MasterChef Junior (2013) s02e07 Episode Script
The Finale
We started with thousands of talented young home cooks from all across the country.
- Wow.
- Oh, my gosh But only 16 earned the honor of wearing the coveted MasterChef white apron.
These young home cooks tackle challenges that would cause adults to crack.
- Two squash and two prawn.
- Yes, chef! - Yes, chef! Live animals.
Sticky situations.
Dude! - They even faced - I hear you, Gordon.
- My mum.
- Hello.
They came to this kitchen as young home cooks.
Wow.
Stunning.
It's kind of, like, perfect.
And one by one, they left as seasoned competitors I'm excited to see what you do next, 'cause you really inspired all of us.
Now only two young home cooks remain.
But only one can be crowned America's next MasterChef Junior.
Tonight, two young home cooks age 11 and 12 will do battle to be called the very best young home cook in America.
Culinary history is about to be made.
This is the showdown that all of America is talking about.
This is the MasterChef Junior finale.
First up, from Greenbrae, California I'm confident that I can make an upscale dish with these pedestrian ingredients.
Samuel is a refined old soul who cooks way beyond his years.
Perfect.
A young man with expensive tastes and an expansive palate.
I'm making a pork tenderloin stuffed with a Brussels sprout mousseline.
Good to see you're keeping it simple.
A natural leader in the kitchen, Samuel has been a front-runner from day one.
Wow.
You're starting to really separate yourself from the pack.
This is a very smart, intellectual dish.
- Awesome.
Good job.
- Thank you.
This has to be one of the most technically accomplished dishes this evening.
Want to pick them up and eat them all.
I think that it's gonna be a very close battle.
We're gonna do this.
But my innovation and my creativity is gonna propel me to win this MasterChef Junior title.
Tonight, can his sophisticated flavors and cosmopolitan palate be enough to take home the title of MasterChef Junior? The only small obstacle that stands in Samuel's way is from Memphis, Tennessee, Logan.
This is, like, the greatest place in the food world to be.
Logan always dresses for success Ah, beautiful.
In his signature bow tie.
I love that we look like versions of the same person.
- Yeah.
But his fellow home cooks soon learned that beneath his mild-mannered exterior Would you like some more tea? Beats the heart of a fierce competitor.
- Let's go! - Yes, chef! Somebody's going home tonight and it ain't gonna be me.
His stylish food and striking plating speaks for itself.
Wow.
That is amazing-looking.
The flavor of that flat iron steak is mind-blowing.
Cooking your salmon in olive oil was kind of a stroke of genius.
This might be the most important day of my childhood.
Can't leave anything up to fate.
I'm this close from winning it all.
Tonight, can Logan's passion, competitive spirit and unbridled imagination take home the title of MasterChef Junior? Congratulations, Samuel and Logan on making it here to the final of MasterChef Junior.
This is the biggest culinary event in the entire country.
To get to this point, to compete in this culinary arena, you had to overcome some other very talented young home cooks and some of them have made the trip back here to cheer you on.
Welcome back, guys.
Also here to cheer you on are your family and friends.
Win it, baby! - Where's Samuel's mom, Lisa? - Right here.
Can you tell us about the first time that you remember that he had this talent in the kitchen? When he cooked a ratatouille, a confit byaldi, like, just like in the movie after we had seen it, and slicing with a mandoline, and I kept telling him to be careful.
Dad, Dan, are you surprised at all that Samuel's made it to the finale? I'm in awe of it and my heart is bursting with pride.
Now Logan's father, Tom, and mom, Kim, any last words of advice for your son? Cook with your heart.
Put it on the plate.
Don't go rogue.
And break an egg, babe.
For tonight's challenge, we want to see your culinary vision presented in a three-course meal.
One appetizer, one entree, and one stunning dessert.
It's time for the grand finale to begin.
You will now each have ten minutes to go into the pantry and get everything you need to make us your stunning, trophy-winning three-course dinner.
Samuel, Logan, are you both ready? Yes, chef! - I can't hear you.
- Yes, chef! Your ten minutes Starts Now.
Get a basket For my appetizer, I'm making southeast asian chicken oysters.
Chicken oysters With pickled radish and cucumber and spicy, crisped rice.
For my entree, I am making pan-seared arctic char with fresh noodles, thin bok choy, and a coconut saffron curry broth.
For my dessert, I am making a kaffir lime panna cotta layered with passion fruit and a liquid nitrogen raspberry.
I definitely think my menu is risky and technical and I hope the judges see that.
Saffron, right here.
For my appetizer, I'm making grilled spot prawn with olive caper tapenade, grilled romaine hearts, and a smoked saffron aioli.
There's the branzino.
For my entree, I'm making a salt crusted branzino with roasted baby veggies and a chimmichurri sauce.
And for dessert, I'm making a lemon madeleine with a berry compote and goat cheese mousse.
Goat cheese.
All of my dishes here are complex.
There's just no room for error in this.
I'm using liquid nitrogen and a smoking gun.
This is just gonna be a great menu if I can pull it off.
You will both just have to make us the best three-course dinner of your entire young lives.
Samuel, Logan, are you two ready? Yes, chef! Your 90 minutes Starts Now.
It's Samuel versus Logan.
They're both amazing chefs.
They have great palates and I don't know who's gonna win this thing.
Come on! Samuel's definitely going to win.
He's so much more sophisticated and he's just the best young home cook in America.
Go, Logan! Logan's menu is like my math class It's super-duper hard.
He is going to win.
Yeah! Someone's life will change forever, and it's going down right now.
This is going to be epic.
Samuel, Logan, let's go.
Come on.
To become America's next MasterChef Junior, 12-year-old Samuel and 11-year-old Logan are going head-to-head in a battle of three-course menus that they've created.
Go, Samuel! Samuel is making a chicken oyster appetizer, a pan-seared arctic char entree with bok choy and a saffron curry broth and for dessert, a lime panna cotta with passion fruit and raspberries The theme of my menu is from southeast Asia kind of flavors, But then I'm incorporating a little French technique.
I think that this menu is gonna propel me to win this MasterChef Junior title.
Logan! Logan's menu features an appetizer with grilled spot prawns and romaine hearts with smoked aioli, Followed by a salt crusted branzino entree, and lemon madeleines with a goat cheese mousse and berry compote for dessert.
I cannot drop the ball.
My station is chocked full of ingredients And I'm just getting started.
- Yeah.
- Yeah! Samuel has such a passion and joy for cooking and creating things in the kitchen.
I've always been the cook of the house, but by eight years old, he had completely taken over the kitchen and he was running the show by himself.
Go, Logan! Logan is just a gift.
He just came out a fantastic kid, foodie.
He doesn't watch a lot of cooking shows, he just naturally knows that somehow yuzu goes with raw Swiss chard.
I don't know how he knows it, but he does.
Come on! So this is it, guys.
We have found certainly the best two home cooks in all of America between the age of 8 and 13.
- Without a doubt.
They're edgy.
They're daring.
Nobody's playing safe tonight.
Stylistically, we have a bit of a difference, though, in these menus.
Beauteous.
I think that Samuel's menu is very, you know, asian-inspired and there's a lot of technique.
Where's my shinwa? He wants to open up a French restaurant called Le Samuel.
So I think that there's a life experience in his cooking and in his dishing that he's bringing to the table.
Just need to get my spot prawns ready.
Logan went a different route.
Very, very euro-centric.
Mediterranean flavors.
Spot prawns? Come on.
That's a chef dream, right? - That is the Rolls-Royce in prawns.
- They can go dry.
They can get bitter on the grill.
There's so many things that can go wrong.
Branzino, that's a tough one.
Is it too adventurous for an 11-year-old? I don't think so.
I think any less, he wouldn't be true to himself.
What is he gonna do with that? He's gonna make a nice, little crust on it.
There you go.
Yep.
But you have to be able to nail the techniques.
whether it's grilled prawns Or whether it's branzino en sale.
Two things that are very, very difficult to do.
Very technical and I'm worried about that.
Right, young man, how are you feeling? I'm feeling exhilarated.
three delicates Hard courses.
Talk to me about your appetizers.
The chicken oysters.
I've made a glaze for them that has some sesame oil, some soy, and I need to add some sriracha to it.
- How are you gonna cook them? - I'm just gonna fry them with a little bit of fine flour on the outside and then toss them in my sesame glaze so they don't get too salty.
Talk to me about the entree, arctic char.
That's a difficult one to get right.
It goes dry very quickly.
I think I'm gonna be able to get the arctic char cooked perfectly.
- And you're starting out with the coconut saffron broth? - Yes.
I just think that the saffron adds this very delicate layer of flavor to the broth that you don't just get from curry.
Right.
The dessert.
Passion fruit, kaffir lime mousse together, why? Because I think that sometimes panna cottas can be really sweet and heavy and I think the passion fruit's acid will really brighten it up.
- To nail it? - To nail it.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
So fast.
It smells good.
All right, Logan, how you doing? - I'm doing great.
- You're going with some very kind of euro-centric flavors tonight.
- Yeah.
- What's the appetizer? Tell me.
- Grilled spot prawns.
I mean, they were just still alive a few minutes ago, So they're extremely fresh.
How long you gonna cook them for? For six to seven minutes.
Got to be careful not to overcook these, right? - Of course.
- It's major.
So tell me exactly what the entree is.
A whole branzino.
And I just salt crusted it.
The great thing about salt crust is that it really keeps in the moisture.
I mean, I stuffed it with a little thyme and a little meyer lemon and a little bit of butter.
I spend my life cracking branzino's baked in salt and I know how risky and difficult it is to do what you're doing.
I just really want you to be impressed with the branzino.
It has a very chef-y flavor.
I hope you guys enjoy it.
So tell us exactly what the dessert is now.
The desert is a lemon madeleine with a berry compote and I also have a goat cheese mousse that I have - Goat cheese mousse? - Yes.
So you're kind of doing a sweet and savory mix? - Yeah.
- Well, good luck.
It sounds delicious if you can nail it.
Just under 55 minutes remaining.
Tasty.
Who is showing us technique that puts them in the pole position today? If Logan pulls off that branzino and makes those spot prawns incredible, trust me, tonight he's walking out of here with that trophy.
But the menu I want to eat tonight, and this is if he can pull it off is Samuel's.
It has the flavors that intrigue me.
It's really sophisticated.
It's global cuisine.
If he can cook like a real five-star chef tonight, he will win it.
It's smoking time.
Wait, what is Elevate my three-course meal, I'm smoking my aioli.
Here he goes.
Logan's got his gun out.
And I'm using a smoking gun to do it.
He's got, like,a little flame, right? He ignites it and it creates smoke whatever you put in there.
So he's got some wood chips and that's going to infuse the bag, whatever he has in there.
Smoke.
You got it.
You got it, Logan.
Way to go.
Yes.
Look at that.
Look, look, look, look.
Look.
This is, like, amazing.
Smoke everywhere, I mean, a boy's two favorite things.
It's a fire and a little plastic nerf gun.
It's like the Logan rock show.
I'm definitely gonna ask for a smoking gun for Christmas.
Now it's on.
For my dessert, I'm definitely using a lot of tools and things that are out there.
I'm using the liquid nitrogen to super-quick freeze my raspberries And then smash them, so they're little whole pellets of raspberry.
It's going to be superb.
- Dry ice.
- Dry ice.
It's incredible.
I mean, he looks like a sous chef from Breaking bad.
These guys are like mad scientists.
This is so amazing to watch.
I don't know what they're going to do next.
I mean, whether you like it or not, right now you're looking at the future of food.
Just under 28 minutes to go.
Samuel, Logan, We're looking for one stunning appetizer, one stunning entree - My fish.
And then, the best dessert of your entire lives.
- Go, Logan! - Yeah, yeah, Sam.
I have never, ever seen this many techniques, this amount of showmanship between two finalists ever in the history of this competition, and they're 11 and 12 years of age.
Come on.
Less than 15 minutes remaining.
Go, Sam! All right, young man, Branzino's out, how are you feeling? - Branzino's out.
It's pretty good.
- That's incredible.
I did my saffron aioli.
It's right here.
- And that's smoked, yes.
- Wow.
- That's smoked.
You're possibly ten minutes away from becoming America's next MasterChef Junior.
Focus and make sure you check everything.
- Good luck.
Let's go.
Good man.
- Thank you.
You got seven minutes left and your arctic char is still not cooked.
What are you doing? Are you crazy? I want to make sure that everything else is done first.
I don't I don't understand this strategy.
I'm actually just about to do it.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Fish.
Fish.
Fish can take about three minutes to be cooked perfectly, and I know that I'm gonna nail this arctic char.
The judges will be amazed.
Just under five minutes to go, guys.
Come on.
Come on, Logan.
Logan's branzino looks beautiful.
It does look nice, but there's so many things that can happen.
When we crack that salt open, the fish might be dry.
Samuel! I'm worried about Samuel's arctic char.
It looks like he's cutting it really, really close.
- Go, Logan! - Let's go, guys.
Pull it together.
This is it.
- Beautiful.
- Two and a half minutes remaining.
Time to start plating.
Less than 90 minutes he set a panna cotta.
We let our panna cotta set overnight.
He's under double jeopardy And this is just the dessert, Graham.
Logan's dessert Meyer lemon madeleines with goat cheese and blueberries.
The savory goat cheese with that sweet madeleine.
- Yeah.
I mean, that is insane.
- Those look delicious.
- Thank you, Samuel.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
I think all six dishes look amazing.
I mean, I've never seen a finale like this.
I have to pinch myself tonight that this is MasterChef Junior.
This is epic.
It's like, "It's Logan.
It's Samuel.
It's Logan.
It's Samuel.
It's Logan.
It's Samuel.
It's Logan! No, it's Samuel!" - 20 seconds to go.
- Come on, guys.
Come on.
Get it going.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Come on, guys.
Ten NineEight SevenSix FiveFour ThreeTwoOne.
Yes, chef! Amazing.
All right.
Good job.
Absolutely incredible.
Logan, Samuel, thank you for giving us - High five.
Well done.
Amazing.
Good job.
Those stunning dishes look incredible.
Well done.
Please, very carefully, bring them up the front.
- Good job, Samuel! - Go, Logan! Go, Logan! I'm feeling great.
I've got everything on the plate.
Everything's done.
Everything's exactly how I wanted it, but you never know what's gonna happen in the MasterChef kitchen.
I looked down at my plates and I feel really good, because I feel that I've come a really long way on this journey.
I'm so happy with my performance, and I know the judges are gonna love it.
Now it's time to head into the MasterChef restaurant.
One of you will be crowned America's next MasterChef Junior.
Very carefully lift those dishes.
Let's go.
- Good job! - Samuel! Good job! Okay, Samuel, please bring us your appetizer.
Samuel, describe your appetizer, please.
This is southeast asian chicken oysters with pickled cucumber and radish and some spicy crisped rice.
Visually, young man, it looks stunning.
The fragrance coming from that plate is incredible.
So the whole idea is to lift up one and go.
- All in one, right? - Yes.
The chicken oyster is delicious.
Nice and crisp and it's got that almost like a Korean style glaze on the outside.
The daikon refreshes it so it gives it that cleanliness.
- What's marinated in? - Mers wine, mirin, sambal.
For me, it's just slightly overdone on that vinegar underneath.
Thank you.
The chicken itself, very good, but all in all, I like the idea of the dish better than the actual flavor.
This is definitely not good.
It would mean so much for me to win MasterChef Junior.
Right now, it feels like my chances are going down in flames.
All in all, I like the idea of the dish better than the actual flavor.
This is not the start that I wanted, but I definitely think my menu is much riskier and much more technical, and I hope the judges see that.
Tell me, you have the radish and cucumber both pickled in vinegar? The radish, it's a bit of a sweeter pickle than the cucumber.
Maybe I'm a little bit more prepared for full flavor than my colleagues here, but I happen to like very much that vinegaryness.
It's great.
For me, this takes me right to Singapore.
You have a sweet fattiness from the chicken and then you have this punching acidity where it's just kind of going bam, bam, bam.
Yin and yang in my palate.
I think the dish is really top-notch.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Joe loves the vinegar.
So I am happy that I was 99.
9 % perfect.
Okay, Logan, please present your appetizer.
Thank you.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
Please describe your appetizer.
I have grilled spot prawn with olive caper tapenade, grilled romaine hearts, and smoked saffron aioli.
Visually it's got that wow-factor.
That bright, luminous color of the aioli.
You feel strongly about this dish? Of course.
How could I not? How could you not? - Then how could I not? - Why are you even questioning? - How could we not? - Amazing.
Spot prawns are cooked beautifully.
I mean, they are absolutely stunning.
And you've got that nice sort of smokiness, and I love that smoked aioli.
I absolutely love it.
You've really shown flair.
It really has that kind of, "Look at me.
I'm here for business.
" Good job.
Great, great dish.
Super smart.
Well-conceived.
One thing is the olives.
It really takes over everything with that brine.
I'm losing that beautiful saffron flavor, because it overpowers it.
All the other components, though, make sense, taste amazing, and are executed perfectly.
- You should be super proud of this.
- Thank you.
I happen to like very much the olive tapenade on top of the smoked aioli.
I think it's quite brilliant.
And I think it takes something lacking in flavor sometimes, like a simple shrimp, And really, like, punches it up a notch.
I love the consistent theme of smoke.
Very smart.
The dish hits on every level.
Good job.
Yes! The smoking gun paid off.
This dish is restaurant-quality.
I'm so happy with the smoked aioli.
I knew.
If that's the sign of what's to come, we're in for one of the best treats we ever had in any finale.
Please, get back into that kitchen and bring us your entrees.
Thank you.
It definitely appears that the appetizer round is up in the air because mine was vinegary, but I think my dish was much more technical than grilling prawn and lettuce and using the gimmicky smoking gun.
Wow.
That was an incredible start.
I mean, honestly, for me, one of the best starts we ever had kind of plates is truly spectacular.
- They cook like pros.
- Yeah, not amateurs.
With Samuel's dish, I really like the idea of him going for the asian theme throughout his menu.
I mean, I have to commend him.
I thought he cooked the oysters brilliantly, but for me, it actually looked better than it tasted.
Because I don't think I'd get through my third or fourth one.
Right.
Looking at the cook on the prawns, with Logan, I mean, incredible.
He could not have grilled those any better.
But he grilled the romaine the exact same way.
Yeah, you're right.
Gorgeous.
Perfectly done.
Just the hard saltiness of the olive relish.
He didn't even need the aioli and the olives.
I mean, that's a great dish to put on your restaurant.
Just a gorgeous prawn and grilled romaine salad.
- Amazing.
- Really good.
What a great start.
Beautiful.
All right, guys! I'm really happy with my entree, but I'm praying that I've perfected the arctic char.
It has to be cooked perfectly.
So that's making me a little worried.
Wow.
Okay, Samuel, please bring us your entree.
Very nice.
What's in the dish itself? The dish itself is pan-seared arctic char, baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, fresh noodles, and coconut saffron curry broth.
This of course would be done table side at Le Samuel.
- That is correct.
- Oui, chef.
- Thank you.
- Good man.
Wow, with that kind of a crispy, crackling crust on such a delicate piece of char, I would be concerned about how the inside temp is.
- What should it be? - Perfect medium rare.
Flaky, but almost pink.
So we're looking for a medium/medium rare.
You have absolutely nailed the cook on your arctic char.
Beautiful.
I love the idea of taking two opposite parts of the world, basically, and putting them on the same plate.
Char comes from the Arctic and these flavors come from southeast Asia.
Feels wrong, but you know it's right.
I do know that you cooked your char perfectly.
You've seasoned the fish perfectly.
You have an amazing fusion going on in this dish that on so many levels works.
- Congratulations.
Very good.
- Thank you.
The fish is so good that it could stand on its own.
Just by itself.
Even with the salad of the shiitake and bok choy.
With that curry and the coconut milk base, it's heavy.
And I really want that char to stand out more, because, like I said, you nailed it.
Seasoning I think is on.
Just it's heavy.
That's the only issue that I'm having here.
Young man, you've cooked fish tonight like an angel.
An absolute dream.
Bok choy and noodles Delicious.
Could have done with a bit more spice in there, but cooking fish like that, age 12, there are chefs in professional restaurants that overcook this fish time and time again, and you have nailed it.
Seriously.
- Well done.
Good job.
- Thank you.
Okay, Logan, please bring your entree.
I've salt baked a fish before, but never branzino.
Either it's a big letdown or it's a big success.
I've never cooked with the stakes this high before.
Please describe the dish.
Salt crusted branzino stuffed with meyer lemon, thyme, butter, chimmichurri sauce, and roasted baby vegetables.
This is one of the most unusual entrees we have ever seen in the history of MasterChef.
Why such a risk? There's nothing to hide behind here.
I mean, this is the finale.
Go big or go home.
Young man, I think you're one of the boldest and one of the most craziest It can go two ways.
It can be overcooked and dry and a disaster, or it could be the most moist, the most succulent, the most delicious fish you've ever tasted.
I'm dying to get under that crust, 'cause then I'll know how bold you've been or how reckless you've been.
You may only be 11, but I think you're one of the boldest and one of the most craziest I'm dying to get under that crust, 'cause then I'll know how bold you've been or how reckless you've been.
- So shall we? - Please.
Logan, you're gonna make me work tonight.
Very exciting.
So salt crusting, it's very traditional from the Mediterranean.
Obviously, what the salt does is help to maintain the moisture and the flavor of the fish.
The salt comes from the sea.
The fish comes from the sea.
What's interesting in this application it's not even really seasoning the fish that much.
It's basically providing an environment for the fish to cook in.
- You've done this before? - Never with a branzino.
What'd you stuff the interior with? Meyer lemons, butter, some thyme, that's it.
I'm just gonna take off the best pieces And then That's it.
Just like that.
Okay.
Perfect.
This branzino, my friend, is Awesome.
You nailed it, and you captured the very, very essence of doing branzino in salt.
It is moist.
The chimmichurri sauce is a bit aggressive, but your roasted vegetables are spot-on.
- What are the peppers? - Piquillo peppers.
Love it.
Nice touch.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
The choice of vegetables Perfect.
They're all from the same region.
If it grows together, it goes together.
Salt crust on the fish absolutely worked beautifully.
I like that you went out of your comfort zone and tried something that you have not used before.
It's kind of crazy and dangerous, but it paid off.
Thank you.
Fish is delicious.
I mean, you've done exactly what Samuel had done.
You've nailed your fish beautifully.
It's seasoned nicely.
Vegetables, you can't go wrong, But here's the thing, the chimmichurri is slightly overpowering.
A meyer lemon, butter sauce over the top Bang, you got me.
Very similar tails on both, and how ironic tonight you've got stunning fish cooked beautifully, But you've both applied the wrong sauce.
Right now, it is anyone's game.
Please get back into that kitchen And bring us your desserts.
Wow.
Wow.
I'm in shock.
I mean, honestly, that has to be the best two fish entrees I've ever tasted in this competition.
- Absolutely.
- Ever.
Yeah, I loved how simple Logan's was with the vegetable and the chimmichurri, but if I had my choice, I actually would probably go back and eat Samuel's arctic char.
I really enjoy the flavors.
What'd you think? I would take Logan's with no chimmichurri and just some freshly squeezed lemon on top of it.
I mean, I think Logan has a slight edge.
I was just so blown away that I'm not picking a winner and I'm still feeling like they're neck and neck.
Round three.
This is the last dish.
It's anybody's game.
I've slipped a few times, But nothing that I can't clean up with this dessert.
Now it's time for the knockout finishing blow.
Guys, amazing jobs.
We're still sitting here reminding ourselves that we have an 11-year-old from Tennessee and a 12-year-old from California.
Dessert.
Samuel, please begin with you.
I'm really confident in my panna cotta it's about subtleties and powerful flavors.
I'm praying that they're going to enjoy it.
Can you go ahead and describe? This is kaffir lime panna cotta layered with passion fruit, ginger dust, and liquid nitrogen broken raspberry.
I'm gonna get a little bit of the passion fruit at the bottom and then on the top is the Little ginger anise dust.
That is like getting punched in the mouth.
In the best possible way.
That is killer.
I love passion fruit.
It's one of my all-time favorite ingredients.
The raspberry on top gives it that textural contrast.
- Is there vanilla in there as well? - A little vanilla too.
Very tropical.
Super fragrant.
Almost like edible perfume.
- I love it.
- Thank you.
Panna cotta's delicious.
You have such an acidity kickback from the passion fruit.
I love the fragrance, but there's one thing that you've got going with all your foods.
You got that harmony and you're intertwining the sort of rollover from the entree to the dessert.
On top What's the smell on top? That's some ginger and a little anise.
Yeah, delicious.
You just want more and more and more.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I think that using star anise is kind of crazy brilliant.
I think it's very sophisticated and quite delicious.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
All right, Logan, please bring up your dessert.
Samuel's putting up a good fight, but I think that my dessert is definitely better than his.
Well, it looks beautiful.
Can you please tell us what it is? It's a meyer lemon madeleine with a berry compote and goat cheese mousse.
All right, so goat cheese in a dessert.
- So it's not a cheese course, though.
- No.
Where did the idea of the goat cheese come from? I just thought that the goat cheese would go well with the lemon.
It would really give it that oomph That it really needs to make it all creamy.
The madeleines are nice and fluffy.
They're not heavy or dense.
Goat cheese plays a great part by imparting some acidity with the berries that have been cooked down so that they're sweet.
I think it's sophisticated.
It's balanced.
- I really like it.
- Thanks.
Visually it looks brilliant.
I think the madeleines could have done with a little bit longer cooking.
However, the goat's cheese, the berries Brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant.
Thank you.
I think the madeleines are fantastic.
This is delicious.
It's sweet, but still acidic at the same time.
I think it's the perfect ending note.
Great dish.
- Congratulations, Logan.
- Thank you.
You guys, no matter what happens, those dishes tonight were out of this world.
Please, both of you, walk out there with your heads up high when you see us next, we'll know which one of you is about to be crowned America's next MasterChef Junior.
Well done, guys.
Head out.
Heads up high.
What a way to finish a three-course meal.
Given that we have to make the decision on the entire menu, where do we go? It's a tough one.
That's a very tough one.
Logan's appetizer, look at the cook on the prawns Incredible.
I mean, each one turned, grilled, the big smokey flavor, but a little bit too simple for me.
The biggest shock was the branzino.
I've never tasted fish that delicious.
The courage of an 11-year-old to do a branzino in salt crust, it speaks volumes.
Yeah, we've never had an amateur home cook do it.
I think what I'm gonna make a case for Logan because I think that he has a style already as a chef.
That magic ability, that little fairy dust they put on each dish that makes it their own, and that means a lot to me as a diner.
Yeah, but I think Samuel's menu was a little more cohesive with almost a spice theme running throughout.
You know, with the togarashi followed by the curry followed by star anise and ginger.
I like that.
Samuel's chicken oysters, they were cooked brilliantly.
Beautiful glaze, but really vinegary underneath.
However, Samuel's cook on the arctic char, come on.
Yeah, it was amazing.
Crispy skin and a beautiful medium all the way through.
I feel he missed the boat a bit on the curry Yeah, it was heavy.
It was a cream sauce for sure.
But the dessert was mind-blowing.
I mean, with the passion fruit bottomBeautiful.
Yeah, it looked like a restaurant dessert.
Logan's was great, but I mean, what a way to finish.
This is so difficult.
I feel really proud of myself that I made it to the final two, and I'm so close now I can feel the glass trophy and the $100,000 check.
- I think we're all on the same page.
- Yeah.
I think we know, you know, who the winner is.
- Are we happy? - It's clear.
- I agree.
- Yeah, clearly.
Yeah? Let's go.
I really want to have that next MasterChef Junior title.
My fate is in the judge's hands right now.
This is gonna be a nail-biting finish.
I want this so bad.
As long as I have that title, I am happy.
Because that shows that I am a MasterChef.
I'm really proud because I feel that I've come a really long way on this journey, and I'm so happy with my performance.
I took on a really challenging menu with really assertive flavors.
So I think I can win.
Samuel and Logan.
You guys came into this competition as two young sixth graders.
One from Greenbrae, California, The other from Memphis, Tennessee.
You started this journey as young home cooks, but you guys have shown that you're so much more than that.
We'd like both of you to take your well-deserved place on this stage.
Samuel, Logan, the two of you have been incredible, But unfortunately, only one of you can win it all.
One of you will receive a check for $100,000.
Just one of you is about to get to call this stunning trophy your own.
Just one of you Can become America's next MasterChef Junior.
That person is Congratulations Logan! - Congratulations.
- Good job, dude.
- Yes! You're crazy, man.
- That's crazy! I can't believe I won.
I mean, this is just, like, crazy talk.
This feeling is super surreal.
It feels like dreamy-land.
It feels amazing, life-changing.
Well done, bud.
Well done.
I mean, this is definitely one of the best days of my life.
This is definitely a dream.
- Head up high, bud.
- Okay.
- You've done yourself proud.
- You've done brilliant.
- Thank you.
I'm still gonna keep cooking.
I'm not gonna let this defeat me.
This is the start of my food dream.
My food career.
I can put this on my high school application.
"Competed in MasterChef Junior.
Second place.
Runner-up.
" I'm so proud of what I've done.
Samuel's just a great chef.
He definitely put up a really good fight.
It's been amazing to be on MasterChef Junior, to be in the finale.
Ladies and gentlemen, America's next MasterChef Junior, Logan! But it's not about the money.
It's not about the trophy.
It's about making friends forever.
I'm the next MasterChef Junior, And it feels amazing! sync & corrections: Terka
- Wow.
- Oh, my gosh But only 16 earned the honor of wearing the coveted MasterChef white apron.
These young home cooks tackle challenges that would cause adults to crack.
- Two squash and two prawn.
- Yes, chef! - Yes, chef! Live animals.
Sticky situations.
Dude! - They even faced - I hear you, Gordon.
- My mum.
- Hello.
They came to this kitchen as young home cooks.
Wow.
Stunning.
It's kind of, like, perfect.
And one by one, they left as seasoned competitors I'm excited to see what you do next, 'cause you really inspired all of us.
Now only two young home cooks remain.
But only one can be crowned America's next MasterChef Junior.
Tonight, two young home cooks age 11 and 12 will do battle to be called the very best young home cook in America.
Culinary history is about to be made.
This is the showdown that all of America is talking about.
This is the MasterChef Junior finale.
First up, from Greenbrae, California I'm confident that I can make an upscale dish with these pedestrian ingredients.
Samuel is a refined old soul who cooks way beyond his years.
Perfect.
A young man with expensive tastes and an expansive palate.
I'm making a pork tenderloin stuffed with a Brussels sprout mousseline.
Good to see you're keeping it simple.
A natural leader in the kitchen, Samuel has been a front-runner from day one.
Wow.
You're starting to really separate yourself from the pack.
This is a very smart, intellectual dish.
- Awesome.
Good job.
- Thank you.
This has to be one of the most technically accomplished dishes this evening.
Want to pick them up and eat them all.
I think that it's gonna be a very close battle.
We're gonna do this.
But my innovation and my creativity is gonna propel me to win this MasterChef Junior title.
Tonight, can his sophisticated flavors and cosmopolitan palate be enough to take home the title of MasterChef Junior? The only small obstacle that stands in Samuel's way is from Memphis, Tennessee, Logan.
This is, like, the greatest place in the food world to be.
Logan always dresses for success Ah, beautiful.
In his signature bow tie.
I love that we look like versions of the same person.
- Yeah.
But his fellow home cooks soon learned that beneath his mild-mannered exterior Would you like some more tea? Beats the heart of a fierce competitor.
- Let's go! - Yes, chef! Somebody's going home tonight and it ain't gonna be me.
His stylish food and striking plating speaks for itself.
Wow.
That is amazing-looking.
The flavor of that flat iron steak is mind-blowing.
Cooking your salmon in olive oil was kind of a stroke of genius.
This might be the most important day of my childhood.
Can't leave anything up to fate.
I'm this close from winning it all.
Tonight, can Logan's passion, competitive spirit and unbridled imagination take home the title of MasterChef Junior? Congratulations, Samuel and Logan on making it here to the final of MasterChef Junior.
This is the biggest culinary event in the entire country.
To get to this point, to compete in this culinary arena, you had to overcome some other very talented young home cooks and some of them have made the trip back here to cheer you on.
Welcome back, guys.
Also here to cheer you on are your family and friends.
Win it, baby! - Where's Samuel's mom, Lisa? - Right here.
Can you tell us about the first time that you remember that he had this talent in the kitchen? When he cooked a ratatouille, a confit byaldi, like, just like in the movie after we had seen it, and slicing with a mandoline, and I kept telling him to be careful.
Dad, Dan, are you surprised at all that Samuel's made it to the finale? I'm in awe of it and my heart is bursting with pride.
Now Logan's father, Tom, and mom, Kim, any last words of advice for your son? Cook with your heart.
Put it on the plate.
Don't go rogue.
And break an egg, babe.
For tonight's challenge, we want to see your culinary vision presented in a three-course meal.
One appetizer, one entree, and one stunning dessert.
It's time for the grand finale to begin.
You will now each have ten minutes to go into the pantry and get everything you need to make us your stunning, trophy-winning three-course dinner.
Samuel, Logan, are you both ready? Yes, chef! - I can't hear you.
- Yes, chef! Your ten minutes Starts Now.
Get a basket For my appetizer, I'm making southeast asian chicken oysters.
Chicken oysters With pickled radish and cucumber and spicy, crisped rice.
For my entree, I am making pan-seared arctic char with fresh noodles, thin bok choy, and a coconut saffron curry broth.
For my dessert, I am making a kaffir lime panna cotta layered with passion fruit and a liquid nitrogen raspberry.
I definitely think my menu is risky and technical and I hope the judges see that.
Saffron, right here.
For my appetizer, I'm making grilled spot prawn with olive caper tapenade, grilled romaine hearts, and a smoked saffron aioli.
There's the branzino.
For my entree, I'm making a salt crusted branzino with roasted baby veggies and a chimmichurri sauce.
And for dessert, I'm making a lemon madeleine with a berry compote and goat cheese mousse.
Goat cheese.
All of my dishes here are complex.
There's just no room for error in this.
I'm using liquid nitrogen and a smoking gun.
This is just gonna be a great menu if I can pull it off.
You will both just have to make us the best three-course dinner of your entire young lives.
Samuel, Logan, are you two ready? Yes, chef! Your 90 minutes Starts Now.
It's Samuel versus Logan.
They're both amazing chefs.
They have great palates and I don't know who's gonna win this thing.
Come on! Samuel's definitely going to win.
He's so much more sophisticated and he's just the best young home cook in America.
Go, Logan! Logan's menu is like my math class It's super-duper hard.
He is going to win.
Yeah! Someone's life will change forever, and it's going down right now.
This is going to be epic.
Samuel, Logan, let's go.
Come on.
To become America's next MasterChef Junior, 12-year-old Samuel and 11-year-old Logan are going head-to-head in a battle of three-course menus that they've created.
Go, Samuel! Samuel is making a chicken oyster appetizer, a pan-seared arctic char entree with bok choy and a saffron curry broth and for dessert, a lime panna cotta with passion fruit and raspberries The theme of my menu is from southeast Asia kind of flavors, But then I'm incorporating a little French technique.
I think that this menu is gonna propel me to win this MasterChef Junior title.
Logan! Logan's menu features an appetizer with grilled spot prawns and romaine hearts with smoked aioli, Followed by a salt crusted branzino entree, and lemon madeleines with a goat cheese mousse and berry compote for dessert.
I cannot drop the ball.
My station is chocked full of ingredients And I'm just getting started.
- Yeah.
- Yeah! Samuel has such a passion and joy for cooking and creating things in the kitchen.
I've always been the cook of the house, but by eight years old, he had completely taken over the kitchen and he was running the show by himself.
Go, Logan! Logan is just a gift.
He just came out a fantastic kid, foodie.
He doesn't watch a lot of cooking shows, he just naturally knows that somehow yuzu goes with raw Swiss chard.
I don't know how he knows it, but he does.
Come on! So this is it, guys.
We have found certainly the best two home cooks in all of America between the age of 8 and 13.
- Without a doubt.
They're edgy.
They're daring.
Nobody's playing safe tonight.
Stylistically, we have a bit of a difference, though, in these menus.
Beauteous.
I think that Samuel's menu is very, you know, asian-inspired and there's a lot of technique.
Where's my shinwa? He wants to open up a French restaurant called Le Samuel.
So I think that there's a life experience in his cooking and in his dishing that he's bringing to the table.
Just need to get my spot prawns ready.
Logan went a different route.
Very, very euro-centric.
Mediterranean flavors.
Spot prawns? Come on.
That's a chef dream, right? - That is the Rolls-Royce in prawns.
- They can go dry.
They can get bitter on the grill.
There's so many things that can go wrong.
Branzino, that's a tough one.
Is it too adventurous for an 11-year-old? I don't think so.
I think any less, he wouldn't be true to himself.
What is he gonna do with that? He's gonna make a nice, little crust on it.
There you go.
Yep.
But you have to be able to nail the techniques.
whether it's grilled prawns Or whether it's branzino en sale.
Two things that are very, very difficult to do.
Very technical and I'm worried about that.
Right, young man, how are you feeling? I'm feeling exhilarated.
three delicates Hard courses.
Talk to me about your appetizers.
The chicken oysters.
I've made a glaze for them that has some sesame oil, some soy, and I need to add some sriracha to it.
- How are you gonna cook them? - I'm just gonna fry them with a little bit of fine flour on the outside and then toss them in my sesame glaze so they don't get too salty.
Talk to me about the entree, arctic char.
That's a difficult one to get right.
It goes dry very quickly.
I think I'm gonna be able to get the arctic char cooked perfectly.
- And you're starting out with the coconut saffron broth? - Yes.
I just think that the saffron adds this very delicate layer of flavor to the broth that you don't just get from curry.
Right.
The dessert.
Passion fruit, kaffir lime mousse together, why? Because I think that sometimes panna cottas can be really sweet and heavy and I think the passion fruit's acid will really brighten it up.
- To nail it? - To nail it.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
So fast.
It smells good.
All right, Logan, how you doing? - I'm doing great.
- You're going with some very kind of euro-centric flavors tonight.
- Yeah.
- What's the appetizer? Tell me.
- Grilled spot prawns.
I mean, they were just still alive a few minutes ago, So they're extremely fresh.
How long you gonna cook them for? For six to seven minutes.
Got to be careful not to overcook these, right? - Of course.
- It's major.
So tell me exactly what the entree is.
A whole branzino.
And I just salt crusted it.
The great thing about salt crust is that it really keeps in the moisture.
I mean, I stuffed it with a little thyme and a little meyer lemon and a little bit of butter.
I spend my life cracking branzino's baked in salt and I know how risky and difficult it is to do what you're doing.
I just really want you to be impressed with the branzino.
It has a very chef-y flavor.
I hope you guys enjoy it.
So tell us exactly what the dessert is now.
The desert is a lemon madeleine with a berry compote and I also have a goat cheese mousse that I have - Goat cheese mousse? - Yes.
So you're kind of doing a sweet and savory mix? - Yeah.
- Well, good luck.
It sounds delicious if you can nail it.
Just under 55 minutes remaining.
Tasty.
Who is showing us technique that puts them in the pole position today? If Logan pulls off that branzino and makes those spot prawns incredible, trust me, tonight he's walking out of here with that trophy.
But the menu I want to eat tonight, and this is if he can pull it off is Samuel's.
It has the flavors that intrigue me.
It's really sophisticated.
It's global cuisine.
If he can cook like a real five-star chef tonight, he will win it.
It's smoking time.
Wait, what is Elevate my three-course meal, I'm smoking my aioli.
Here he goes.
Logan's got his gun out.
And I'm using a smoking gun to do it.
He's got, like,a little flame, right? He ignites it and it creates smoke whatever you put in there.
So he's got some wood chips and that's going to infuse the bag, whatever he has in there.
Smoke.
You got it.
You got it, Logan.
Way to go.
Yes.
Look at that.
Look, look, look, look.
Look.
This is, like, amazing.
Smoke everywhere, I mean, a boy's two favorite things.
It's a fire and a little plastic nerf gun.
It's like the Logan rock show.
I'm definitely gonna ask for a smoking gun for Christmas.
Now it's on.
For my dessert, I'm definitely using a lot of tools and things that are out there.
I'm using the liquid nitrogen to super-quick freeze my raspberries And then smash them, so they're little whole pellets of raspberry.
It's going to be superb.
- Dry ice.
- Dry ice.
It's incredible.
I mean, he looks like a sous chef from Breaking bad.
These guys are like mad scientists.
This is so amazing to watch.
I don't know what they're going to do next.
I mean, whether you like it or not, right now you're looking at the future of food.
Just under 28 minutes to go.
Samuel, Logan, We're looking for one stunning appetizer, one stunning entree - My fish.
And then, the best dessert of your entire lives.
- Go, Logan! - Yeah, yeah, Sam.
I have never, ever seen this many techniques, this amount of showmanship between two finalists ever in the history of this competition, and they're 11 and 12 years of age.
Come on.
Less than 15 minutes remaining.
Go, Sam! All right, young man, Branzino's out, how are you feeling? - Branzino's out.
It's pretty good.
- That's incredible.
I did my saffron aioli.
It's right here.
- And that's smoked, yes.
- Wow.
- That's smoked.
You're possibly ten minutes away from becoming America's next MasterChef Junior.
Focus and make sure you check everything.
- Good luck.
Let's go.
Good man.
- Thank you.
You got seven minutes left and your arctic char is still not cooked.
What are you doing? Are you crazy? I want to make sure that everything else is done first.
I don't I don't understand this strategy.
I'm actually just about to do it.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Fish.
Fish.
Fish can take about three minutes to be cooked perfectly, and I know that I'm gonna nail this arctic char.
The judges will be amazed.
Just under five minutes to go, guys.
Come on.
Come on, Logan.
Logan's branzino looks beautiful.
It does look nice, but there's so many things that can happen.
When we crack that salt open, the fish might be dry.
Samuel! I'm worried about Samuel's arctic char.
It looks like he's cutting it really, really close.
- Go, Logan! - Let's go, guys.
Pull it together.
This is it.
- Beautiful.
- Two and a half minutes remaining.
Time to start plating.
Less than 90 minutes he set a panna cotta.
We let our panna cotta set overnight.
He's under double jeopardy And this is just the dessert, Graham.
Logan's dessert Meyer lemon madeleines with goat cheese and blueberries.
The savory goat cheese with that sweet madeleine.
- Yeah.
I mean, that is insane.
- Those look delicious.
- Thank you, Samuel.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
I think all six dishes look amazing.
I mean, I've never seen a finale like this.
I have to pinch myself tonight that this is MasterChef Junior.
This is epic.
It's like, "It's Logan.
It's Samuel.
It's Logan.
It's Samuel.
It's Logan.
It's Samuel.
It's Logan! No, it's Samuel!" - 20 seconds to go.
- Come on, guys.
Come on.
Get it going.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Come on, guys.
Ten NineEight SevenSix FiveFour ThreeTwoOne.
Yes, chef! Amazing.
All right.
Good job.
Absolutely incredible.
Logan, Samuel, thank you for giving us - High five.
Well done.
Amazing.
Good job.
Those stunning dishes look incredible.
Well done.
Please, very carefully, bring them up the front.
- Good job, Samuel! - Go, Logan! Go, Logan! I'm feeling great.
I've got everything on the plate.
Everything's done.
Everything's exactly how I wanted it, but you never know what's gonna happen in the MasterChef kitchen.
I looked down at my plates and I feel really good, because I feel that I've come a really long way on this journey.
I'm so happy with my performance, and I know the judges are gonna love it.
Now it's time to head into the MasterChef restaurant.
One of you will be crowned America's next MasterChef Junior.
Very carefully lift those dishes.
Let's go.
- Good job! - Samuel! Good job! Okay, Samuel, please bring us your appetizer.
Samuel, describe your appetizer, please.
This is southeast asian chicken oysters with pickled cucumber and radish and some spicy crisped rice.
Visually, young man, it looks stunning.
The fragrance coming from that plate is incredible.
So the whole idea is to lift up one and go.
- All in one, right? - Yes.
The chicken oyster is delicious.
Nice and crisp and it's got that almost like a Korean style glaze on the outside.
The daikon refreshes it so it gives it that cleanliness.
- What's marinated in? - Mers wine, mirin, sambal.
For me, it's just slightly overdone on that vinegar underneath.
Thank you.
The chicken itself, very good, but all in all, I like the idea of the dish better than the actual flavor.
This is definitely not good.
It would mean so much for me to win MasterChef Junior.
Right now, it feels like my chances are going down in flames.
All in all, I like the idea of the dish better than the actual flavor.
This is not the start that I wanted, but I definitely think my menu is much riskier and much more technical, and I hope the judges see that.
Tell me, you have the radish and cucumber both pickled in vinegar? The radish, it's a bit of a sweeter pickle than the cucumber.
Maybe I'm a little bit more prepared for full flavor than my colleagues here, but I happen to like very much that vinegaryness.
It's great.
For me, this takes me right to Singapore.
You have a sweet fattiness from the chicken and then you have this punching acidity where it's just kind of going bam, bam, bam.
Yin and yang in my palate.
I think the dish is really top-notch.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Joe loves the vinegar.
So I am happy that I was 99.
9 % perfect.
Okay, Logan, please present your appetizer.
Thank you.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
Please describe your appetizer.
I have grilled spot prawn with olive caper tapenade, grilled romaine hearts, and smoked saffron aioli.
Visually it's got that wow-factor.
That bright, luminous color of the aioli.
You feel strongly about this dish? Of course.
How could I not? How could you not? - Then how could I not? - Why are you even questioning? - How could we not? - Amazing.
Spot prawns are cooked beautifully.
I mean, they are absolutely stunning.
And you've got that nice sort of smokiness, and I love that smoked aioli.
I absolutely love it.
You've really shown flair.
It really has that kind of, "Look at me.
I'm here for business.
" Good job.
Great, great dish.
Super smart.
Well-conceived.
One thing is the olives.
It really takes over everything with that brine.
I'm losing that beautiful saffron flavor, because it overpowers it.
All the other components, though, make sense, taste amazing, and are executed perfectly.
- You should be super proud of this.
- Thank you.
I happen to like very much the olive tapenade on top of the smoked aioli.
I think it's quite brilliant.
And I think it takes something lacking in flavor sometimes, like a simple shrimp, And really, like, punches it up a notch.
I love the consistent theme of smoke.
Very smart.
The dish hits on every level.
Good job.
Yes! The smoking gun paid off.
This dish is restaurant-quality.
I'm so happy with the smoked aioli.
I knew.
If that's the sign of what's to come, we're in for one of the best treats we ever had in any finale.
Please, get back into that kitchen and bring us your entrees.
Thank you.
It definitely appears that the appetizer round is up in the air because mine was vinegary, but I think my dish was much more technical than grilling prawn and lettuce and using the gimmicky smoking gun.
Wow.
That was an incredible start.
I mean, honestly, for me, one of the best starts we ever had kind of plates is truly spectacular.
- They cook like pros.
- Yeah, not amateurs.
With Samuel's dish, I really like the idea of him going for the asian theme throughout his menu.
I mean, I have to commend him.
I thought he cooked the oysters brilliantly, but for me, it actually looked better than it tasted.
Because I don't think I'd get through my third or fourth one.
Right.
Looking at the cook on the prawns, with Logan, I mean, incredible.
He could not have grilled those any better.
But he grilled the romaine the exact same way.
Yeah, you're right.
Gorgeous.
Perfectly done.
Just the hard saltiness of the olive relish.
He didn't even need the aioli and the olives.
I mean, that's a great dish to put on your restaurant.
Just a gorgeous prawn and grilled romaine salad.
- Amazing.
- Really good.
What a great start.
Beautiful.
All right, guys! I'm really happy with my entree, but I'm praying that I've perfected the arctic char.
It has to be cooked perfectly.
So that's making me a little worried.
Wow.
Okay, Samuel, please bring us your entree.
Very nice.
What's in the dish itself? The dish itself is pan-seared arctic char, baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, fresh noodles, and coconut saffron curry broth.
This of course would be done table side at Le Samuel.
- That is correct.
- Oui, chef.
- Thank you.
- Good man.
Wow, with that kind of a crispy, crackling crust on such a delicate piece of char, I would be concerned about how the inside temp is.
- What should it be? - Perfect medium rare.
Flaky, but almost pink.
So we're looking for a medium/medium rare.
You have absolutely nailed the cook on your arctic char.
Beautiful.
I love the idea of taking two opposite parts of the world, basically, and putting them on the same plate.
Char comes from the Arctic and these flavors come from southeast Asia.
Feels wrong, but you know it's right.
I do know that you cooked your char perfectly.
You've seasoned the fish perfectly.
You have an amazing fusion going on in this dish that on so many levels works.
- Congratulations.
Very good.
- Thank you.
The fish is so good that it could stand on its own.
Just by itself.
Even with the salad of the shiitake and bok choy.
With that curry and the coconut milk base, it's heavy.
And I really want that char to stand out more, because, like I said, you nailed it.
Seasoning I think is on.
Just it's heavy.
That's the only issue that I'm having here.
Young man, you've cooked fish tonight like an angel.
An absolute dream.
Bok choy and noodles Delicious.
Could have done with a bit more spice in there, but cooking fish like that, age 12, there are chefs in professional restaurants that overcook this fish time and time again, and you have nailed it.
Seriously.
- Well done.
Good job.
- Thank you.
Okay, Logan, please bring your entree.
I've salt baked a fish before, but never branzino.
Either it's a big letdown or it's a big success.
I've never cooked with the stakes this high before.
Please describe the dish.
Salt crusted branzino stuffed with meyer lemon, thyme, butter, chimmichurri sauce, and roasted baby vegetables.
This is one of the most unusual entrees we have ever seen in the history of MasterChef.
Why such a risk? There's nothing to hide behind here.
I mean, this is the finale.
Go big or go home.
Young man, I think you're one of the boldest and one of the most craziest It can go two ways.
It can be overcooked and dry and a disaster, or it could be the most moist, the most succulent, the most delicious fish you've ever tasted.
I'm dying to get under that crust, 'cause then I'll know how bold you've been or how reckless you've been.
You may only be 11, but I think you're one of the boldest and one of the most craziest I'm dying to get under that crust, 'cause then I'll know how bold you've been or how reckless you've been.
- So shall we? - Please.
Logan, you're gonna make me work tonight.
Very exciting.
So salt crusting, it's very traditional from the Mediterranean.
Obviously, what the salt does is help to maintain the moisture and the flavor of the fish.
The salt comes from the sea.
The fish comes from the sea.
What's interesting in this application it's not even really seasoning the fish that much.
It's basically providing an environment for the fish to cook in.
- You've done this before? - Never with a branzino.
What'd you stuff the interior with? Meyer lemons, butter, some thyme, that's it.
I'm just gonna take off the best pieces And then That's it.
Just like that.
Okay.
Perfect.
This branzino, my friend, is Awesome.
You nailed it, and you captured the very, very essence of doing branzino in salt.
It is moist.
The chimmichurri sauce is a bit aggressive, but your roasted vegetables are spot-on.
- What are the peppers? - Piquillo peppers.
Love it.
Nice touch.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
The choice of vegetables Perfect.
They're all from the same region.
If it grows together, it goes together.
Salt crust on the fish absolutely worked beautifully.
I like that you went out of your comfort zone and tried something that you have not used before.
It's kind of crazy and dangerous, but it paid off.
Thank you.
Fish is delicious.
I mean, you've done exactly what Samuel had done.
You've nailed your fish beautifully.
It's seasoned nicely.
Vegetables, you can't go wrong, But here's the thing, the chimmichurri is slightly overpowering.
A meyer lemon, butter sauce over the top Bang, you got me.
Very similar tails on both, and how ironic tonight you've got stunning fish cooked beautifully, But you've both applied the wrong sauce.
Right now, it is anyone's game.
Please get back into that kitchen And bring us your desserts.
Wow.
Wow.
I'm in shock.
I mean, honestly, that has to be the best two fish entrees I've ever tasted in this competition.
- Absolutely.
- Ever.
Yeah, I loved how simple Logan's was with the vegetable and the chimmichurri, but if I had my choice, I actually would probably go back and eat Samuel's arctic char.
I really enjoy the flavors.
What'd you think? I would take Logan's with no chimmichurri and just some freshly squeezed lemon on top of it.
I mean, I think Logan has a slight edge.
I was just so blown away that I'm not picking a winner and I'm still feeling like they're neck and neck.
Round three.
This is the last dish.
It's anybody's game.
I've slipped a few times, But nothing that I can't clean up with this dessert.
Now it's time for the knockout finishing blow.
Guys, amazing jobs.
We're still sitting here reminding ourselves that we have an 11-year-old from Tennessee and a 12-year-old from California.
Dessert.
Samuel, please begin with you.
I'm really confident in my panna cotta it's about subtleties and powerful flavors.
I'm praying that they're going to enjoy it.
Can you go ahead and describe? This is kaffir lime panna cotta layered with passion fruit, ginger dust, and liquid nitrogen broken raspberry.
I'm gonna get a little bit of the passion fruit at the bottom and then on the top is the Little ginger anise dust.
That is like getting punched in the mouth.
In the best possible way.
That is killer.
I love passion fruit.
It's one of my all-time favorite ingredients.
The raspberry on top gives it that textural contrast.
- Is there vanilla in there as well? - A little vanilla too.
Very tropical.
Super fragrant.
Almost like edible perfume.
- I love it.
- Thank you.
Panna cotta's delicious.
You have such an acidity kickback from the passion fruit.
I love the fragrance, but there's one thing that you've got going with all your foods.
You got that harmony and you're intertwining the sort of rollover from the entree to the dessert.
On top What's the smell on top? That's some ginger and a little anise.
Yeah, delicious.
You just want more and more and more.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I think that using star anise is kind of crazy brilliant.
I think it's very sophisticated and quite delicious.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
All right, Logan, please bring up your dessert.
Samuel's putting up a good fight, but I think that my dessert is definitely better than his.
Well, it looks beautiful.
Can you please tell us what it is? It's a meyer lemon madeleine with a berry compote and goat cheese mousse.
All right, so goat cheese in a dessert.
- So it's not a cheese course, though.
- No.
Where did the idea of the goat cheese come from? I just thought that the goat cheese would go well with the lemon.
It would really give it that oomph That it really needs to make it all creamy.
The madeleines are nice and fluffy.
They're not heavy or dense.
Goat cheese plays a great part by imparting some acidity with the berries that have been cooked down so that they're sweet.
I think it's sophisticated.
It's balanced.
- I really like it.
- Thanks.
Visually it looks brilliant.
I think the madeleines could have done with a little bit longer cooking.
However, the goat's cheese, the berries Brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant.
Thank you.
I think the madeleines are fantastic.
This is delicious.
It's sweet, but still acidic at the same time.
I think it's the perfect ending note.
Great dish.
- Congratulations, Logan.
- Thank you.
You guys, no matter what happens, those dishes tonight were out of this world.
Please, both of you, walk out there with your heads up high when you see us next, we'll know which one of you is about to be crowned America's next MasterChef Junior.
Well done, guys.
Head out.
Heads up high.
What a way to finish a three-course meal.
Given that we have to make the decision on the entire menu, where do we go? It's a tough one.
That's a very tough one.
Logan's appetizer, look at the cook on the prawns Incredible.
I mean, each one turned, grilled, the big smokey flavor, but a little bit too simple for me.
The biggest shock was the branzino.
I've never tasted fish that delicious.
The courage of an 11-year-old to do a branzino in salt crust, it speaks volumes.
Yeah, we've never had an amateur home cook do it.
I think what I'm gonna make a case for Logan because I think that he has a style already as a chef.
That magic ability, that little fairy dust they put on each dish that makes it their own, and that means a lot to me as a diner.
Yeah, but I think Samuel's menu was a little more cohesive with almost a spice theme running throughout.
You know, with the togarashi followed by the curry followed by star anise and ginger.
I like that.
Samuel's chicken oysters, they were cooked brilliantly.
Beautiful glaze, but really vinegary underneath.
However, Samuel's cook on the arctic char, come on.
Yeah, it was amazing.
Crispy skin and a beautiful medium all the way through.
I feel he missed the boat a bit on the curry Yeah, it was heavy.
It was a cream sauce for sure.
But the dessert was mind-blowing.
I mean, with the passion fruit bottomBeautiful.
Yeah, it looked like a restaurant dessert.
Logan's was great, but I mean, what a way to finish.
This is so difficult.
I feel really proud of myself that I made it to the final two, and I'm so close now I can feel the glass trophy and the $100,000 check.
- I think we're all on the same page.
- Yeah.
I think we know, you know, who the winner is.
- Are we happy? - It's clear.
- I agree.
- Yeah, clearly.
Yeah? Let's go.
I really want to have that next MasterChef Junior title.
My fate is in the judge's hands right now.
This is gonna be a nail-biting finish.
I want this so bad.
As long as I have that title, I am happy.
Because that shows that I am a MasterChef.
I'm really proud because I feel that I've come a really long way on this journey, and I'm so happy with my performance.
I took on a really challenging menu with really assertive flavors.
So I think I can win.
Samuel and Logan.
You guys came into this competition as two young sixth graders.
One from Greenbrae, California, The other from Memphis, Tennessee.
You started this journey as young home cooks, but you guys have shown that you're so much more than that.
We'd like both of you to take your well-deserved place on this stage.
Samuel, Logan, the two of you have been incredible, But unfortunately, only one of you can win it all.
One of you will receive a check for $100,000.
Just one of you is about to get to call this stunning trophy your own.
Just one of you Can become America's next MasterChef Junior.
That person is Congratulations Logan! - Congratulations.
- Good job, dude.
- Yes! You're crazy, man.
- That's crazy! I can't believe I won.
I mean, this is just, like, crazy talk.
This feeling is super surreal.
It feels like dreamy-land.
It feels amazing, life-changing.
Well done, bud.
Well done.
I mean, this is definitely one of the best days of my life.
This is definitely a dream.
- Head up high, bud.
- Okay.
- You've done yourself proud.
- You've done brilliant.
- Thank you.
I'm still gonna keep cooking.
I'm not gonna let this defeat me.
This is the start of my food dream.
My food career.
I can put this on my high school application.
"Competed in MasterChef Junior.
Second place.
Runner-up.
" I'm so proud of what I've done.
Samuel's just a great chef.
He definitely put up a really good fight.
It's been amazing to be on MasterChef Junior, to be in the finale.
Ladies and gentlemen, America's next MasterChef Junior, Logan! But it's not about the money.
It's not about the trophy.
It's about making friends forever.
I'm the next MasterChef Junior, And it feels amazing! sync & corrections: Terka