MasterChef Junior (2013) s04e02 Episode Script
A Sweet Surprise
(male narrator) Last week [kids cheer.]
After a nationwide search for America's next MasterChef Junior - Is everybody ready? (all) Yes, Chef! (narrator) The biggest cooking competition in the world It's his head! (narrator) Exploded into action.
Ugh, why am I so short? (narrator) But only the very best made the grade.
- These are amazing.
- [laughs.]
Dang! Out of control good.
Christina, somebody is chasing your job.
[both giggle.]
(narrator) Tonight - You can do it! (all) Frost some cupcakes! (narrator) The top 22 young home cooks are in for a sweet treat.
Come on, come on, come on.
(narrator) And the judges find themselves in a sticky situation.
Take off the shoes first.
(narrator) Then Gordon Ramsay breaks open a tough scallop challenge.
It's scientifically impossible.
- Why can't I get this open? (narrator) Which brings the pint-sized chefs - Agh! (narrator) Out of their shell.
I've got a funny feeling you're going to be around a long time.
[dramatic music.]
- Yeah! - Welcome, guys! I am super-duper excited for being in the top 22 and I'm gonna win that trophy for all the girls that have not won MasterChef Junior.
- Hi! - I'm back, baby! Back home in New York City, I am 100% a rocker kid.
and if I win $100,000, I want to open up my own rock 'n roll restaurant.
Whoo! Good morning! Wow, Avery, what did you have for breakfast? I had a doughnut.
[laughter.]
(Gordon) How are we feeling? Excited? (all) Yes, Chef! (Gordon) Right, welcome back.
You are the best young home cooks in America.
One of you will become America's next MasterChef Junior.
(all) Whoo! Now, in the last challenge, there were three outstanding winners.
That was Jesse, Sam, and Addison.
[applause.]
Yeah! You three please stay there.
Everybody else, please step to the side.
- What is going on? - We don't have to cook! Feel like Sam's not gonna win.
.
(Graham) The next challenge for you three only [sighs.]
Is a super sweet challenge that just might get you a little frosted.
Oh, no.
[all gasp.]
Uh-uh, I don't like the feeling of this.
(Christina) Now, this next challenge is all about one of my favorite things to make.
What is it? (Christina) A cupcake.
[all gasp.]
- Yes.
Now, do you notice anything strange with this cupcake? - There's no frosting.
- Yeah, there's no frosting.
That's right.
This challenge is all about the best part of the cupcake.
The frosting.
- Can we eat it? [all giggle.]
So, you'll load the bag with frosting, you give that piping bag a little twist so it's nice and firm and taut with a little tail at the end.
You start the frosting on the outside in and I go around.
Oh, boy.
Your piping tip should always be just a little bit ahead of where you want the frosting and you want to make sure that frosting really hugs the outside of the cupcake.
How do you do that? (Christina) Then you bring that frosting all the way up to a perfect little pyramid and you just release the pressure so that you don't get a tail that humps over.
That is a picture perfect frosted cupcake.
- Wow.
- Good job, good job.
But, we don't want just one cupcake.
Take a look over your shoulders.
- Oh, no.
[dramatic music.]
[kids gasp.]
(Graham) At your stations, you have 60 cupcakes, six bowls of frosting, and six piping bags.
We want as many as you can frost in just ten minutes.
- Ten? - What? We want a perfectly frosted cupcake just like this one.
Oh, my God.
The person with the most perfectly frosted cupcakes will be safe from elimination.
- Um, it's not that simple.
- Come on.
(Gordon) There's more at stake than that.
There's this.
[high-pitched whine.]
Oh.
- Oh, my God! - [screams.]
[gasps.]
Giant piping bags full of frosting.
[squeals.]
This is the most frosting I've ever seen in my life.
I'm a little tempted just to go under one and open my mouth.
The winning home cook will save one of us from being frosted.
Jesse, you're playing for me.
- Yes! - Sam, guess what? - What? (Graham) You're my bestie in this challenge.
- [laughs.]
- All right? You're playing for me.
(Gordon) Addison? Please tell me you can beat these two boys.
- I can beat them.
- Girl power! - Addison, I'm counting on you.
Got me? Yes.
I mean, I really want to win, but I also really want to frost Ramsay.
[groans.]
There's one other thing.
- Oh, no.
- Oh, God.
Because we're gonna be up here awaiting our sticky fate, we actually brought in a special judge to do this judging for us.
Please welcome back MasterChef Junior winner [kids gasp.]
Logan! [applause.]
Oh, my God! Welcome back.
Logan is in the MasterChef kitchen once again.
He is one of my heroes and he's, like, standing, like, five feet away from me.
It is just so cool.
- How have you been? - It's been great.
I've been doing a lot of TV appearances.
I cooked at the Oscars, that was great, and I've just been doing a lot of fun stuff.
Brilliant.
Addison, question for Logan? What did the $100,000, like, what'd you use it mainly for? Well, the main part of it is in the bank.
Now have you still got enough money in the bank to treat a young lady to dinner? - [scoffs.]
[all laugh.]
- Really? [applause.]
[indistinct chatter.]
(Gordon) Logan, are you ready? I think that I'm really capable of judging it 'cause I won the cupcake challenge.
(Graham) Cupcake King.
Cupcake queen, cupcake king.
(Gordon) Okay, Logan.
Please head up to the balcony.
Good to see you.
- Thank you.
[applause.]
Now it's time for you three to head to your stations.
Good luck, Addison.
- You got this, Jesse.
[cheers and applause.]
I bake cupcakes all the time and one day, I'm gonna have my own bakery, so I know what I'm dealing with here.
I love eating cupcakes, but I don't make cupcakes.
I'm not a baker, so this challenge might be a little difficult for me.
- Are you three ready? (all) Yes, Chef! (Christina) Your ten minutes starts now! [kids scream.]
Come on, Sam! Quick, Addison! More, more on there.
Jesse, yes! You got it! (Graham) Remember, guys.
The winner saves one of the judges from the frosting.
Whoo! You can do it! (Graham) What would your strategy be here, Gordon? (Gordon) It's all about filling up the piping bags first.
Spend three minutes doing that.
- All of 'em? - All the bags.
I would fill three because ten minutes is a tricky thing.
Addy, Addy! My strategy is to fill the piping bag with as much frosting as I can and just go, go, go, go, go! Go, Addy! - Addison's already piping.
- Good girl, Addison! Yeah! Jesse, yeah! - Strawberry power! - Let's go, Jesse! I have to save Christina, so my strategy is to take my time and frost the cupcakes perfectly as possible.
He's in the groove.
Sam, I do not want this chocolate frosting on my face! My strategy is to frost as many cupcakes as possible, so I'm moving at the speed of light.
Get in a rhythm! A rhythm! [indistinct shouting.]
(Christina) Come on, Jesse! Once, twice, then up! (Child) Whoo! (Gordon) What numbers will make us safe? I'd say you need 12 to probably win.
(all) Frost some cupcakes! Frost some cupcakes! There's a lot of things that can go wrong frosting a cupcake.
Like, too much frosting, then it might start dripping down.
- Not too much! - Wow! - Too little frosting - Addison, put more on there! And then it would be a muffin, not a cupcake.
Think that Graham's gonna be the safest.
All right, Sam! (Gordon) God! Addy, open up the bag! Addison, blow it! (Addison) I'm struggling.
I cannot get the frosting into the piping bag.
- Please, I beg you, Addison! - [screams.]
(Graham) Who wants to see Gordon covered? - Yeah! - Yeah! I need to speed up or else the boys are gonna win.
Jesse's catching up on Addison.
Let's go, yes, Jesse! Perfect cupcake! Thank you! - You guys are in trouble! [both laugh.]
(Graham) We need as many perfectly frosted cupcakes as you can do.
Come on, come on, come on! That's gonna save one judge! (Christina) Hurry up, buddy! (Gordon) Here we go! (all) Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! [applause.]
- Let's go! All right! - Piping bags down! (Graham) And it is now time for Logan to decide all of our fates.
Logan, please count the perfect cupcakes.
(Logan) All right, let's see.
That one's good.
That one's good.
That one's good.
(Jesse) I'm looking at my cupcakes and I think they look really good, so I'm really confident that Christina's pretty dress won't be frosted.
(Sam) I look over to Jesse and Addison and even though I have more frosted cupcakes than them, I don't think all of them are going to be perfect.
This is gonna be a close one.
- A bit flat.
Could have used a bit more, but that one's good.
That one's good.
That one's good.
And, uh, that's about it.
All right, let's see.
Oh, wow.
I'm looking down at my cupcakes and some of 'em are not too pretty.
A bit too much frosting on both sides here.
I'm sending Logan, like, brain messages because I want him to be not too picky.
That one's pretty good.
That one's pretty good.
All right.
Right, Addison, Jesse, Sam, please come down and stand in front.
[dramatic music.]
(Graham) First of all, we are gonna have to find out who came in at the bottom.
Logan, just tell me what the lowest number was.
Ten.
Logan, was that Jesse, Sam, or Addison? I'm afraid that Addison has the least amount of frosted cupcakes.
- [squeals.]
(all) [jeering.]
Sorry, Gordon.
- Recount! I couldn't get the frosting in the bag.
[Gordon whimpers.]
Addison, you now have the incredible honor of pouring frosting on the head - of Mr.
Gordon Ramsay.
- No.
That's the best thing in the world.
I really don't want Gordon Ramsay to like, hate me forever, but then I'm like, "Hey, look at the good side.
"You're about to get to dump a whole bag of frosting on Gordon Ramsay.
" (all) Five, four, three, two, one! [all laughing and screaming.]
Whoo! [laughs.]
No way! Oh, my God! (all) Five, four, three, two, one! [all laughing and screaming.]
(Graham) Whoo! - No, way! - Oh, my God.
Looks like the world's biggest seagull pooped on him.
[all laugh.]
Addison! Do you have anything to say to Gordon, Addison? Sorry? [all laugh.]
(Graham) Logan, now the question is between Christina and I who's gonna get dumped on next.
All right, the numbers are 11 and 29.
(Graham) Who got 29? Uh, I'm gonna have to go with Graham, you got the 29.
- Yeah, Sam! - Yeah! - No-ho-ho-ho-ho! - Yeah, I got ya! That means that Sam gets the advantage - moving forward - Yeah! And Christina is gonna get that dress completely doused.
Should we do it? (all) Yeah! (Graham) You guys ready? No, no! Take off the shoes first! Take off the shoes first.
Let's do this.
[epic music.]
Jesse-- [screams.]
[all gasping and cheering.]
- [laughs.]
- [screams.]
[screams.]
Frosting fight! (all) Frosting fight! Frosting fight! Agh! [indistinct shouting.]
(Graham) You guys are evil! (all) Sprinkles! Sprinkles! Out of nowhere, someone yells, "Sprinkles! Sprinkles!" And I'm like, that's cool and all.
I'm not a big sprinkles guy, but, I mean, I'll throw sprinkles on the judges.
[screams.]
[all scream.]
- Ah, yeah! Okay, listen, listen, listen! All of you, please, join me in saying a big thank you to our amazing MasterChef Junior winner.
Logan, thank you, buddy.
[all cheer.]
(Logan) Thank you.
Thank you, Logan! (Logan) Thank you so much! Bye, Logan! Right.
We will see you in a minute.
Let's go.
You need more than a minute! [chuckles.]
- Whoa! - [giggles.]
What? It's scientifically impossible.
- Amazing.
- She has the same dress on? Wow.
It's time to get the next challenge started.
Now, putting frosting on those cupcakes was all about making the outside look beautiful, but under here is an ingredient where you find the beauty on the inside.
It is a beautiful, delicious scallop.
[cheers and applause.]
- [groans.]
- Shh, calm down.
I live in Indiana.
How-- there's no fresh scallops there.
I don't live by an ocean, but I wish I lived by an ocean 'cause I love seafood.
These are all hand-dived scallops, still inside their amazing shell.
When they're this fresh, trust me You have to get them out yourself.
- Oh, no.
[all sigh.]
So let me show you how it's done.
[dramatic music.]
Right, watch very carefully because you'll all be doing this shortly.
So, scallop, you got the round bottom part and the flat top.
Now the secret here is to take your knife, place into the muscle, and twist.
Point the knife 90 degrees and scrape to remove the top of the shell and then flick open and then look.
This is the important part.
- Is it alive? [indistinct chatter.]
Move in, quick look.
Quick, quick.
- I can't see.
- I can't see, too short.
See, watch.
It's still alive.
- It's alive.
- Yeah.
- [Gordon screams.]
- [kids scream.]
Line up, line up, line up, line up.
- [giggles.]
- That scared me! Okay, from there, take the knife.
You scrape down this part.
As soon as you open up the scallop shell, you have to deal with all this green booger stuff and, probably, I don't even know what it is.
Probably seaweed, dra-- I don't know.
And once you start to prise the scallop from the shell, take a spoon.
The reason why we use a spoon is it's the same size of the scallop and so, look You just scrape the spoon against the shell and look what happens.
- Ew.
- Gross.
Out comes this beautiful scallop.
Now this is the muscle.
It's the muscle that connects the scallop to what we call the skirt.
You take your thumb and you slice through and then literally just pop the scallop out.
That's awesome.
Now that is the most amazing protein.
It's good enough to eat raw.
Eat it! Eat it! - Oh.
- Ew.
[gasps.]
- Mmm.
- He likes it.
It was alive seconds ago! Mmm.
Excellent.
So, Sam, because you won the last challenge, you do not have to cook in this challenge.
[sighs.]
On the balcony is a giant cupcake that I made just for you.
[all gasp.]
- Oh, my God.
Head on up and dig in.
How you gonna eat that? [applause.]
[indistinct yelling.]
- Good job! Wow, this cupcake is, like, the size of my head.
Enjoy that, Sam.
Right now, victory's pretty sweet.
You guys are going to have one hour to make us a MasterChef worthy dish using the amazing live scallops that you guys have to shuck yourselves.
We will unfortunately be saying good-bye to some of you tonight.
- No.
- Stay focused, guys.
Is everybody ready? (all) Yes, Chef! You're one hour starts now! - Go, go, go! - Whoo! [indistinct chatter.]
I may be only 11 years old, but I am a mad scientist in the kitchen.
Does anybody see Israeli couscous? I am gonna combine all sorts of different flavors into my scallop dish.
Red wine vinegar! I like putting things together like Frankenstein.
Where are the Brussels sprouts? I'm from Chula Vista which is right next to a beach.
I love scallops.
I cook 'em all the time, so I'm thinking something really complicated to really wow the judges.
(Graham) Let's go! [fast-paced music.]
[grunts.]
What? Get open.
Hello.
- Oh! - Yes.
(Ramsay) These are tough ones.
I mean, scallops.
You know, even for a professional chef.
(Graham) These are 8 to 13-year-old kids.
- [sighs.]
- Too hard for these guys? Here's the thing; They could leave half of it on the shell when they take that top lid off.
Ugh! - You could stab it.
- Blah (Ramsay) Slice it in half.
It'd fall apart.
Oh, my God! So, you've got to be very, very careful.
[growls.]
I'm amazed already at Mia.
Look, she's taken three scallops out of the shell in literally three minutes.
- Wow.
(Ramsay) Incredible.
- Blah.
- Ew! [screams.]
Yeah, I'm putting on some gloves.
(Ramsay) Let's go! Don't cook your scallops too early.
[grinding.]
[crackling.]
[chopping.]
[groans.]
Why can't I get this open? When Gordon Ramsay does it, it's so easy for him! Oh, my God.
I hate opening scallops.
I'm only 8 years old.
How am I gonna do this? It's so hard.
Ian, are you all right? Ian is really feeling the pressure.
- Oh, dear.
- Just believe in yourself! [cries.]
[cries.]
How you doing, Ian? (Ian) Not so good.
It's so hard to open.
It's okay! You can do this.
Ian is really feeling the pressure.
Just believe in yourself.
- Don't panic, Ian.
- [Ian sobs.]
Ian, how we doing, bud? Don't get upset, my man.
That's not bad.
- I know.
- Let me help you, okay? In.
There we are.
Now your parents, Ian, have a restaurant, right? Yes, oh.
- In Indiana, yes? - Yes.
- Oh, look at that? - Ew, what is it? A little fish! How cool is that? - Oh, my God! - Got caught inside! Okay, so you can do the rest if I do this bit, okay? Okay.
Thank you.
Good man.
What's the dish? It's gonna be a pan-seared scallop served with zucchini cakes and a micro green salad.
Sounds like you've got nothing to be nervous about.
- [chuckles.]
- Come on, you can do this.
- Okay, thank you.
- Good luck.
Whoo! Oh, my God.
(Christina) We're sending home cooks home tonight.
What are places that you wouldn't take a scallop dish? I'm not expecting them to do a sweet thing.
I don't want to see it thrown over a bowl of pasta.
I want to see something a little bit more adventurous.
[motor whirs.]
I'm making pan-seared scallops over lemon risotto with a pepper salsa along with a beetroot garnish in a Brussels sprout design.
I'm extremely competitive mostly cause I do a lot of martial arts.
I really want to win this.
I think the biggest issue here is them cooking the scallop.
Yes, I mean, you spend 25, and literally wait till the last five or ten minutes before you start cooking those scallops.
(Graham) How long do you cook it on each side? Maximum 90 seconds on each side.
[hums.]
Even though I'm from Philly, I'm a huge seafood maniac.
I love it, I could eat it all day, all night.
So I am making pan-seared scallops with a pinch of Brussels sprout and cauliflower mash.
It's quite the experience.
I'm making California scallops on a bed of spinach with quinoa and I'm doing an avocado lime sauce because I love avocados.
(Graham) Guys, 27 minutes left.
- Hey, Vivian.
- Hi.
Do you cook a lot of scallops in Arizona? I've never cooked or tasted a scallop in my life.
- Wow! - Ooh! So tell us what this scallop dish is.
I am doing a bacon and corn relish with a parmesan crusted scallops over a lemon and lime couscous.
Are you worried about anything on your dish? Um, I'm a little worried about cooking the scallops since I've never made them before and I feel like that will definitely send me home in the competition.
Yeah, very carefully, right? Good luck, Vivian.
- All right.
- Thank you! Ooh, that's hot.
Annabelle.
All right, how we doing? I am having a lot of trouble shucking these.
Okay, let's do it again, together.
Okay.
Ever had fresh scallops before? We don't really find a lot of scallops in Tennessee.
Wow, look at that.
You had a fish inside yours as well, huh? Incredible.
Now what's the dish? I'm making scallops two ways.
- Wow.
(Annabelle) Scallop seviche.
Seviche, and what's the second way? Pan-seared scallops with garlic-scented zucchini sauce.
Why not just do them one way perfect? I guess I could do two ways perfect, so-- Okay, good luck.
You gotta cook your scallops last.
A little advice.
(Gordon) (Graham) Chad, what's the dish? I'm making a pan-seared scallop with spaghetti and meatballs and a homemade tomato sauce.
Now is that gonna rally show off the scallop as the star? Yes, I'm going to give the scallops more flavor than the meatballs so you'll get pop in your mouth.
All right, I'm just hoping that we don't just get a big dish of spaghetti and meatballs that are garnished with a couple little scallops on top, right? It's gotta be a good scallop dish.
- Okay.
- All right? (Christina) All right, good luck, Chad.
Thank you.
Eight minutes to go! (Gordon) All right, now you should start thinking about cooking your scallops.
Make sure your pans are piping hot.
They literally take Amaya, how are we doing? Talk me through the dish.
What is it? I'm making pan-seared scallops with a bechamel sauce.
And you're grilling the asparagus as well? - Yes.
- That tastes delicious.
Thank you.
Now you're a New Jersey girl, right? - Yeah.
- So close to the coast? And what do you think about fresh scallops? Well, they're kind of a pain to open.
A pain? Amaya, they're delicious! Uh, yes.
That dish sounds incredible.
Asparagus looks good.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Nice color, Nate! [giggles.]
Oh! Yeah, I burned some of them.
My scallops are totally burnt and I have no scallops left.
I can't serve this to the judges.
(Christina) Look at how burnt-- what is she doing? Damn.
[sighs.]
Um, too hot.
This is a scallop dish.
What am I gonna do here? Does anyone have any extra scallops? You have any shucked ones that are-- - No.
- No shucked? How much time to go? Last five minutes.
[gasps.]
I burned some of them.
These scallops are way burned.
I can't serve this to the judges.
Last five minutes, guys.
Does anyone have any extra scallops that they shucked? Anyone? Annabelle, I got two that I didn't shuck! - Avery, I need them! - Okay.
- Thank you.
- Here's two.
There you go.
I only have a few minutes left, but I'm gonna try to get back on track and get these scallops cooked.
Don't worry about it, Annabelle.
Keep calm.
Three minutes to go, guys.
[intense music.]
[breathes heavily.]
Oh, my God.
You've got to start plating.
Okay, start plating.
(Graham) Ian's been falling apart back there.
I'm so nervous.
You think there's any way he can pull this back? There's only, literally, minutes to go, - but don't give up.
- Right.
Faster.
(Graham) Wipe, garnish, taste! (Gordon) Come on! [claps.]
Make it look stunning! Get the food on the plate, guys! Annabelle, just get it on the plate.
- Get it on the plate.
- I will.
(Gordon) Finishing touches! (Christina) Taste everything before you put it on the plate! (Graham) Come on, guys! Let's go! (Judges) Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
(Gordon) And stop! Hands in the air! [applause.]
- Well done! Nice.
Now for the exciting part.
The tastes of those extraordinary scallop dishes.
Let's start with Tae-Ho, please.
Let's go.
[applause.]
I see Tae-Ho's dish and it's, like, a risotto.
I'm like, "How do you pull off a risotto?" Dude, you're a good chef.
Right, young man, describe the dish please.
I made seared scallops over lemon risotto with a jalapeño poblano pepper salsa on top with a beetroot and Brussels sprout leaf garnish.
It's vibrant.
It's got those wonderful colors, and who taught you how to make a risotto? I actually learned how to make a risotto from a cookbook that was actually one of your cookbooks.
Right.
And also, I had a lot of help from my mom, too.
Wow, so you made a salsa, a risotto, cooked the scallops, fried the beetroot chips, and then the Brussels sprout leaves as well.
Mm-hmm.
And how did you cook the scallops? I pan-seared them when the pan was really, really hot and I seasoned them with salt and pepper.
Mm.
Risotto's delicious.
Fragrant with a nice heat.
Scallops cooked beautifully, seared on both sides as well.
Always a sign of a great chef, but the fact that you've got so many technical abilities nailed in one plate Great job.
- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
[applause.]
Gordon Ramsay loved my dish! He's my idol.
He's the reason I started cooking, so this is a huge honor for me.
Yes.
Next up, from Philadelphia, it's Nate.
Bring it on up.
I love seafood.
I could eat scallops all day every day, 24/7, 365 It's so good.
I love it.
What did you make with those scallops? Today, I have for you a pan-seared scallops with a cauliflower mash and Brussels sprout leaf and spinach combo with a bit of bechamel.
(Christina) So, you're from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
How do these scallops fit in? I have a shore house in New Jersey and we go fishing a lot.
Have you ever dived for scallops? Nope, but I've crabbed for crabs.
(Christina) Your scallops are cooked beautifully.
Thank you.
You have a nice, even sear-around.
You've seasoned the scallops.
Cauliflower mash could use something to help zing it up.
Maybe some lemon zest.
Yes, yes.
But you really did allow the scallop to be the star.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Nate.
[applause.]
Next up, from New York: Chad.
I'm only 9 years old, but I'm really creative, and today, I'm doing a take on an Italian surf and turf.
I've never seen anything like this.
Tell me what we have.
This is a pan-seared scallop spaghetti and meatballs garnished with parmesan Romano cheese and a homemade tomato sauce.
All right.
What'd you do with the tomato sauce? First, I diced tomatoes and then put a little bit of chicken stock and then I used crushed tomatoes to get that saucy texture.
So, the sauce it good.
Sauce is cooked great.
The problem I have is the actual idea behind the dish because spaghetti and meatballs, classic combination, right? But spaghetti and meatballs with scallops, never heard of that, and the reason is because the scallop is so delicate and sweet that, when you pair it next to something as spicy and big and meaty as a meatball, they get lost.
The other thing you can see is that the scallops are overcooked because they're so thin.
Thanks, Chad.
[applause.]
Next up, he is our youngest boy.
Ian! - Thank you.
- Let's go! I struggled through this challenge because I sometimes get nervous when I'm cooking 'cause it's a competition with Gordon Ramsay in it, and the last thing I want to do is serve Gordon Ramsay bad scallops.
(Ramsay) Wow.
First of all, I'm amazed we've got something on the plate.
Ten minutes ago, I thought you'd given up.
Did you come into MasterChef Junior to give up? [dramatic music.]
First of all, I'm amazed we've got something on the plate because I thought you'd given up.
Did you come into MasterChef Junior - to give up? - No.
So what happened? I was starting to get kind of nervous about my scallops because I couldn't get those - Yes.
- Out of the thing so-- - And you got frustrated, right? - Yeah, a little bit, chef.
In this competition, young man, it's not how you start, it's how you finish, so describe the dish please.
It's pan-seared scallops served with zucchini cakes topped with micro-greens.
Uh, visually, it looks like something out of a, sort of, cool gastro-pub because it looks beautiful.
What else is inside the zucchini cakes? Grated parmesan cheese and flour.
So here's the thing.
[sighs.]
You have absolutely nailed the scallops.
Thank you.
Great sear on the top and a great sear on the bottom.
(Ian) Thank you.
However, zucchini needs more salt just to lift it a little bit.
- Okay.
But well done for not giving up and next time you find a bump, get off your butt and bounce back.
- Got me? - Yes, sir.
Good man.
Thank you.
[applause.]
It's not the best dish of the night, but it's not the worst.
I'm, like, right here.
- Great job, Ian.
- Good job, Ian.
But I'll take that as long as I don't go home.
Next up, from Arizona: Vivian.
Tell me about the dish.
You have parmesan-crusted scallops with a lemon and lime couscous and a bacon and corn relish.
The couscous has been seasoned nicely.
The bacon is crispy.
Unfortunately, the scallop really isn't seared properly and therefore it's really just lost in the dish.
Thank you.
- Derek, let's go, please.
- Yeah, Derek! [applause.]
Describe the dish, please.
It is pan-seared scallops over Israeli couscous in carrot purée with an herb pesto.
It's a beautiful sear on the scallops.
You've got that nice combination between the rich and the sweetness of the scallops and that herby, basil pesto.
Just a touch more salt, and that's how close you are to an absolutely perfected dish.
Next up, Kamilly.
I made California scallops on a bed of spinach with some avocado lime sauce and quinoa on the side.
The quinoa is a little strange to pair with scallops.
Take a look at these scallops, it looks like they've been seasoned nicely, but ideally you have the sort of same golden brown color on both the top and the bottom of your scallop.
(both) Thank you.
[applause.]
I'm really nervous because two people are going home tonight, and my scallops were not cooked well.
I don't want to go back to my fifth grade math class.
I want to stay in this classroom.
All right, next up please.
Amaya.
[applause.]
Please, describe your dish.
Today, I have for you pan-seared scallops with grilled asparagus and bechamel sauce that should just leave an explosion of flavors in your mouth.
Now, what kind of style would you say that Amaya has? - I have a lot of improv - Okay.
In my step.
I like cooking Dominican foods as well as American food.
Awesome.
Here's the thing: you've got all this sauce over the top, but now, when I go like this and I scrape it off, look at how gorgeous that thing is.
Why would you want to hide it? Next time, sauce on the bottom, scallop on top, so that you can tell everybody, like, look how amazing your scallop was.
And it is exactly that.
It's delicious.
Great dish, really tasty.
Work on the presentation a little, right? - Good job.
Thank you, Amaya.
- Yes, sir.
[applause.]
And finally, Annabelle, please.
Let's go.
- Whoo! - Whoo! - Let's go, Annabelle.
- Let's go! I'm pretty impressed that Annabelle was not only able to get everything on the plate.
She was able to do the scallops two ways.
That is something that I find quite impressive.
(Gordon) Annabelle, describe the dish, please I made scallops two ways.
One way is scallop seviche with lemon and cilantro and the other one is pan-seared scallops with zucchini sauce.
Wow, and why two ways? 'Cause I like making things lots of different ways.
But cooking scallops are hard enough.
Why sudden jeopardy tonight when you know at least two of you going home tonight? Why would you risk so much? So, cooking scallops two ways, it's a very bold thing to do.
Why would you risk so much? - I'm not sure.
- You're not sure.
Let's try the seviche first, and what's in here again? Any vinegar? No.
There's water, there's lemon, there's cumin, there's mustard seeds, and there's radish.
So, a seviche is never done with water, so unfortunately, there's no real strength to the flavor coming through there.
Now, these ones; how long'd you cook these for? (Annabelle) Just until they're browned.
- Did you have a time on there? - No, I didn't.
Unfortunately, they're overcooked.
I think the purée is delicious.
Unfortunately, the hero being the scallops, they really haven't delivered.
Sometimes, it's important to hold back and get one way perfectly done and then when you're strong enough, bring on a second idea, but a very bold, personal effort.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
[applause.]
Please give us a moment while we have a very serious discussion.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Man, he's a serious man, dude.
Great dishes, I mean, tremendous dishes.
- Tae-Ho.
- Yeah? (Gordon) I mean, that was incredible.
(Graham) That risotto was delicious.
What about Derek's? So much technique on one plate.
(Christina) So smart, so beautifully plated.
- Amaya? - Little messy, or no? (Gordon) Ah, just a little bit too much cream sauce.
(Ian) My dishes make sense.
Chad's was all over the place.
(Graham) If it was a meatball challenge, he'd win, but the fact is, I mean, two little tiny bits of scallop lost in tomato sauce.
I didn't even cook my scallops right.
(Graham) What about Vivian? She was so smart to pair her scallop with bacon, corn, but overall just fell short.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
(Gordon) Happy with those? - Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
Makes sense.
[dramatic music.]
You all did an amazing job.
Tonight's winning dish goes to Tae-Ho.
- Whoo! - Nice job.
Yeah, Tae-Ho! [applause.]
We were all blown away, Tae-Ho.
Thank you, Chef.
But as we all know, this is a competition and unfortunately, we do have to say good-bye to some very, very talented young home cooks.
Would the following four home cooks come down here - to the front? - [sighs.]
Kamilly.
Chad, join us up front please.
Annabelle.
And finally, Vivian.
[somber music.]
You are all incredibly talented, young home cooks.
Let's get that right.
Sadly, there are two of you who will be going home this evening.
This isn't easy at all.
Kamilly and Vivian, step forward please.
Kamilly and Vivian, those dishes tonight were not perfect.
But they weren't the worst.
Please, both of you, head back to your stations.
[cries.]
I feel so relieved, but at the same time, I feel so sorry for Annabelle and Chad right now.
[sobs.]
Annabelle and Chad, I'm sorry, but tonight, those scallop dishes just got the better of you.
It may be your last cook-off in the MasterChef kitchen, but your food journey will continue.
Wear those aprons with pride and stay focused on what you want to do with food because you're both good enough.
Both of you, well done.
[applause.]
Whoo! Good night, guys.
You're not going anywhere without me.
You're staying right here.
I'm sad to go home, but this is one of the greatest things I've ever done.
I cooked for Gordon Ramsay, one of the toughest chefs in the world.
I am so proud of myself.
Chad, you did a great job! You're wearing a MasterChef apron.
Remember that.
Hold your head high, okay? Even though I'm going home tonight back to Poughkeepsie, New York, I still have a whole bunch of bragging rights and I still have my MasterChef apron.
How many people can say that? That is the symbol of greatness.
I had a really good time being on MasterChef Junior.
I made a whole bunch of friends.
My experience here, it'll be a part of me forever.
Bye, guys.
You did a great job! We love ya! Can we hug them more? (narrator) Next week [all screaming.]
The competition blasts off.
(Gordon) That's one, small step for man.
One giant leap for MasterChef.
- Whoa.
- That is awesome.
(narrator) The best young home cooks in America face an out-of-this-world challenge.
Make the very best cheese dish in this entire universe.
(narrator) Who will rocket to the top? (Graham) Absolutely perfectly done.
- Mm, delicious.
Well done.
- Thank you.
(narrator) And whose journey will have a crash landing? - What have you put in there? - I forgot to season it.
[screams.]
OHH! OHH! [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.]
After a nationwide search for America's next MasterChef Junior - Is everybody ready? (all) Yes, Chef! (narrator) The biggest cooking competition in the world It's his head! (narrator) Exploded into action.
Ugh, why am I so short? (narrator) But only the very best made the grade.
- These are amazing.
- [laughs.]
Dang! Out of control good.
Christina, somebody is chasing your job.
[both giggle.]
(narrator) Tonight - You can do it! (all) Frost some cupcakes! (narrator) The top 22 young home cooks are in for a sweet treat.
Come on, come on, come on.
(narrator) And the judges find themselves in a sticky situation.
Take off the shoes first.
(narrator) Then Gordon Ramsay breaks open a tough scallop challenge.
It's scientifically impossible.
- Why can't I get this open? (narrator) Which brings the pint-sized chefs - Agh! (narrator) Out of their shell.
I've got a funny feeling you're going to be around a long time.
[dramatic music.]
- Yeah! - Welcome, guys! I am super-duper excited for being in the top 22 and I'm gonna win that trophy for all the girls that have not won MasterChef Junior.
- Hi! - I'm back, baby! Back home in New York City, I am 100% a rocker kid.
and if I win $100,000, I want to open up my own rock 'n roll restaurant.
Whoo! Good morning! Wow, Avery, what did you have for breakfast? I had a doughnut.
[laughter.]
(Gordon) How are we feeling? Excited? (all) Yes, Chef! (Gordon) Right, welcome back.
You are the best young home cooks in America.
One of you will become America's next MasterChef Junior.
(all) Whoo! Now, in the last challenge, there were three outstanding winners.
That was Jesse, Sam, and Addison.
[applause.]
Yeah! You three please stay there.
Everybody else, please step to the side.
- What is going on? - We don't have to cook! Feel like Sam's not gonna win.
.
(Graham) The next challenge for you three only [sighs.]
Is a super sweet challenge that just might get you a little frosted.
Oh, no.
[all gasp.]
Uh-uh, I don't like the feeling of this.
(Christina) Now, this next challenge is all about one of my favorite things to make.
What is it? (Christina) A cupcake.
[all gasp.]
- Yes.
Now, do you notice anything strange with this cupcake? - There's no frosting.
- Yeah, there's no frosting.
That's right.
This challenge is all about the best part of the cupcake.
The frosting.
- Can we eat it? [all giggle.]
So, you'll load the bag with frosting, you give that piping bag a little twist so it's nice and firm and taut with a little tail at the end.
You start the frosting on the outside in and I go around.
Oh, boy.
Your piping tip should always be just a little bit ahead of where you want the frosting and you want to make sure that frosting really hugs the outside of the cupcake.
How do you do that? (Christina) Then you bring that frosting all the way up to a perfect little pyramid and you just release the pressure so that you don't get a tail that humps over.
That is a picture perfect frosted cupcake.
- Wow.
- Good job, good job.
But, we don't want just one cupcake.
Take a look over your shoulders.
- Oh, no.
[dramatic music.]
[kids gasp.]
(Graham) At your stations, you have 60 cupcakes, six bowls of frosting, and six piping bags.
We want as many as you can frost in just ten minutes.
- Ten? - What? We want a perfectly frosted cupcake just like this one.
Oh, my God.
The person with the most perfectly frosted cupcakes will be safe from elimination.
- Um, it's not that simple.
- Come on.
(Gordon) There's more at stake than that.
There's this.
[high-pitched whine.]
Oh.
- Oh, my God! - [screams.]
[gasps.]
Giant piping bags full of frosting.
[squeals.]
This is the most frosting I've ever seen in my life.
I'm a little tempted just to go under one and open my mouth.
The winning home cook will save one of us from being frosted.
Jesse, you're playing for me.
- Yes! - Sam, guess what? - What? (Graham) You're my bestie in this challenge.
- [laughs.]
- All right? You're playing for me.
(Gordon) Addison? Please tell me you can beat these two boys.
- I can beat them.
- Girl power! - Addison, I'm counting on you.
Got me? Yes.
I mean, I really want to win, but I also really want to frost Ramsay.
[groans.]
There's one other thing.
- Oh, no.
- Oh, God.
Because we're gonna be up here awaiting our sticky fate, we actually brought in a special judge to do this judging for us.
Please welcome back MasterChef Junior winner [kids gasp.]
Logan! [applause.]
Oh, my God! Welcome back.
Logan is in the MasterChef kitchen once again.
He is one of my heroes and he's, like, standing, like, five feet away from me.
It is just so cool.
- How have you been? - It's been great.
I've been doing a lot of TV appearances.
I cooked at the Oscars, that was great, and I've just been doing a lot of fun stuff.
Brilliant.
Addison, question for Logan? What did the $100,000, like, what'd you use it mainly for? Well, the main part of it is in the bank.
Now have you still got enough money in the bank to treat a young lady to dinner? - [scoffs.]
[all laugh.]
- Really? [applause.]
[indistinct chatter.]
(Gordon) Logan, are you ready? I think that I'm really capable of judging it 'cause I won the cupcake challenge.
(Graham) Cupcake King.
Cupcake queen, cupcake king.
(Gordon) Okay, Logan.
Please head up to the balcony.
Good to see you.
- Thank you.
[applause.]
Now it's time for you three to head to your stations.
Good luck, Addison.
- You got this, Jesse.
[cheers and applause.]
I bake cupcakes all the time and one day, I'm gonna have my own bakery, so I know what I'm dealing with here.
I love eating cupcakes, but I don't make cupcakes.
I'm not a baker, so this challenge might be a little difficult for me.
- Are you three ready? (all) Yes, Chef! (Christina) Your ten minutes starts now! [kids scream.]
Come on, Sam! Quick, Addison! More, more on there.
Jesse, yes! You got it! (Graham) Remember, guys.
The winner saves one of the judges from the frosting.
Whoo! You can do it! (Graham) What would your strategy be here, Gordon? (Gordon) It's all about filling up the piping bags first.
Spend three minutes doing that.
- All of 'em? - All the bags.
I would fill three because ten minutes is a tricky thing.
Addy, Addy! My strategy is to fill the piping bag with as much frosting as I can and just go, go, go, go, go! Go, Addy! - Addison's already piping.
- Good girl, Addison! Yeah! Jesse, yeah! - Strawberry power! - Let's go, Jesse! I have to save Christina, so my strategy is to take my time and frost the cupcakes perfectly as possible.
He's in the groove.
Sam, I do not want this chocolate frosting on my face! My strategy is to frost as many cupcakes as possible, so I'm moving at the speed of light.
Get in a rhythm! A rhythm! [indistinct shouting.]
(Christina) Come on, Jesse! Once, twice, then up! (Child) Whoo! (Gordon) What numbers will make us safe? I'd say you need 12 to probably win.
(all) Frost some cupcakes! Frost some cupcakes! There's a lot of things that can go wrong frosting a cupcake.
Like, too much frosting, then it might start dripping down.
- Not too much! - Wow! - Too little frosting - Addison, put more on there! And then it would be a muffin, not a cupcake.
Think that Graham's gonna be the safest.
All right, Sam! (Gordon) God! Addy, open up the bag! Addison, blow it! (Addison) I'm struggling.
I cannot get the frosting into the piping bag.
- Please, I beg you, Addison! - [screams.]
(Graham) Who wants to see Gordon covered? - Yeah! - Yeah! I need to speed up or else the boys are gonna win.
Jesse's catching up on Addison.
Let's go, yes, Jesse! Perfect cupcake! Thank you! - You guys are in trouble! [both laugh.]
(Graham) We need as many perfectly frosted cupcakes as you can do.
Come on, come on, come on! That's gonna save one judge! (Christina) Hurry up, buddy! (Gordon) Here we go! (all) Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! [applause.]
- Let's go! All right! - Piping bags down! (Graham) And it is now time for Logan to decide all of our fates.
Logan, please count the perfect cupcakes.
(Logan) All right, let's see.
That one's good.
That one's good.
That one's good.
(Jesse) I'm looking at my cupcakes and I think they look really good, so I'm really confident that Christina's pretty dress won't be frosted.
(Sam) I look over to Jesse and Addison and even though I have more frosted cupcakes than them, I don't think all of them are going to be perfect.
This is gonna be a close one.
- A bit flat.
Could have used a bit more, but that one's good.
That one's good.
That one's good.
And, uh, that's about it.
All right, let's see.
Oh, wow.
I'm looking down at my cupcakes and some of 'em are not too pretty.
A bit too much frosting on both sides here.
I'm sending Logan, like, brain messages because I want him to be not too picky.
That one's pretty good.
That one's pretty good.
All right.
Right, Addison, Jesse, Sam, please come down and stand in front.
[dramatic music.]
(Graham) First of all, we are gonna have to find out who came in at the bottom.
Logan, just tell me what the lowest number was.
Ten.
Logan, was that Jesse, Sam, or Addison? I'm afraid that Addison has the least amount of frosted cupcakes.
- [squeals.]
(all) [jeering.]
Sorry, Gordon.
- Recount! I couldn't get the frosting in the bag.
[Gordon whimpers.]
Addison, you now have the incredible honor of pouring frosting on the head - of Mr.
Gordon Ramsay.
- No.
That's the best thing in the world.
I really don't want Gordon Ramsay to like, hate me forever, but then I'm like, "Hey, look at the good side.
"You're about to get to dump a whole bag of frosting on Gordon Ramsay.
" (all) Five, four, three, two, one! [all laughing and screaming.]
Whoo! [laughs.]
No way! Oh, my God! (all) Five, four, three, two, one! [all laughing and screaming.]
(Graham) Whoo! - No, way! - Oh, my God.
Looks like the world's biggest seagull pooped on him.
[all laugh.]
Addison! Do you have anything to say to Gordon, Addison? Sorry? [all laugh.]
(Graham) Logan, now the question is between Christina and I who's gonna get dumped on next.
All right, the numbers are 11 and 29.
(Graham) Who got 29? Uh, I'm gonna have to go with Graham, you got the 29.
- Yeah, Sam! - Yeah! - No-ho-ho-ho-ho! - Yeah, I got ya! That means that Sam gets the advantage - moving forward - Yeah! And Christina is gonna get that dress completely doused.
Should we do it? (all) Yeah! (Graham) You guys ready? No, no! Take off the shoes first! Take off the shoes first.
Let's do this.
[epic music.]
Jesse-- [screams.]
[all gasping and cheering.]
- [laughs.]
- [screams.]
[screams.]
Frosting fight! (all) Frosting fight! Frosting fight! Agh! [indistinct shouting.]
(Graham) You guys are evil! (all) Sprinkles! Sprinkles! Out of nowhere, someone yells, "Sprinkles! Sprinkles!" And I'm like, that's cool and all.
I'm not a big sprinkles guy, but, I mean, I'll throw sprinkles on the judges.
[screams.]
[all scream.]
- Ah, yeah! Okay, listen, listen, listen! All of you, please, join me in saying a big thank you to our amazing MasterChef Junior winner.
Logan, thank you, buddy.
[all cheer.]
(Logan) Thank you.
Thank you, Logan! (Logan) Thank you so much! Bye, Logan! Right.
We will see you in a minute.
Let's go.
You need more than a minute! [chuckles.]
- Whoa! - [giggles.]
What? It's scientifically impossible.
- Amazing.
- She has the same dress on? Wow.
It's time to get the next challenge started.
Now, putting frosting on those cupcakes was all about making the outside look beautiful, but under here is an ingredient where you find the beauty on the inside.
It is a beautiful, delicious scallop.
[cheers and applause.]
- [groans.]
- Shh, calm down.
I live in Indiana.
How-- there's no fresh scallops there.
I don't live by an ocean, but I wish I lived by an ocean 'cause I love seafood.
These are all hand-dived scallops, still inside their amazing shell.
When they're this fresh, trust me You have to get them out yourself.
- Oh, no.
[all sigh.]
So let me show you how it's done.
[dramatic music.]
Right, watch very carefully because you'll all be doing this shortly.
So, scallop, you got the round bottom part and the flat top.
Now the secret here is to take your knife, place into the muscle, and twist.
Point the knife 90 degrees and scrape to remove the top of the shell and then flick open and then look.
This is the important part.
- Is it alive? [indistinct chatter.]
Move in, quick look.
Quick, quick.
- I can't see.
- I can't see, too short.
See, watch.
It's still alive.
- It's alive.
- Yeah.
- [Gordon screams.]
- [kids scream.]
Line up, line up, line up, line up.
- [giggles.]
- That scared me! Okay, from there, take the knife.
You scrape down this part.
As soon as you open up the scallop shell, you have to deal with all this green booger stuff and, probably, I don't even know what it is.
Probably seaweed, dra-- I don't know.
And once you start to prise the scallop from the shell, take a spoon.
The reason why we use a spoon is it's the same size of the scallop and so, look You just scrape the spoon against the shell and look what happens.
- Ew.
- Gross.
Out comes this beautiful scallop.
Now this is the muscle.
It's the muscle that connects the scallop to what we call the skirt.
You take your thumb and you slice through and then literally just pop the scallop out.
That's awesome.
Now that is the most amazing protein.
It's good enough to eat raw.
Eat it! Eat it! - Oh.
- Ew.
[gasps.]
- Mmm.
- He likes it.
It was alive seconds ago! Mmm.
Excellent.
So, Sam, because you won the last challenge, you do not have to cook in this challenge.
[sighs.]
On the balcony is a giant cupcake that I made just for you.
[all gasp.]
- Oh, my God.
Head on up and dig in.
How you gonna eat that? [applause.]
[indistinct yelling.]
- Good job! Wow, this cupcake is, like, the size of my head.
Enjoy that, Sam.
Right now, victory's pretty sweet.
You guys are going to have one hour to make us a MasterChef worthy dish using the amazing live scallops that you guys have to shuck yourselves.
We will unfortunately be saying good-bye to some of you tonight.
- No.
- Stay focused, guys.
Is everybody ready? (all) Yes, Chef! You're one hour starts now! - Go, go, go! - Whoo! [indistinct chatter.]
I may be only 11 years old, but I am a mad scientist in the kitchen.
Does anybody see Israeli couscous? I am gonna combine all sorts of different flavors into my scallop dish.
Red wine vinegar! I like putting things together like Frankenstein.
Where are the Brussels sprouts? I'm from Chula Vista which is right next to a beach.
I love scallops.
I cook 'em all the time, so I'm thinking something really complicated to really wow the judges.
(Graham) Let's go! [fast-paced music.]
[grunts.]
What? Get open.
Hello.
- Oh! - Yes.
(Ramsay) These are tough ones.
I mean, scallops.
You know, even for a professional chef.
(Graham) These are 8 to 13-year-old kids.
- [sighs.]
- Too hard for these guys? Here's the thing; They could leave half of it on the shell when they take that top lid off.
Ugh! - You could stab it.
- Blah (Ramsay) Slice it in half.
It'd fall apart.
Oh, my God! So, you've got to be very, very careful.
[growls.]
I'm amazed already at Mia.
Look, she's taken three scallops out of the shell in literally three minutes.
- Wow.
(Ramsay) Incredible.
- Blah.
- Ew! [screams.]
Yeah, I'm putting on some gloves.
(Ramsay) Let's go! Don't cook your scallops too early.
[grinding.]
[crackling.]
[chopping.]
[groans.]
Why can't I get this open? When Gordon Ramsay does it, it's so easy for him! Oh, my God.
I hate opening scallops.
I'm only 8 years old.
How am I gonna do this? It's so hard.
Ian, are you all right? Ian is really feeling the pressure.
- Oh, dear.
- Just believe in yourself! [cries.]
[cries.]
How you doing, Ian? (Ian) Not so good.
It's so hard to open.
It's okay! You can do this.
Ian is really feeling the pressure.
Just believe in yourself.
- Don't panic, Ian.
- [Ian sobs.]
Ian, how we doing, bud? Don't get upset, my man.
That's not bad.
- I know.
- Let me help you, okay? In.
There we are.
Now your parents, Ian, have a restaurant, right? Yes, oh.
- In Indiana, yes? - Yes.
- Oh, look at that? - Ew, what is it? A little fish! How cool is that? - Oh, my God! - Got caught inside! Okay, so you can do the rest if I do this bit, okay? Okay.
Thank you.
Good man.
What's the dish? It's gonna be a pan-seared scallop served with zucchini cakes and a micro green salad.
Sounds like you've got nothing to be nervous about.
- [chuckles.]
- Come on, you can do this.
- Okay, thank you.
- Good luck.
Whoo! Oh, my God.
(Christina) We're sending home cooks home tonight.
What are places that you wouldn't take a scallop dish? I'm not expecting them to do a sweet thing.
I don't want to see it thrown over a bowl of pasta.
I want to see something a little bit more adventurous.
[motor whirs.]
I'm making pan-seared scallops over lemon risotto with a pepper salsa along with a beetroot garnish in a Brussels sprout design.
I'm extremely competitive mostly cause I do a lot of martial arts.
I really want to win this.
I think the biggest issue here is them cooking the scallop.
Yes, I mean, you spend 25, and literally wait till the last five or ten minutes before you start cooking those scallops.
(Graham) How long do you cook it on each side? Maximum 90 seconds on each side.
[hums.]
Even though I'm from Philly, I'm a huge seafood maniac.
I love it, I could eat it all day, all night.
So I am making pan-seared scallops with a pinch of Brussels sprout and cauliflower mash.
It's quite the experience.
I'm making California scallops on a bed of spinach with quinoa and I'm doing an avocado lime sauce because I love avocados.
(Graham) Guys, 27 minutes left.
- Hey, Vivian.
- Hi.
Do you cook a lot of scallops in Arizona? I've never cooked or tasted a scallop in my life.
- Wow! - Ooh! So tell us what this scallop dish is.
I am doing a bacon and corn relish with a parmesan crusted scallops over a lemon and lime couscous.
Are you worried about anything on your dish? Um, I'm a little worried about cooking the scallops since I've never made them before and I feel like that will definitely send me home in the competition.
Yeah, very carefully, right? Good luck, Vivian.
- All right.
- Thank you! Ooh, that's hot.
Annabelle.
All right, how we doing? I am having a lot of trouble shucking these.
Okay, let's do it again, together.
Okay.
Ever had fresh scallops before? We don't really find a lot of scallops in Tennessee.
Wow, look at that.
You had a fish inside yours as well, huh? Incredible.
Now what's the dish? I'm making scallops two ways.
- Wow.
(Annabelle) Scallop seviche.
Seviche, and what's the second way? Pan-seared scallops with garlic-scented zucchini sauce.
Why not just do them one way perfect? I guess I could do two ways perfect, so-- Okay, good luck.
You gotta cook your scallops last.
A little advice.
(Gordon) (Graham) Chad, what's the dish? I'm making a pan-seared scallop with spaghetti and meatballs and a homemade tomato sauce.
Now is that gonna rally show off the scallop as the star? Yes, I'm going to give the scallops more flavor than the meatballs so you'll get pop in your mouth.
All right, I'm just hoping that we don't just get a big dish of spaghetti and meatballs that are garnished with a couple little scallops on top, right? It's gotta be a good scallop dish.
- Okay.
- All right? (Christina) All right, good luck, Chad.
Thank you.
Eight minutes to go! (Gordon) All right, now you should start thinking about cooking your scallops.
Make sure your pans are piping hot.
They literally take Amaya, how are we doing? Talk me through the dish.
What is it? I'm making pan-seared scallops with a bechamel sauce.
And you're grilling the asparagus as well? - Yes.
- That tastes delicious.
Thank you.
Now you're a New Jersey girl, right? - Yeah.
- So close to the coast? And what do you think about fresh scallops? Well, they're kind of a pain to open.
A pain? Amaya, they're delicious! Uh, yes.
That dish sounds incredible.
Asparagus looks good.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Nice color, Nate! [giggles.]
Oh! Yeah, I burned some of them.
My scallops are totally burnt and I have no scallops left.
I can't serve this to the judges.
(Christina) Look at how burnt-- what is she doing? Damn.
[sighs.]
Um, too hot.
This is a scallop dish.
What am I gonna do here? Does anyone have any extra scallops? You have any shucked ones that are-- - No.
- No shucked? How much time to go? Last five minutes.
[gasps.]
I burned some of them.
These scallops are way burned.
I can't serve this to the judges.
Last five minutes, guys.
Does anyone have any extra scallops that they shucked? Anyone? Annabelle, I got two that I didn't shuck! - Avery, I need them! - Okay.
- Thank you.
- Here's two.
There you go.
I only have a few minutes left, but I'm gonna try to get back on track and get these scallops cooked.
Don't worry about it, Annabelle.
Keep calm.
Three minutes to go, guys.
[intense music.]
[breathes heavily.]
Oh, my God.
You've got to start plating.
Okay, start plating.
(Graham) Ian's been falling apart back there.
I'm so nervous.
You think there's any way he can pull this back? There's only, literally, minutes to go, - but don't give up.
- Right.
Faster.
(Graham) Wipe, garnish, taste! (Gordon) Come on! [claps.]
Make it look stunning! Get the food on the plate, guys! Annabelle, just get it on the plate.
- Get it on the plate.
- I will.
(Gordon) Finishing touches! (Christina) Taste everything before you put it on the plate! (Graham) Come on, guys! Let's go! (Judges) Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
(Gordon) And stop! Hands in the air! [applause.]
- Well done! Nice.
Now for the exciting part.
The tastes of those extraordinary scallop dishes.
Let's start with Tae-Ho, please.
Let's go.
[applause.]
I see Tae-Ho's dish and it's, like, a risotto.
I'm like, "How do you pull off a risotto?" Dude, you're a good chef.
Right, young man, describe the dish please.
I made seared scallops over lemon risotto with a jalapeño poblano pepper salsa on top with a beetroot and Brussels sprout leaf garnish.
It's vibrant.
It's got those wonderful colors, and who taught you how to make a risotto? I actually learned how to make a risotto from a cookbook that was actually one of your cookbooks.
Right.
And also, I had a lot of help from my mom, too.
Wow, so you made a salsa, a risotto, cooked the scallops, fried the beetroot chips, and then the Brussels sprout leaves as well.
Mm-hmm.
And how did you cook the scallops? I pan-seared them when the pan was really, really hot and I seasoned them with salt and pepper.
Mm.
Risotto's delicious.
Fragrant with a nice heat.
Scallops cooked beautifully, seared on both sides as well.
Always a sign of a great chef, but the fact that you've got so many technical abilities nailed in one plate Great job.
- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
[applause.]
Gordon Ramsay loved my dish! He's my idol.
He's the reason I started cooking, so this is a huge honor for me.
Yes.
Next up, from Philadelphia, it's Nate.
Bring it on up.
I love seafood.
I could eat scallops all day every day, 24/7, 365 It's so good.
I love it.
What did you make with those scallops? Today, I have for you a pan-seared scallops with a cauliflower mash and Brussels sprout leaf and spinach combo with a bit of bechamel.
(Christina) So, you're from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
How do these scallops fit in? I have a shore house in New Jersey and we go fishing a lot.
Have you ever dived for scallops? Nope, but I've crabbed for crabs.
(Christina) Your scallops are cooked beautifully.
Thank you.
You have a nice, even sear-around.
You've seasoned the scallops.
Cauliflower mash could use something to help zing it up.
Maybe some lemon zest.
Yes, yes.
But you really did allow the scallop to be the star.
- Thank you.
- Good job, Nate.
[applause.]
Next up, from New York: Chad.
I'm only 9 years old, but I'm really creative, and today, I'm doing a take on an Italian surf and turf.
I've never seen anything like this.
Tell me what we have.
This is a pan-seared scallop spaghetti and meatballs garnished with parmesan Romano cheese and a homemade tomato sauce.
All right.
What'd you do with the tomato sauce? First, I diced tomatoes and then put a little bit of chicken stock and then I used crushed tomatoes to get that saucy texture.
So, the sauce it good.
Sauce is cooked great.
The problem I have is the actual idea behind the dish because spaghetti and meatballs, classic combination, right? But spaghetti and meatballs with scallops, never heard of that, and the reason is because the scallop is so delicate and sweet that, when you pair it next to something as spicy and big and meaty as a meatball, they get lost.
The other thing you can see is that the scallops are overcooked because they're so thin.
Thanks, Chad.
[applause.]
Next up, he is our youngest boy.
Ian! - Thank you.
- Let's go! I struggled through this challenge because I sometimes get nervous when I'm cooking 'cause it's a competition with Gordon Ramsay in it, and the last thing I want to do is serve Gordon Ramsay bad scallops.
(Ramsay) Wow.
First of all, I'm amazed we've got something on the plate.
Ten minutes ago, I thought you'd given up.
Did you come into MasterChef Junior to give up? [dramatic music.]
First of all, I'm amazed we've got something on the plate because I thought you'd given up.
Did you come into MasterChef Junior - to give up? - No.
So what happened? I was starting to get kind of nervous about my scallops because I couldn't get those - Yes.
- Out of the thing so-- - And you got frustrated, right? - Yeah, a little bit, chef.
In this competition, young man, it's not how you start, it's how you finish, so describe the dish please.
It's pan-seared scallops served with zucchini cakes topped with micro-greens.
Uh, visually, it looks like something out of a, sort of, cool gastro-pub because it looks beautiful.
What else is inside the zucchini cakes? Grated parmesan cheese and flour.
So here's the thing.
[sighs.]
You have absolutely nailed the scallops.
Thank you.
Great sear on the top and a great sear on the bottom.
(Ian) Thank you.
However, zucchini needs more salt just to lift it a little bit.
- Okay.
But well done for not giving up and next time you find a bump, get off your butt and bounce back.
- Got me? - Yes, sir.
Good man.
Thank you.
[applause.]
It's not the best dish of the night, but it's not the worst.
I'm, like, right here.
- Great job, Ian.
- Good job, Ian.
But I'll take that as long as I don't go home.
Next up, from Arizona: Vivian.
Tell me about the dish.
You have parmesan-crusted scallops with a lemon and lime couscous and a bacon and corn relish.
The couscous has been seasoned nicely.
The bacon is crispy.
Unfortunately, the scallop really isn't seared properly and therefore it's really just lost in the dish.
Thank you.
- Derek, let's go, please.
- Yeah, Derek! [applause.]
Describe the dish, please.
It is pan-seared scallops over Israeli couscous in carrot purée with an herb pesto.
It's a beautiful sear on the scallops.
You've got that nice combination between the rich and the sweetness of the scallops and that herby, basil pesto.
Just a touch more salt, and that's how close you are to an absolutely perfected dish.
Next up, Kamilly.
I made California scallops on a bed of spinach with some avocado lime sauce and quinoa on the side.
The quinoa is a little strange to pair with scallops.
Take a look at these scallops, it looks like they've been seasoned nicely, but ideally you have the sort of same golden brown color on both the top and the bottom of your scallop.
(both) Thank you.
[applause.]
I'm really nervous because two people are going home tonight, and my scallops were not cooked well.
I don't want to go back to my fifth grade math class.
I want to stay in this classroom.
All right, next up please.
Amaya.
[applause.]
Please, describe your dish.
Today, I have for you pan-seared scallops with grilled asparagus and bechamel sauce that should just leave an explosion of flavors in your mouth.
Now, what kind of style would you say that Amaya has? - I have a lot of improv - Okay.
In my step.
I like cooking Dominican foods as well as American food.
Awesome.
Here's the thing: you've got all this sauce over the top, but now, when I go like this and I scrape it off, look at how gorgeous that thing is.
Why would you want to hide it? Next time, sauce on the bottom, scallop on top, so that you can tell everybody, like, look how amazing your scallop was.
And it is exactly that.
It's delicious.
Great dish, really tasty.
Work on the presentation a little, right? - Good job.
Thank you, Amaya.
- Yes, sir.
[applause.]
And finally, Annabelle, please.
Let's go.
- Whoo! - Whoo! - Let's go, Annabelle.
- Let's go! I'm pretty impressed that Annabelle was not only able to get everything on the plate.
She was able to do the scallops two ways.
That is something that I find quite impressive.
(Gordon) Annabelle, describe the dish, please I made scallops two ways.
One way is scallop seviche with lemon and cilantro and the other one is pan-seared scallops with zucchini sauce.
Wow, and why two ways? 'Cause I like making things lots of different ways.
But cooking scallops are hard enough.
Why sudden jeopardy tonight when you know at least two of you going home tonight? Why would you risk so much? So, cooking scallops two ways, it's a very bold thing to do.
Why would you risk so much? - I'm not sure.
- You're not sure.
Let's try the seviche first, and what's in here again? Any vinegar? No.
There's water, there's lemon, there's cumin, there's mustard seeds, and there's radish.
So, a seviche is never done with water, so unfortunately, there's no real strength to the flavor coming through there.
Now, these ones; how long'd you cook these for? (Annabelle) Just until they're browned.
- Did you have a time on there? - No, I didn't.
Unfortunately, they're overcooked.
I think the purée is delicious.
Unfortunately, the hero being the scallops, they really haven't delivered.
Sometimes, it's important to hold back and get one way perfectly done and then when you're strong enough, bring on a second idea, but a very bold, personal effort.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
[applause.]
Please give us a moment while we have a very serious discussion.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Man, he's a serious man, dude.
Great dishes, I mean, tremendous dishes.
- Tae-Ho.
- Yeah? (Gordon) I mean, that was incredible.
(Graham) That risotto was delicious.
What about Derek's? So much technique on one plate.
(Christina) So smart, so beautifully plated.
- Amaya? - Little messy, or no? (Gordon) Ah, just a little bit too much cream sauce.
(Ian) My dishes make sense.
Chad's was all over the place.
(Graham) If it was a meatball challenge, he'd win, but the fact is, I mean, two little tiny bits of scallop lost in tomato sauce.
I didn't even cook my scallops right.
(Graham) What about Vivian? She was so smart to pair her scallop with bacon, corn, but overall just fell short.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
(Gordon) Happy with those? - Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
Makes sense.
[dramatic music.]
You all did an amazing job.
Tonight's winning dish goes to Tae-Ho.
- Whoo! - Nice job.
Yeah, Tae-Ho! [applause.]
We were all blown away, Tae-Ho.
Thank you, Chef.
But as we all know, this is a competition and unfortunately, we do have to say good-bye to some very, very talented young home cooks.
Would the following four home cooks come down here - to the front? - [sighs.]
Kamilly.
Chad, join us up front please.
Annabelle.
And finally, Vivian.
[somber music.]
You are all incredibly talented, young home cooks.
Let's get that right.
Sadly, there are two of you who will be going home this evening.
This isn't easy at all.
Kamilly and Vivian, step forward please.
Kamilly and Vivian, those dishes tonight were not perfect.
But they weren't the worst.
Please, both of you, head back to your stations.
[cries.]
I feel so relieved, but at the same time, I feel so sorry for Annabelle and Chad right now.
[sobs.]
Annabelle and Chad, I'm sorry, but tonight, those scallop dishes just got the better of you.
It may be your last cook-off in the MasterChef kitchen, but your food journey will continue.
Wear those aprons with pride and stay focused on what you want to do with food because you're both good enough.
Both of you, well done.
[applause.]
Whoo! Good night, guys.
You're not going anywhere without me.
You're staying right here.
I'm sad to go home, but this is one of the greatest things I've ever done.
I cooked for Gordon Ramsay, one of the toughest chefs in the world.
I am so proud of myself.
Chad, you did a great job! You're wearing a MasterChef apron.
Remember that.
Hold your head high, okay? Even though I'm going home tonight back to Poughkeepsie, New York, I still have a whole bunch of bragging rights and I still have my MasterChef apron.
How many people can say that? That is the symbol of greatness.
I had a really good time being on MasterChef Junior.
I made a whole bunch of friends.
My experience here, it'll be a part of me forever.
Bye, guys.
You did a great job! We love ya! Can we hug them more? (narrator) Next week [all screaming.]
The competition blasts off.
(Gordon) That's one, small step for man.
One giant leap for MasterChef.
- Whoa.
- That is awesome.
(narrator) The best young home cooks in America face an out-of-this-world challenge.
Make the very best cheese dish in this entire universe.
(narrator) Who will rocket to the top? (Graham) Absolutely perfectly done.
- Mm, delicious.
Well done.
- Thank you.
(narrator) And whose journey will have a crash landing? - What have you put in there? - I forgot to season it.
[screams.]
OHH! OHH! [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.]