara! Dara! Shrimp, Alexander! I know.
I have it here.
Come on, Alexander! Edible art.
That's what we want.
Everybody! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Stop! Dara, Alexander, well done.
Congratulations to the both of you.
What an extraordinary finish, ladies and gentlemen.
- Yeah! - Whoo.
- Incredible.
- Whoo.
Please, very carefully bring your dishes down to the front.
Thank you.
I look down at my dishes.
I am pretty proud of them.
I'm pretty impressed that I have almost all of the components on my plate right now.
Looking at all the dishes, I think that it looks really good.
The presentation looks amazing, and I'm just feeling really confident.
It's time to head to the MasterChef restaurant where you will serve us your appetizers, your entrees, and then finally your desserts.
We will then decide which one of you two standing before us now will become America's first-ever MasterChef Junior.
Good luck.
Whoo! Dara, please bring us your appetizer.
Today I have prepared for you guys ahi two ways.
On the right a tuna poke, and on the left is seared tuna.
- Wow.
- Visually, it looks stunning.
- I'm really proud.
- Thank you.
Well done.
So, this is effectively two appetizers in one.
Yes.
I wanted to showcase the poke because it has so many flavors in it, but I wanted to show more skill by doing the seared tuna.
The rice cake's very rich and crunchy.
The white rice on the inside is still moist.
Very good.
The tuna's beautiful.
- So, here's the seared tuna? - Yes.
Rare in the middle.
Nice char on the outside.
Did you season or marinate this tuna in anything? Yes.
I marinated it in soy sauce, sesame oil and sriracha.
The same as the poke.
It's an amazing dish.
The rice cake is delicious.
Tuna itself is fabulous.
This is a $25 appetizer in Manhattan.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
I think you went above and beyond what we asked, and the flavors are amazing.
The fact that at your age you're able to pull something this technical off speaks volumes.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
You know, when I was 12 years of age, I was eating canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise.
I thought it was the best thing that my mum would ever feed me.
But to see you cook three courses is mind-blowing.
I wouldn't change anything.
Amazing start.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Okay, Alexander, please bring us your appetizer.
It's a basil lemon shrimp and baby heirloom tomato crostini with a roasted red pepper puree.
Well, I love the flavor of the roasted pepper.
It really kind of amps up the whole dish.
I love this dish 'cause you can taste every individual component as you eat it.
Good job.
Thank you.
Just from here I can see that the shrimp are cooked like magic.
It's delicious.
It's beautiful.
It looks like you stumbled upon it in the woods.
Very natural.
The only thing I would change is a pinch more salt.
That's the only thing that it's missing for me, Um, but great job.
Thank you.
Visually, young man, beautiful, vibrant.
I love the fragrance of it, and it looks so appetizing.
Hmm.
Delicious.
However, I think your dish is so much simpler than Dara's.
You're depending more on the ingredients than the actual cooking skills because you didn't really do much to those tomatoes.
Fragrant, delicious, bright, colorful, but not as technical as Dara's appetizer.
I've come this far, this close, to lose at this point would just really suck.
Alexander, fragrant, delicious, bright, colorful, but not as technical as Dara's appetizer.
Well done, both of you.
Please, very carefully, bring in those amazing entrees.
Let's go.
Thank you.
Go, Dara! Come on, Alexander! I'm really proud of my appetizer, but there were mixed feelings from each judge, so I don't know.
It's all in the judges' hands right now.
- What a start.
- Amazing.
Amazing beginning of a huge dinner experience, I think.
- Yeah, yeah - Yeah.
I really was impressed with Alexander's appetizer.
I thought it was a study in purity in flavors.
A lot of courage.
But it wasn't as complex as Dara's appetizer, and it certainly was nowhere near as technical.
Nonetheless, I think his dish is about the confidence of ingredients, and that's what we - No.
- Preach today in our restaurants.
I think if you look at her dish and the fact that she seared the tuna, then added Hawaiian tuna poke and crispy rice - that she made - Cooked fresh rice.
- Right there.
- Come on.
Ultimately we are dealing with a 12 and 13-year-old.
Young.
We keep forgetting that.
We got to rein that in.
Well, I'm very excited about what's coming next, that's for sure.
For sure.
Whoo, Dara! Way to go! I have an amazing respect for these kids.
I was scared a few months ago to go in front of these three judges.
I'm so glad they didn't compete in MasterChef adult.
Because I don't know if I was gonna win if I have to go against one of those two.
Wow.
Well, that was an amazing start.
Let's hope you've got just as delicious entrees.
Dara, let's go, please.
I know my shrimp is just a bit overcooked Wow.
But the presentation looks amazing, and I'm just feeling really confident.
Please describe your dish.
On the top you have a fried spot prawn head with sauteed spot prawns and wontons in a Thai coconut curry sauce.
So, the dumplings? Why dumplings? Well, I had a rice in the appetizer, so I didn't wantto do a rice in the entree, so I thought wontons would be perfect.
It's delicious.
Love the lightly spicy, fragrant curry sauce.
Dumplings are delicious.
Inside you've got scallop.
What else? Scallop and shrimp.
Spot prawns, delicious.
Could have done with a minute less cooking - Okay.
- But you got the sear on there.
Phenomenal.
Well done.
Thank you.
I love the fact that you steamed those.
That's the kind of mentality that a chef has.
Not a 12-year-old.
What's wrong with you? It's delicious, but the curry itself seems a little thick.
Like I think maybe it over-reduced, and that coconut milk gets thick and kind of concentrated, but delicious.
- Thank you.
- Isn't it? The curry, I disagree.
I think it's delicious, rich, very extracted.
The dumplings are fabulous.
Very light.
Very handmade.
Ve delicious.
I'd pay $45 for this dish.
- Good job, Dara.
- Thank you.
Alexander, please present your entree.
Thank you.
If that veal chop isn't cooked perfectly, I have no chance at the title of junior MasterChef.
Explain your entree, please.
It's a potato gnocchi with a sage and shallot butter sauce and a pan seared veal chop with wild rocket greens on top.
I'm gonna slice inside this veal chop now.
Tell me what I'm expecting.
You should be expecting a medium-rare cook in the middle, so I'm hoping it's just that.
Wow.
Young man, that is one of the best visually-cooked veal chops anywhere in the country tonight, and there are chefs right now shuddering with the way that's cooked.
- Phenomenal.
- Thank you.
Why the sage? I think that it just gives a nice herb flavor.
The gnocchi's delicious.
They're like little pillows of magic.
Crisp on the outside, fluffy in the center.
A bit like you and I Hard on the outside, but magical in the center.
It looks amazing.
It tastes sensational.
What you lacked in your appetizer you got back 100% on your entree.
- Amazing job, young man.
- Thank you.
I wish I could nail this temp every time too.
- This is incredibly cook.
- Thank you.
First of all, I love any food that comes with a handle.
You know? To be able to, like, "Rawr, rawr, rawr.
" Like, that's love that.
So is this luck, or did you really know what you were doing? I think that I really did know what I was doing because it's a dish that I cook at home.
Maybe not like very often, but I do have experience with it, so I had an idea of how long it should be cooked, how long I should finish it off in the oven.
It speaks for itself.
It's amazing.
Great job.
What's more heroic in your opinion, the gnocchi or the veal chop? I think that it would have to be the veal chop because it's the protein on the plate, but I still that the gnocchi is a really important element of the dish as well.
You know what the hero of this dish is? You.
The 13-year-old who cooked it.
That's amazing, Alexander.
- Thank you.
- Congratulations.
Phenomenal.
That was an amazing performance by both of you.
It is so close.
Please, go in and pick up your final plates.
Wow.
That was one of the best dishes we've ever tasted in a finale.
I'm slightly lost for words, but was that a fluke? Was that luck? Seriously, Joe? The way the chop was seasoned, as juicy as it was, the way it was handled, it was not luck.
Perfectly caramelized all the way around.
Fat rendered, the bone, pure white, and then cutting into it - and seeing it glisten - And let's not forget the gnocchi.
The gnocchi were fabulous.
The gnocchi and the sage sauce That could have been a dish in itself.
But that delicious spot prawn curry and those wonderful dumplings, the technical ability of passing those little pods of I could have eaten a bowl of those dumplings.
I think those shrimp were a little bit overcooked.
They were overcooked, but the dumplings, what'd you think of those? - Amazing.
Delicious.
- Steamed.
- I thought those were super.
- Very handmade.
- Very good.
- A super cool technique that she threw there.
I keep on having to remind myself that these two are 12 and 13-year-old chefs.
It's really amazing.
So it really does come down to the dessert, and I think my dessert's amazing.
It looks great, and I think they'll really like it.
These two rounds have been so close, and it could l come down to dessert.
I don't know.
Whoever has a better dessert could be the winner.
Do you know any MasterChef Juniors? Wow! If you do, go to fox.
Com/MasterChef-Junior.
We are in for a treat.
Well, so far we've had two amazing courses from both of you.
I'm psyched to try these desserts.
Dara, please bring us your dessert.
Wow.
Today I've made a poached pear in a lemon-ginger miso sauce with a ginger tuile and a meyer lemon cream.
Wow.
Miso? Not something that you would generally see in dessert.
These pears here, what did you poach 'em in? I poached them in water, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon peel.
That's fragrant.
It's so light and beautiful.
Like It's hard to put into words.
It's like nothing i never had before.
I think it's very creative.
It's really balanced.
- And I like it.
Good job.
- Thank you.
Visually, again stunning.
Why poaching pears and not roasting them? I wanna to poach them, 'cause i feel like it makes it more dessert quality, I guess you could say.
Delicious.
Spicy.
The pears are poach beautifuly.
They just melt in your mouth.
Not a big fan of the miso, but, when you eat the cream and the miso, then it actually works.
But having that kind of confidence to put miso in a dessert and to make it pop the way it did, I want to give you a hug.
Delicious.
Well done.
It's actually quite amazing in its simplicity.
It's sweet, but it's still acidic at the same time.
What's the acidity in there? I poached them in lemon juice and lemon peel.
I think it's the perfect harmonious ending note to a incredible symphony of dishes.
- Thank you.
- Great job, Dara.
Thank you.
I think my dessert's amazing, but Alexander, he's very great at pastry chef, so I don't know.
Alexander, please bring us your dessert.
I think that Dara's dessert is less ambitious.
I think that I took my dessert to the next level.
Wow.
So, first of all, what is it? Well, it's kind of like a deconstructed cannoli.
I like to call it a cannoli Napoleon with a mascarpone cream, a mixed berry sauce, and macerated berries as the side.
So, "cannolapoleon.
" Listen to that texture.
I mean, beautifully crispy.
I love the berries.
I love the dough.
It's rolled out and how crisp it is.
It's got that flavor that we've all come to know and love from a cannoli.
The filling with the mascarpone, I'd say the only thing is that it's a touch on the sweet side.
Okay.
Just remind us again.
What year were you born in? Dara? - 2001.
- 2001.
So, thank you for making me feel like an old fart.
Here's the thing.
You, at 13 years of age, deconstructing? I mean, come on.
You shouldn't be deconstructing anything at the age of 13.
Do you know what I was doing at the age of 13? No.
Please don't tell us.
What? In jail in Glasgow? Why the fruit in between? Well, I think that it just needs, like, a little blast of citrus and a little bit of lightness.
Um, it's bloody phenomenal.
The mascarpone needs fruit.
The tartness of the fruit lifts that mascarpone's density.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
So, Napoleon.
Cannoli.
Napoleon, the great French emperor.
Do you know who Cannoli was? No.
Johny Cannoli's the guy from Bay Ridge.
Italian guy.
He's a little short guy about this big.
So you got little Johny Cannoli from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and you got Napoleon, the great French military emperor, and you put 'em both one plate.
Amazing.
I think the emperor Napoleon of France and Johny Cannoli would both love your deconstructed cannoli.
Congratulations, Alexander.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
Dara and Alexander, whatever happens from this point on, you guys should both be extremely proud with what you've accomplished.
Well done, both of you.
The next time we see you both, we'll be crowning America's first-ever MasterChef Junior.
Please, go back into the kitchen.
We'll see you shortly.
Great job, guys.
Thank you.
Wow.
How do you separate those two desserts? Because they're two amazing desserts.
I mean, Dara went to the extent of making a tuile, poaching the pear, miso.
I mean, Dara's dessert was a perfect end to a stunning dinner.
My fate is in the judges' hands.
I just hope they can see past the few minor mistakes and see that I'm amazing.
What did you think of Alexander taking that dough and rolling it like pasta through the machine? - Absolutely phenomenal.
- More interpretive.
Very, very deconstructing cannoli.
Pastry cream.
Very clever.
There was so much skill in that.
I am thinking that it can go either way at this point.
It's gonna be a really close call.
I think both menus were very intellectual and intuitive for a 12 and 13-year-old.
I mean, extraordinary.
With Alexander's menu starting with the shrimp and tomato salad Very, very Southern Mediterranean.
Really quite delicious.
Alexander paid homage to the classics with the gnocchi and the veal chop.
Stunning ingredients.
Cooked like an angel, and then deconstructs a cannoli.
- Mm-hmm.
- Napoleon-style.
I don't care how old they are.
We've sat in this room for four years and tasted dishes.
We've never had a dish as good as Alexander's gnocchi - and veal chop.
- I agree.
But what about the balance, Joe? It's not just about one course.
We asked them to produce restaurant quality, three courses, and I feel that Dara did.
I thought her menu was extremely cohesive.
Yeah, for me, Dara's menu summed up her confidence and her composure and the technical ability from start to finish.
Not just the appetizer and the entree, but the dessert as well.
The tuile, the meyer lemon cream at the end, the syrup, miso.
To take a risk like that tonight, extraordinary.
We really think we're making the right decision? I think that, at the end of the day, it's what we have to do.
Shall we? I hope, I pray that they see that my food is amazing, and this could change my whole life.
I just want to win so badly.
Winning the title of junior MasterChef would mean the world to me.
In my mind, I think that I did enough to win.
This might be the most important day of my life.
Dara, Alexander, you guys came here as young home cooks.
Talented kids just learning their way around the kitchen, but after your journey in this competition, you guys have both proven to us and the world that you are so much more than young amateur home cooks.
After tonight, you should both be known as junior MasterChefs.
That's why we would like both of you to come up here and switch places with us.
Well done.
You guys have done something that is powerful.
You have changed how every in this country thinks about food, cooking, and what they can achieve, and, for all three of us, you give us great optimism in the future of our industry, and it makes me very proud to be part of your incredible journey.
Thank you for that.
Dara and Alexander, your performance in tonight's finale was so close, the smallest details gave one individual the slightest edge.
The dishes were that good, but there can only be one winner.
Just one of you is about to receive $100,000.
Just one of you is about to hold this stunning trophy in your hands.
Just one of you can make history by becoming America's very first MasterChef Junior.
The winner of MasterChef Junior Congratulations Alexander.
Oh, my gosh! Absolutely incredible.
Come here, you.
You were great.
- Well done.
- Congratulations, my man.
I never thought that I would make it this far, and to actually win words can't describe it.
Yeah! It's just beyond that.
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight this young man has made history.
Whoo! Congratulations, America's first-ever MasterChef Junior, Alexander! Oh, my god.
Absolutely amazing.
Dara, it was so close.
You have been phenomenal.
Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for our runner-up, Dara.
Incredible.
It was all worth it.
I'm definitely gonna, like, cook way more.
- Amazing job.
- Thank you.
Amazing.
I mean, I'm a winner.
I made it to the finale.
I mean, I have this jacket.
It says "Dara, junior MasterChef.
" Yay.
I love you.
- You're amazing.
- Wow.
I'm so proud of you.
I congratulate Dara because she did an amazing job.
I think that this is like an inspiration for kids to cook because we're cooking just as good as adult MasterChefs.
It means the world to me.
I mean, it just signifies that this is what I really love to do.
I am America's first junior MasterChef! sync, corrections: Ajvngou.
cz