MasterChef Junior (2013) s05e06 Episode Script
A Presidential Mystery Box
1 Announcer: Previously on "MasterChef Junior" ( sirens whirring, horn honking ) Our first responders are arriving.
- the Top 16 - Start mashing! - Yeah! - cooked for American heroes.
That one is raw.
Focus! - Adam's blue team - ( whimpers ) Charlie, what are you doing? - flatlined - This is a disaster.
- Congratulations, red team! - ( cheering ) ending Charlie and Gonzalo's MasterChef Junior dream.
- Tonight - ( gasps ) it's a MasterChef Junior first.
- Avani: Michelle Obama.
- ( all gasp ) That's awesome.
- Announcer: And then - Gordon: Please welcome, - Julie Bowen.
- Announcer: One of America's favorite moms - Ugh.
- joins the junior home cooks ( gasps ) Mommy.
for the mother of all challenges.
- He's making like caviar.
- Oh, my gosh.
Did she teach you how to make this? It's made from algae.
- ( cheering ) - Whoo-hoo! Justise: Now I've made it into the top 14, so I feel like I'm a different 11-year-old.
I feel more mature, more confident and more proud of myself.
MasterChef Junior kitchen has basically become my home.
Gordon: Welcome back once again.
Now, we are down to our top 14 talented young home cooks in America, aged between eight and 13.
Is everyone ready for their next challenge? ( all shout) Yes, Chef! You all know that I'm very well connected.
A lot of important people eat in all my restaurants.
And in my career, I've been fortunate enough - to cook for Princess Diana - ( gasps ) Elton John, Nelson Mandela, and believe or not, I once made a sandwich for Justin Bieber.
( giggling ) - Wow.
- Did he like it? He loved it.
I am definitely impressed with Gordon right now.
He really has a lot of friends.
His birthday parties must be like a million people.
So a lot of very important people owe me a favor or two.
And I'm about to call one in-- literally.
- ( gasps ) - What? Hello? It's Gordon.
Gordon Ramsay.
I need to speak to the boss of the house.
No.
Not him.
( gasps ) I need the real boss of the house.
( gasps ) And I need her right now, please.
Right now.
( gasps ) Uh-oh! - ( cheering ) - Whoo! Yes! Stay calm.
Stay calm.
( "Hail to the Chief" plays ) Hello, Gordon and Christina.
( screaming ) And hello, to all of you talented young home cooks.
- I'm Michelle Obama - Oh, my God! and tonight, I'm thrilled to deliver your next Mystery Box Challenge.
Please, head back to your stations.
I'm like about to die.
RIP me.
Oh, my God.
I mean, Michelle Obama's a wonder woman, and I look up to her so much.
She is my idol.
Okay, here we go.
On the count of three.
One, two, three.
Lift.
- ( gasps ) Ooh, nice.
- Ah! Ms.
Obama: It's a Mystery Box inspired by the White House kitchen garden.
- Okay.
- One of my greatest passions is making sure that kids like you have the nutritious food you need to grow up healthy.
So for your Mystery Box Challenge, I'm asking all of you to come up with an original recipe that's healthy and follows the My Plate symbol, filling half your plate with fruits and veggies, and the rest with whole grains, lean protein, and dairy.
Michelle Obama wants me to cook vegetables.
Not happening.
I don't like vegetables.
They're evil.
Ms.
Obama: Tonight, you've got a very special prize.
The winner of this Mystery Box Challenge is going to come to the White House - What? - Are you kidding me? and attend the annual Kids' State Dinner.
Good luck, and I can't wait to see what you all come up with.
- Oh, my God! - Good night.
- Bye.
- Oh, my God! - The White House.
- Ugh! Christina: So, you'll have just one hour to make a dish fit to be a national treasure.
Tonight, the stakes are high.
- Is everybody ready? - Yes, Chef! Your 60 minutes starts now! ( muttering ) Knife, knife, knife Pan.
I need a pan.
Okay, bring that up to a boil.
( sighs ) I'm making a marinated tiger shrimp.
a kale salad, sautéed apples and squash, mixed in with quinoa.
Back in Brooklyn, my parents and my sister, we only eat organic.
So I'm kinda used to cooking lean foods, but I'm still really scared, because this is the White House.
- I can get it.
- Thank you.
I'm making pan-seared branzino, with strawberry, radish, kale salad, quinoa and roasted vegetables.
Even though it's really healthy, it's really flavorful.
And back home in New Jersey, that's what my mom tries to get me to eat.
Being graced by the former First Lady of the White House - and bringing the White House garden - Incredible! into the MasterChef Junior kitchen.
Nothing more farm-to-table than this challenge.
We've set them up for success with this healthy Mystery Box, but you and I, we're looking for technique, we're looking for flavor, and we're looking for the most delicious dish out there.
- Looking good.
- Don't rip, don't rip.
You're beautiful, shrimp.
I'm making the tiger shrimp with an orange smoky and spicy sauce, some julienne tomatoes, and quinoa.
Back home, I like stir-frying all of these.
Ooh, my sauce is reducing nicely.
- Hot oven! - ( sizzling ) Right, Jasmine, now I saw that amazing smile on that face of yours when Michelle Obama was introducing tonight's Mystery Box Challenge.
Um, I love Michelle Obama.
I think that she's a really good inspiration for young girls like me.
Now, what are you cooking? Well, today I am making squash noodles, with kale, bell peppers, tomatoes and shrimp.
- Love that idea.
Good luck.
- Thank you.
25 minutes down, 35 minutes to go.
- All right, Lila.
- Hi.
What are you making with these ingredients? - In Rockport, I make a lot of fish.
- Okay.
So I am making lemon branzino, with Parmesan quinoa, and I made a fruit smoothie 'cause I love smoothies so much! - Oh, a fruit smoothie to the side.
- Yeah.
Because you get all these healthy calories, but you need something, like, sweet.
- All right, Lila, good luck.
- Thank you! - All right, Justise, how are we feeling? - Great, Chef.
Tell me what you're cooking.
Quinoa, with sautéed veggies, and pan-seared shrimp.
I cook seafood all the time for my family and then I cook veggies and quinoa for me because I like to stay healthy.
- Wow.
Love that.
- Yes, Chef.
If you were lucky enough to be invited to the White House, what would you wear? What kind of dress would you wear? - Uh, maybe some jeans.
- Justise! - I don't wear dresses.
- You're such a tomboy.
- Seriously, you've never worn a dress? - Yeah.
Maybe some nice jeans and a nice shirt.
Okay.
Good luck.
- Smells delicious.
- Thank you.
Less than 10 minutes to go, guys.
Taste everything.
One of you is going to the White House.
Right, Shayne.
Tell me about the dish.
What're you making? I am making a shrimp pasta and I'm doing a homemade marinara sauce.
- Sounds amazing.
- Will you taste this for me? The pasta? It needs a little drizzle of olive oil.
And if you're using shrimp, a little bit of acidity.
- Give me an "L.
" - Thank you, Chef.
- Give me an "L.
" - Huh? - Give me an "L.
" - L.
- "E.
" - E.
- "M.
" - M.
- "O.
" - O.
- "N.
" - N.
- What does it mean? - I don't know.
Ah! ( chuckles ) - Lemon, man.
Lemon.
- Oh.
- Hey, Shayne.
- That was my next guess.
( laughs ) - Lemon.
- ( ticks ) One minute to go, guys.
Finishing touches.
And ask yourself, "Is my dish good enough to get me to the White House?" 20 seconds to go.
- Come on, let's go.
- Christina: Push, guys.
( groans ) Gordon, Christina: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop.
Hands in the air.
( cheering, clapping ) Gordon: 15 seconds to go.
Tidy those plates.
Let's go.
A trip to the White House could be yours.
Gordon: Come on, guys.
You can do this.
Make it shine.
Gordon and Christina: Six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop, hands in the air.
( clapping ) Well done.
- We did it.
- Christina: Now, as you know, over those last 60 minutes as you cooked, Gordon and I watch and we taste everything.
Right, time to bring forward the top three dishes.
The first dish that we'd like to take a much closer look at the plate was one of the most colorful that we've seen in this competition so far.
Step forward, Peyton.
- Yes.
- Go, Peyton.
Am I actually hearing my name being called by Gordon Ramsay? This is the best thing I've ever had in my cooking career.
I am on cloud nine.
Describe the dish, please.
Peyton: It is a pan-seared branzino with a strawberry, radish, kale salad.
And quinoa with some roasted vegetables.
- Remind me, how old are you again? - I am ten years old.
How did you know that branzino, strawberries, kale, goes together? Well, my mom really likes strawberry-kale salad, and my dad really likes fish and quinoa.
And so I basically based it on my family.
- Peyton, it's delicious.
- Yes.
The branzino is cooked to perfection.
It's got all the right acidity and the sort of bitterness.
The grain's delicious.
What would I change? Um, maybe I would have blistered those tomatoes a little bit.
But the highlight is what you've done with that kale, radish and strawberry salad.
Cooking like this, young lady, you've got one foot in the White House kitchen already.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Where'd you learn how to cook fish like this? I mainly got all of my cooking skills from my dad.
I started watching him at the age of three, and I always watched to try to cook like him.
He cooks whole fish on the grill in the summertime.
- Is your dad a chef? - No, he's a middle school principal.
Wow.
I love it.
Now, the branzino is spot on.
You've got this buttery richness from that perfectly seared, crispy skin.
The second you have a bite of that raspberry, it really pops.
You are the First Lady of the MasterChef kitchen as it stands.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
- ( cheering ) - Peyton! Peyton! Now, the second dish that we want to take a closer look at is from a home cook that really impressed us with a dish that's bold, full of flavor and very well balanced.
Please step forward Lila.
I am so excited to be in the top three tonight because living on an island, like, fish is kinda my thing.
So I wanna win this Mystery Box so bad, I can feel it on my fingertips.
Describe the dish for me.
Lila: I have pan-seared branzino with roasted lemons, Parmesan quinoa, roasted squash, and an herb spread.
I usually cook healthy food at home.
When I figured out that Michelle Obama picked really healthy foods, I was super-excited, because her whole thing is like, healthy, like, fresh, farm-to-table and that's like my thing too.
So we could be like twinsies, which would be awesome.
I'm sure she'd love to be twinsies with you.
Okay.
Let's take a look.
The fish is delicious, the lemon is tasty, it's juicy, it's salty, it's acidic.
The Parmesan quinoa is good, there's a bit too much of it on the plate for me.
Okay.
This, I've been waiting for.
What kind of fruit's in here? - Um, I used raspberry, strawberry, - Mm.
some heavy cream, and then some ice.
At home, me and my dad make smoothies every morning.
It's bright, it's fun, it's vibrant, just like you.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
Right, Lila.
- That is delicious.
- Thank you.
You've cooked the branzino beautifully.
Crisp.
The color, lovely.
You've got the textures right.
Roasted lemons, delicious.
Uh, Lila, keep this standard up, and you're gonna be around for a long time, young lady.
- Thank you.
- Lila! - Good job, Lila! - Whoo! Now, the third and final dish we'd like to take a much closer look at-- this dish was made by another very talented, dynamic home cook.
Please step forward, - Justise.
- ( cooks applauding ) Justise: Wow.
I am one step closer to going to the White House.
I am really inspired by Michelle Obama.
She's really healthy.
She has a garden.
She loves salads.
And I'm like, "Girl, I can hang out with you any day.
" Describe the dish, please.
Justise: I've made quinoa with a apple cider and herb vinaigrette, sautéed veggies, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, carrot and a little bit of eggplant, and pan-seared shrimp.
Wow.
Just glistening in the center.
That is fit for a president.
Yes.
Wow.
The shrimp is mind-blowing.
The grains are delicious.
A little bit more acidity, maybe, but those vegetables caramelized like that, just the vegetables on their own is good enough for a vegetarian to have one of the best dishes in their life.
Young lady, that's a near perfect dish.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Great job.
Justise, what is the spice on that? Justise: Cumin, salt and pepper.
Mmm.
- Did you try one? - No.
Really good.
That cumin gives it a little bit of punch.
They're beautifully seasoned.
It's a very bold move.
We've got grown-ups that come into this kitchen and don't know how to develop flavor profiles the way that you have on this dish.
If you told me that an elementary school student made this dish, I wouldn't believe you.
Out of this world.
Nice job.
Good job, Justise.
- I mean, amazing.
- That dish! - Right.
- Okay.
Gordon: Three amazing dishes.
Definitely White House-worthy.
But Justise, Peyton, and Lila, you know, there can only be one winner this evening.
The home cook with the best dish, who will be heading to Washington DC to have dinner with Michelle Obama-- congratulations Three amazing dishes.
But Justise, Peyton, and Lila, you know there can only be one winner this evening.
The home cook with the best dish who'll be heading to Washington DC to have dinner with Michelle Obama at the White House congratulations Justise! - Yeah.
- Oh, my goodness.
I didn't think I ever imagined that me, 11-year-old Justise from Georgia, would get to go in the White House and have dinner with Michelle Obama! Wow.
Peyton, Lila, amazing jobs.
Great to see you two standing out so strong.
Justise, please head on up to the balcony, where you will find a sweet and very patriotic treat to celebrate your victory.
- Ah - ( gasps ) It's amazing.
So pretty.
Justise, enjoy.
Peyton and Lila, head back to your stations.
Thank you.
Now, Justise, because you won our White House Mystery Box, you are safe from tonight's Elimination Challenge.
Well done.
All right, guys.
There are 13 of you left standing down here and the time has come for your next elimination challenge.
But we're not gonna tell you what you're cooking just yet.
First we have a very exciting surprise for all of you.
That's right, joining us tonight is a guest judge who is a very, very familiar face.
She's the star of one of the most successful television shows in history.
She's won her own fair share of awards including two Emmys.
She's the quirky, tenacious mom in one of America's most beloved families.
From America's number-one comedy, - "Modern Family" - ( gasps ) you know her as "Claire Dunphy.
" Please welcome Julie Bowen.
- ( cheering ) - Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi! I'm so excited to see Claire Dunphy.
She's like the best TV mom ever.
And I can't believe she's in this kitchen to eat our food.
Wow! - Thank you so much.
- Good to see you.
Eww! This is so exciting.
My kids and I watch "MasterChef" at home, and to be here in this kitchen is so impressive.
Thank you for having me.
Now, it's safe to say I'm a busy mom.
And I know that being a mom is the toughest job on earth.
Your challenge today is to celebrate your mom by cooking a dish in her honor.
- Yes! - Yeah! That's right, tonight is all about honoring your moms through your food.
Now, all of you, take a look in your drawers.
( all gasping ) - Mommy! - What? - Hi, Mom.
- Mommy.
Julie: Aw, moms.
They're beautiful.
Now, Jasmine, tell me a little bit about your mom.
Well, my mom, she is really an amazing woman.
She's definitely a super mom, probably like you.
And she also inspires some of my dishes that I love to make.
Nice.
Donovan, in your house, who's the better chef? Is it you or your mom? - My mom doesn't cook.
- Oh.
Your mom doesn't cook.
So who taught you how to cook? - My dad.
- Ah.
Love that.
- How old is Mom? - Donovan: Um - No, no, no, no, no.
Unnecessary.
- ( laughing ) No.
Okay, so because that, Justise, is an awfully big cake for just one little girl to eat alone, - we have another surprise for you.
- ( gasps ) You get to pick two friends to come up there - and share that cake with you.
- Oh.
Now, Justise, before you give us your choice, tell us why.
So I'm thinking to save some tougher competitors, because in the end I want to see if I can take them down.
- Wow.
- Oh.
Love that attitude.
So the first person I'm going to be picking is gonna be Mark.
- He's a really tough competitor.
- Wow.
Interesting.
And the second choice is? My second choice is gonna be Shayne.
Yeah! He's calm, but he's super-duper tough.
Shayne, quick question, would you rather cook, or go up to the balcony? Honestly that cake looks awesome.
( Christina laughs ) Gordon: Okay.
Shayne and Mark, make your way up to that cake, let's go.
It's about the cake.
It's all about the cake.
Oh, yeah.
That's nice.
All right, guys.
Now it's time for the real challenge to begin.
You have one hour to make us a beautiful, stunning, fully-composed dish inspired by your amazing moms.
Your 60 minutes starts - now! - ( ticks ) Christina: Go, go, go! Sorry, sorry, Peyton.
Grab a basket.
Where's dairy, dairy, dairy? Can someone get some pineapple? Donovan: My mom likes sweets, so I'm making a marshmallow pie with fruit and chocolate.
But back home in New York, I never bake, so this is a big risk.
Gordon: Let's go, guys.
- Ooh, ooh.
- Whoo! ( grunts ) Ma, I'm gonna move you just a little bit, so I have more space.
- Julie, mom of three boys.
- Yes.
Do you cook for them at home? You know, I am a terrible cook.
I'm not afraid to admit it.
I've never learned how to cook properly.
We do grow lots of our own vegetables and stuff.
- Right.
- Beyond that, toast and ice cubes.
But there is something lovely about this challenge because mothers elicit that emotion of comfort food and being at home.
So I think the real challenge for these home cooks tonight is gonna be to take that endearing comfort food and find a way to elevate it.
Ah! I'm making a New York strip steak with chimichurri chipotle pepper sauce, roasted squash and eggplant.
My mom really supports me with all my cooking, and she really likes steak and chimichurri, so that's basically where I'm getting my inspiration from.
( sizzling ) Today, I'm making a raspberry soufflé with a side of a mixed berry salad.
Me and my mom learned how to make this dish together, and I really want to impress Julie, too, with this dish.
It's all about the moms today.
- ( ticks ) - 35 minutes to go.
Gosh.
Uh, what next, what next? Julie, Evan.
Evan, Julie.
- Hi, Evan.
What are you making? - - I'm making an apple crisp, with salted caramel, and making a mascarpone cream.
- Wow.
Now, Mom's name? - Veronica.
- Gorgeous.
- Did she teach you how to make this? Yes, she did.
She loves to bake.
And this is something that she makes a lot.
Love the idea.
And what's the alcohol over there? - What are you doing, are you flambéing? - Oh.
- Yeah.
I'm flambéing pears.
- Sounds good.
This sounds really good.
- How old were you when you first flambéed? - I don't know if-- Pff-fft! We're still waiting.
I've never flambéed.
It sounds like a dance.
( chuckles ) A dance.
Young man, 42 minutes to get yourself into the top 12.
Good luck.
- Three.
- ( whirring ) - All right, so, Mashu.
- Hi, Christina.
- A dish for your mother.
- Yes.
- And this is your mom.
- Yes.
- What's her name? - Sumi.
- She's gorgeous.
- Thank you.
- Do you guys cook together a lot at home? - Um, sometimes.
She kinda cooks, like, the heavy duty, and I cook, like, little appetizers.
But I'm trying to make a pretty big meal today.
- What are you making? - I'm making kind of a Japanese surf-and-turf.
That's swordfish.
The swordfish is cooked, but I'm making a cake with it.
- So wait, you took beautiful swordfish - Uh-huh.
- and puréed it down? - Yes.
You don't take a beautiful fillet of swordfish - and then purée it down.
- Right.
But talk me through it.
What's in this? Breadcrumbs, Thousand Island that I just made, - Okay.
- and I'm putting it all together and-- one day I came home from school and I just saw this leftover swordfish, I was like, "Why not do something with it?" So I just started mixing things together.
And I made this awesome dish for my mom.
So that's how I started making these.
Okay.
Keep your focus.
- Do it for this woman.
Good luck, Mashu.
- Thank you.
- ( ticks ) - Gordon: 30 minutes remaining, guys.
Julie, Donovan.
Donovan, Julie.
- Hi, Donovan.
- Hi.
- How are you doing? - Good.
- Now what's Mom's name? - Raquel.
She's a lawyer.
- Right.
- Ah-hh.
- And does Mom not cook anything? - - Um, she could order in.
- Order in? - Someone's gotta do it.
Listen, she's a lawyer.
What are you making over here? I'm making a marshmallow pie.
Okay, at what temperature are you taking that up to? I'm bring it back to 240.
Wow.
Have you ever seen anyone make homemade marshmallows? - Wait.
He's making marshmallows? - Yes, from scratch.
Wait a minute.
That's gonna be a marshmallow? - Donovan: Yeah.
- Oh, my gosh.
Right.
What are we on there now? 180? 190? What's on there? It is 238? Ah! So almost 240.
- Not yet.
- Young man, four things going.
- Mixer, blender, two pans.
Good luck.
- Julie: Oh, my gosh.
I'm very excited for you.
A little nervous, but also very excited.
( whirring ) Doing this for you, Mom.
All right.
Look at all the colors that Jasmine has in her dish.
- Look at all those.
- Oh, that's beautiful.
That's nice.
- All right, Jasmine.
- Hi.
Now what are you cooking for this woman? - I am cooking curried chicken - Okay.
- on a bed of jasmine rice.
- Okay.
I'm doing a citrus-mango salsa, and fried plantains.
My dad loves to make this dish for my mom, And since I know how to make it, I decided I'll make one of her favorite dishes for her.
This curry's for her.
She's watching over you.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Whoa.
Julie, Afnan.
Afnan, Julie.
Hi, Afnan.
What are you doing back here? I'm making a seafood trio, with curry cauliflower purée, and I put agar agar here.
I'll let it cool.
Do you know what it is, "agar agar"? - A country? A city? A speech? - Perfume? It's made from algae.
I look so forward to-- - He's gone molecular.
- I don't understand.
- Gordon: Let's watch.
- There's one.
- What? One what? - One pearl.
Oh, you're making little pearls of-- okay.
- He's making like a caviar.
- Or Jell-O.
- An algae Jell-O? - Yeah.
Young man, you've got 10 minutes to get yourself in the top 12.
Good luck.
- Yes.
Thank you.
- Wow.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm very excited for that.
Christina: Ten minutes to go, guys.
Start bringing it together.
Mashu is doing a little Japanese surf-and-turf for his mother.
- Gordon: Okay.
- He has a rack of lamb which looks delicious.
It looks well-seasoned.
I'm a little concerned about the surf element.
He's taken a beautiful swordfish, - just puréed it-- - What? Yeah.
He's puréed it down with Parmesan cheese, some mayonnaise-- Stop.
That sounds awful.
- Lamb, and then puréed swordfish? - Christina: I know.
- Wow.
Wow, wow, wow.
- This is not good.
Breaking news.
Donovan, Christina, is after your heart today.
He's making a marshmallow pie with fresh marshmallows.
Julie: He's making his own marshmallows.
He's making fresh marshmallows? - Which I didn't even know was a thing.
- It's a thing, Julie.
- I did not know it was a thing.
- That's a risky move.
- Julie: I'm excited about Peyton's.
- Gordon: Yes.
- Peyton's doing a chimichurri.
- Perfect! It smells delicious.
It looks delicious.
I'm not afraid to admit, I'm getting hungry and excited about eating this food.
- Guys, just over two minutes to go.
- ( ticks ) Gordon: Start plating.
I need a mandoline! - Oh, my fish.
- Plantains.
Oh, goodness.
I haven't even started.
Let's go, let's go.
- Perfect.
- Look at Mashu.
Hey, guys, you need to start plating.
- Gordon: 30 seconds to go.
- Come on, guys.
Push, push.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, - four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop.
- Hands in the air.
Well done! - - Hands in the air! Oh, wow.
So for tonight's challenge, we asked you to make the mother of all dishes.
Julie, I hope you're ready, 'cause it's time for the best part.
Cydney, please bring your soufflé down.
Thank you.
Baking is pretty much rocket science.
Everything needs to be perfect.
And I am feeling super-scared right now.
I just want to rush this soufflé up to the judges before it falls.
Right, Cydney.
Describe the dish, please.
Cydney: So today I made a raspberry soufflé, with a side of raspberry coulis and a mixed berry salad.
Ah, young lady, I think you're mad.
Somebody's going home tonight and you attempt a soufflé? Why would you do it in the biggest cooking competition in the world? ( sighs ) Ah, young lady, I think you're mad.
Somebody's going home tonight and you attempt a soufflé? ( sighs ) Let's dig in, shall we? - All right.
- Yes! Now.
Taste the sauce.
- That is beautiful.
- Thank you, Chef.
Please, ladies.
Now, did you use a fresh raspberry purée? Cydney: I let the raspberries melt down and then I passed them through a sieve.
The color of that.
I have to say, Cydney, very bold move tonight.
You don't get anywhere in this competition without taking risks.
I think the soufflé was nice.
It needed just a minute or two more in the oven, - to really get that height and that lift.
- Uh-huh.
But I'll tell you what, that raspberry coulis is perfect.
Thank you.
The base of the soufflé, the crème pâtissière, the purée of raspberry, it is delicious.
Thank you.
Cydney, I have no idea what he's talking about.
I don't know what crème pâtissière is.
I haven't got a clue.
It was so delicious.
And if my children made me that, I would do backflips.
- I thought it was delightful.
- Thank you.
- Christina: Thanks, Cydney.
- Gordon: Well done.
( cooks cheering ) My soufflé wasn't as high as I usually make it.
I'm just really hoping they'll look past that and remember how great the taste is.
Christina: Next up, Afnan.
( cooks applauding ) My mom moved here from Bangladesh to give me a better life and a better opportunity.
And I'm really hoping that the judges love this dish because I made this dish in honor of her.
Afnan, what did you cook tonight? Afnan: I have a tandoori spice swordfish, scallop and shrimp, with a cauliflower curry purée, pickled carrots and cucumber, and a savory peppercorn tuile.
We only gave you 60 minutes.
How in the world did you accomplish all of this? - It's stunning! - Thank you.
Now what do you think your mom would say if she saw this dish? My mom would be really impressed because it has most of her favorite things on here.
Let's see that the cook looks like.
- I mean - Yes.
Afnan, that's picture perfect.
Thank you.
- Look at this.
- Beautiful.
- I mean, bring it.
- Pretty impressed.
Mmm.
It's gorgeous.
It's got color, it's got texture, it's got height, it's got vision.
- Nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
I am very excited about this.
I watched you - as you were making the agar agar.
- Agar agar,es.
- And it was like a molecular kind of thing, right? - Yes.
Tamarind chutney pearls, and it's tamarind paste, water, agar agar and garlic and sugar.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- Oh, my gosh.
It's delicious.
- Thank you.
- How old are you? - 12.
- And when did you start cooking? - 12.
- Wait-- this year? - Yes.
This is really extraordinary.
- And I think you did a fantastic job.
- Thank you.
Bring it.
That is amazing.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
Next up, Mashu, please.
Thank you.
My innovative cooking has been doing pretty good.
And this dish is again one of my experimental things.
I think this dish will impress the judges and really make my mom proud.
Mashu, please describe that dish.
Mashu: It's a Japanese style surf-and-turf.
I have the rack of lamb herb-crusted, and then I made a swordfish cake.
- A swordfish cake? - Yes.
Do we have canned swordfish in there? - Fresh? - Yes.
I puréed it.
You puréed fresh swordfish? - Please tell me you didn't do that.
- Yes, I did.
Okay.
So what's inside this? I made a homemade Thousand Island.
- And you put that with the fresh swordfish? - Yes.
Right.
Here's the thing.
Turning that fresh swordfish, puréeing it, adding ketchup and mayonnaise, and then wrapping it in breadcrumbs, that worries me, Mashu.
Now, here's the good news.
I love what you've done with the lamb with the mustard and the breadcrumbs.
And that's where you need to find a little bit of restraint.
Where's the line that you stop complicating things? 'Cause you've confused yourself, and you've certainly confused me tonight.
Thank you.
Wow.
Why do you think Gordon was so upset about the fishcakes? Well, I was kind of ruining the freshness of the swordfish.
Except it's tasty.
And you know what? You don't get that kind of straight talk from Gordon Ramsay unless he expects really good things of you.
He talked to you like somebody in a real kitchen, and that means he really respects you.
And I respect a lot of the flavors in here, and I love your ingenuity, so I really appreciate it.
- Thanks, Mashu.
- Thank you.
( cooks applauding ) Next up, please, Evan.
- ( cheering ) - Evan! What's the dish? Evan: So I've made an apple crisp, and at the bottom there's a sauce that's buttercream sugar, mandolined apples, crumble and then caramelized pears.
I love that you did a dessert.
The crumble is delicious, it's crunchy.
It brings a lot of great elements to the dish.
I think overall, we're just missing the actual star of the crumble which is those big, beautiful cooked-down apples.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Cydney: Good job, Evan.
Next up, Jasmine, please.
Describe the dish, please.
Jasmine: Today, I have a chicken curry on top of jasmine rice, a cooling mango salsa and fried plantains.
Mm.
Wow.
The seasoning you've absolutely nailed.
- Let's get that right.
- Thank you.
The plantain, I love it.
Fresh, light.
The curry's delicious.
It's not over-spicy.
You've got that mango to cool it down.
With a dish like this tonight, Jasmine, I'm incredibly proud.
Mom, I'm sure, is equally as proud.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Great job.
- Go, Jasmine! - Let's go, Peyton.
Please, thank you.
Julie: Okay, so this is? Peyton: It is a New York strip steak with paprika rice, caramelized squash and eggplant, and a chimichurri sauce.
- Do you know what boarding school is? - No.
That's where they send you away to school.
I went to boarding school.
We had steak every Wednesday night, and it was "Grade E" for "edible.
" And I promised that I would never again eat steak until right now.
For the first time since I was 18 years old.
If I put that chimichurri on a shoe, it would be delicious.
Oh, my gosh.
That is making my mouth water as I'm eating it.
Now that is yummy.
I'm back.
I'm back, meat.
I'm back.
That sauce-- that is so good.
I hope your mom loves your cooking as much as I do.
Thank you.
Cook: Whoo! Peyton! Yes! My dish needed a few tweaks, but I'm really proud from ear to ear.
Next up, please.
Donovan.
Cook: Good luck, Donovan.
You're tipping your plate, Donovan.
All right, Donovan.
What's the dish? Donovan: I made a marshmallow pie, with caramelized fruit, a chocolate ganache, and a raspberry sauce.
Now, when I hear marshmallow pie, I think of, like, a pie crust and then beautiful, billowing fluff of marshmallow on top.
It looks like you struggled a little bit over those 60 minutes.
- I see that the pie mold is still on.
- Mark: Oh, Donovan! It just doesn't feel like you brought your "A" game.
I gotta be honest you're in a little bit of trouble.
Now, when I hear marshmallow pie, I think of, like, a pie crust and then beautiful, billowing marshmallow on top.
I see that the pie mold is still on.
It just doesn't feel like you brought your "A" game.
Let's see how it tastes.
Now, what kind of pie crust is it? It's a graham cracker crust.
There's butter and there's a little bit of brown sugar.
The ganache is delicious.
It's smooth, it's luscious.
I love that you made marshmallows from scratch.
The crust is clumsy, and that raspberry sauce is a little clumsy as well.
Thank you.
( cooks applauding ) ( no audible dialogue ) I feel so scared because I don't want to get out on a challenge for my mom.
( whimpers ) That was a tough 60 minutes.
Well done, all of you.
Justise, Shayne and Mark, please make your way down.
We've got some very tough decisions to make.
Please, give us a moment.
Oh, my gosh, I'm so scared.
Shayne.
( kisses, giggles ) Gordon: The outstanding dishes are Afnan's-- Unbelievably adventurous combination of flavors and ingredients.
- Cydney: You did amazing.
- Thank you, you did too.
Peyton-- just incredible taste.
Those sauces are amazing.
- You did a good job.
- Peyton: Thanks.
- Some disappointment.
- I'm amazed at Mashu's, because the skill shown at the beginning of this competition, was incredible.
He missed the point completely.
You don't take raw swordfish and purée it down.
I don't think you're going home.
You have had so many amazing dishes in the past.
- Gordon: Donovan.
- I thought the marshmallow pie - was a bit of a disappointment.
- He overcomplicated it.
Christina: For me, the other disappointment was Evan.
The topping with Evan was great, but he was missing the actual fruit.
You can't make a fruit crumble without the fruit.
- Gordon: Happy? - Christina: Yeah.
Julie: It is such an honor to get to be here tonight.
And there have been some really inventive, amazing dishes.
Jasmine, your curry dish was delicious.
Peyton, my goodness.
You brought me back to meat.
Who knew? And of course, the best dish of the night - Afnan.
- ( cheering ) - Good job.
- Julie: Complicated, sophisticated, - but delicious.
- Thank you.
Julie's just given the good news, but unfortunately, we do have to say good-bye to some home cooks tonight.
Now, if I call your name, please come down here to the front.
Donovan.
( sniffles ) Mashu.
( whispers ) You did okay, you did okay.
Evan.
Donovan, tenacious, feisty-- an incredible young man.
Mashu, you're too skilled for your own age.
Evan, you have a natural touch with cooking.
All three of you have a very bright future.
Now this is the tough part.
Whew.
Evan, please step forward.
That was not your strongest dish.
But there were enough good elements in that dish to keep you in this competition.
Please, head back to your station.
- Mashu: It's okay.
- Gordon: Thank you.
Guys, keep hold of those aprons.
Keep your heads up high.
Remember, you cannot give up.
Okay? This is just the beginning.
Oh, man.
To the other 12 standing behind them, put your hand up if you think Donovan and Mashu are ridiculously talented.
All of you guys, give them that big, warm send-off.
Donovan, Mashu, thank you, guys.
Mashu: Being a foodie and coming to this competition was very inspirational.
Not everyone gets a chance to talk to Gordon Ramsay and even have him taste your own food.
This is the best experience of my life.
- Mashu, don't stop.
- ( sighs ) Donovan, don't stop.
I was the youngest boy in the MasterChef kitchen, and I learned so much.
Give me one last hug, buddy.
My parents are gonna be so proud of how far I've gotten.
Mashu: It's not win or lose, it's the journey.
And if I had another chance to do it, I would totally do it.
- the Top 16 - Start mashing! - Yeah! - cooked for American heroes.
That one is raw.
Focus! - Adam's blue team - ( whimpers ) Charlie, what are you doing? - flatlined - This is a disaster.
- Congratulations, red team! - ( cheering ) ending Charlie and Gonzalo's MasterChef Junior dream.
- Tonight - ( gasps ) it's a MasterChef Junior first.
- Avani: Michelle Obama.
- ( all gasp ) That's awesome.
- Announcer: And then - Gordon: Please welcome, - Julie Bowen.
- Announcer: One of America's favorite moms - Ugh.
- joins the junior home cooks ( gasps ) Mommy.
for the mother of all challenges.
- He's making like caviar.
- Oh, my gosh.
Did she teach you how to make this? It's made from algae.
- ( cheering ) - Whoo-hoo! Justise: Now I've made it into the top 14, so I feel like I'm a different 11-year-old.
I feel more mature, more confident and more proud of myself.
MasterChef Junior kitchen has basically become my home.
Gordon: Welcome back once again.
Now, we are down to our top 14 talented young home cooks in America, aged between eight and 13.
Is everyone ready for their next challenge? ( all shout) Yes, Chef! You all know that I'm very well connected.
A lot of important people eat in all my restaurants.
And in my career, I've been fortunate enough - to cook for Princess Diana - ( gasps ) Elton John, Nelson Mandela, and believe or not, I once made a sandwich for Justin Bieber.
( giggling ) - Wow.
- Did he like it? He loved it.
I am definitely impressed with Gordon right now.
He really has a lot of friends.
His birthday parties must be like a million people.
So a lot of very important people owe me a favor or two.
And I'm about to call one in-- literally.
- ( gasps ) - What? Hello? It's Gordon.
Gordon Ramsay.
I need to speak to the boss of the house.
No.
Not him.
( gasps ) I need the real boss of the house.
( gasps ) And I need her right now, please.
Right now.
( gasps ) Uh-oh! - ( cheering ) - Whoo! Yes! Stay calm.
Stay calm.
( "Hail to the Chief" plays ) Hello, Gordon and Christina.
( screaming ) And hello, to all of you talented young home cooks.
- I'm Michelle Obama - Oh, my God! and tonight, I'm thrilled to deliver your next Mystery Box Challenge.
Please, head back to your stations.
I'm like about to die.
RIP me.
Oh, my God.
I mean, Michelle Obama's a wonder woman, and I look up to her so much.
She is my idol.
Okay, here we go.
On the count of three.
One, two, three.
Lift.
- ( gasps ) Ooh, nice.
- Ah! Ms.
Obama: It's a Mystery Box inspired by the White House kitchen garden.
- Okay.
- One of my greatest passions is making sure that kids like you have the nutritious food you need to grow up healthy.
So for your Mystery Box Challenge, I'm asking all of you to come up with an original recipe that's healthy and follows the My Plate symbol, filling half your plate with fruits and veggies, and the rest with whole grains, lean protein, and dairy.
Michelle Obama wants me to cook vegetables.
Not happening.
I don't like vegetables.
They're evil.
Ms.
Obama: Tonight, you've got a very special prize.
The winner of this Mystery Box Challenge is going to come to the White House - What? - Are you kidding me? and attend the annual Kids' State Dinner.
Good luck, and I can't wait to see what you all come up with.
- Oh, my God! - Good night.
- Bye.
- Oh, my God! - The White House.
- Ugh! Christina: So, you'll have just one hour to make a dish fit to be a national treasure.
Tonight, the stakes are high.
- Is everybody ready? - Yes, Chef! Your 60 minutes starts now! ( muttering ) Knife, knife, knife Pan.
I need a pan.
Okay, bring that up to a boil.
( sighs ) I'm making a marinated tiger shrimp.
a kale salad, sautéed apples and squash, mixed in with quinoa.
Back in Brooklyn, my parents and my sister, we only eat organic.
So I'm kinda used to cooking lean foods, but I'm still really scared, because this is the White House.
- I can get it.
- Thank you.
I'm making pan-seared branzino, with strawberry, radish, kale salad, quinoa and roasted vegetables.
Even though it's really healthy, it's really flavorful.
And back home in New Jersey, that's what my mom tries to get me to eat.
Being graced by the former First Lady of the White House - and bringing the White House garden - Incredible! into the MasterChef Junior kitchen.
Nothing more farm-to-table than this challenge.
We've set them up for success with this healthy Mystery Box, but you and I, we're looking for technique, we're looking for flavor, and we're looking for the most delicious dish out there.
- Looking good.
- Don't rip, don't rip.
You're beautiful, shrimp.
I'm making the tiger shrimp with an orange smoky and spicy sauce, some julienne tomatoes, and quinoa.
Back home, I like stir-frying all of these.
Ooh, my sauce is reducing nicely.
- Hot oven! - ( sizzling ) Right, Jasmine, now I saw that amazing smile on that face of yours when Michelle Obama was introducing tonight's Mystery Box Challenge.
Um, I love Michelle Obama.
I think that she's a really good inspiration for young girls like me.
Now, what are you cooking? Well, today I am making squash noodles, with kale, bell peppers, tomatoes and shrimp.
- Love that idea.
Good luck.
- Thank you.
25 minutes down, 35 minutes to go.
- All right, Lila.
- Hi.
What are you making with these ingredients? - In Rockport, I make a lot of fish.
- Okay.
So I am making lemon branzino, with Parmesan quinoa, and I made a fruit smoothie 'cause I love smoothies so much! - Oh, a fruit smoothie to the side.
- Yeah.
Because you get all these healthy calories, but you need something, like, sweet.
- All right, Lila, good luck.
- Thank you! - All right, Justise, how are we feeling? - Great, Chef.
Tell me what you're cooking.
Quinoa, with sautéed veggies, and pan-seared shrimp.
I cook seafood all the time for my family and then I cook veggies and quinoa for me because I like to stay healthy.
- Wow.
Love that.
- Yes, Chef.
If you were lucky enough to be invited to the White House, what would you wear? What kind of dress would you wear? - Uh, maybe some jeans.
- Justise! - I don't wear dresses.
- You're such a tomboy.
- Seriously, you've never worn a dress? - Yeah.
Maybe some nice jeans and a nice shirt.
Okay.
Good luck.
- Smells delicious.
- Thank you.
Less than 10 minutes to go, guys.
Taste everything.
One of you is going to the White House.
Right, Shayne.
Tell me about the dish.
What're you making? I am making a shrimp pasta and I'm doing a homemade marinara sauce.
- Sounds amazing.
- Will you taste this for me? The pasta? It needs a little drizzle of olive oil.
And if you're using shrimp, a little bit of acidity.
- Give me an "L.
" - Thank you, Chef.
- Give me an "L.
" - Huh? - Give me an "L.
" - L.
- "E.
" - E.
- "M.
" - M.
- "O.
" - O.
- "N.
" - N.
- What does it mean? - I don't know.
Ah! ( chuckles ) - Lemon, man.
Lemon.
- Oh.
- Hey, Shayne.
- That was my next guess.
( laughs ) - Lemon.
- ( ticks ) One minute to go, guys.
Finishing touches.
And ask yourself, "Is my dish good enough to get me to the White House?" 20 seconds to go.
- Come on, let's go.
- Christina: Push, guys.
( groans ) Gordon, Christina: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop.
Hands in the air.
( cheering, clapping ) Gordon: 15 seconds to go.
Tidy those plates.
Let's go.
A trip to the White House could be yours.
Gordon: Come on, guys.
You can do this.
Make it shine.
Gordon and Christina: Six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop, hands in the air.
( clapping ) Well done.
- We did it.
- Christina: Now, as you know, over those last 60 minutes as you cooked, Gordon and I watch and we taste everything.
Right, time to bring forward the top three dishes.
The first dish that we'd like to take a much closer look at the plate was one of the most colorful that we've seen in this competition so far.
Step forward, Peyton.
- Yes.
- Go, Peyton.
Am I actually hearing my name being called by Gordon Ramsay? This is the best thing I've ever had in my cooking career.
I am on cloud nine.
Describe the dish, please.
Peyton: It is a pan-seared branzino with a strawberry, radish, kale salad.
And quinoa with some roasted vegetables.
- Remind me, how old are you again? - I am ten years old.
How did you know that branzino, strawberries, kale, goes together? Well, my mom really likes strawberry-kale salad, and my dad really likes fish and quinoa.
And so I basically based it on my family.
- Peyton, it's delicious.
- Yes.
The branzino is cooked to perfection.
It's got all the right acidity and the sort of bitterness.
The grain's delicious.
What would I change? Um, maybe I would have blistered those tomatoes a little bit.
But the highlight is what you've done with that kale, radish and strawberry salad.
Cooking like this, young lady, you've got one foot in the White House kitchen already.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Where'd you learn how to cook fish like this? I mainly got all of my cooking skills from my dad.
I started watching him at the age of three, and I always watched to try to cook like him.
He cooks whole fish on the grill in the summertime.
- Is your dad a chef? - No, he's a middle school principal.
Wow.
I love it.
Now, the branzino is spot on.
You've got this buttery richness from that perfectly seared, crispy skin.
The second you have a bite of that raspberry, it really pops.
You are the First Lady of the MasterChef kitchen as it stands.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
- ( cheering ) - Peyton! Peyton! Now, the second dish that we want to take a closer look at is from a home cook that really impressed us with a dish that's bold, full of flavor and very well balanced.
Please step forward Lila.
I am so excited to be in the top three tonight because living on an island, like, fish is kinda my thing.
So I wanna win this Mystery Box so bad, I can feel it on my fingertips.
Describe the dish for me.
Lila: I have pan-seared branzino with roasted lemons, Parmesan quinoa, roasted squash, and an herb spread.
I usually cook healthy food at home.
When I figured out that Michelle Obama picked really healthy foods, I was super-excited, because her whole thing is like, healthy, like, fresh, farm-to-table and that's like my thing too.
So we could be like twinsies, which would be awesome.
I'm sure she'd love to be twinsies with you.
Okay.
Let's take a look.
The fish is delicious, the lemon is tasty, it's juicy, it's salty, it's acidic.
The Parmesan quinoa is good, there's a bit too much of it on the plate for me.
Okay.
This, I've been waiting for.
What kind of fruit's in here? - Um, I used raspberry, strawberry, - Mm.
some heavy cream, and then some ice.
At home, me and my dad make smoothies every morning.
It's bright, it's fun, it's vibrant, just like you.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
Right, Lila.
- That is delicious.
- Thank you.
You've cooked the branzino beautifully.
Crisp.
The color, lovely.
You've got the textures right.
Roasted lemons, delicious.
Uh, Lila, keep this standard up, and you're gonna be around for a long time, young lady.
- Thank you.
- Lila! - Good job, Lila! - Whoo! Now, the third and final dish we'd like to take a much closer look at-- this dish was made by another very talented, dynamic home cook.
Please step forward, - Justise.
- ( cooks applauding ) Justise: Wow.
I am one step closer to going to the White House.
I am really inspired by Michelle Obama.
She's really healthy.
She has a garden.
She loves salads.
And I'm like, "Girl, I can hang out with you any day.
" Describe the dish, please.
Justise: I've made quinoa with a apple cider and herb vinaigrette, sautéed veggies, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, carrot and a little bit of eggplant, and pan-seared shrimp.
Wow.
Just glistening in the center.
That is fit for a president.
Yes.
Wow.
The shrimp is mind-blowing.
The grains are delicious.
A little bit more acidity, maybe, but those vegetables caramelized like that, just the vegetables on their own is good enough for a vegetarian to have one of the best dishes in their life.
Young lady, that's a near perfect dish.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Great job.
Justise, what is the spice on that? Justise: Cumin, salt and pepper.
Mmm.
- Did you try one? - No.
Really good.
That cumin gives it a little bit of punch.
They're beautifully seasoned.
It's a very bold move.
We've got grown-ups that come into this kitchen and don't know how to develop flavor profiles the way that you have on this dish.
If you told me that an elementary school student made this dish, I wouldn't believe you.
Out of this world.
Nice job.
Good job, Justise.
- I mean, amazing.
- That dish! - Right.
- Okay.
Gordon: Three amazing dishes.
Definitely White House-worthy.
But Justise, Peyton, and Lila, you know, there can only be one winner this evening.
The home cook with the best dish, who will be heading to Washington DC to have dinner with Michelle Obama-- congratulations Three amazing dishes.
But Justise, Peyton, and Lila, you know there can only be one winner this evening.
The home cook with the best dish who'll be heading to Washington DC to have dinner with Michelle Obama at the White House congratulations Justise! - Yeah.
- Oh, my goodness.
I didn't think I ever imagined that me, 11-year-old Justise from Georgia, would get to go in the White House and have dinner with Michelle Obama! Wow.
Peyton, Lila, amazing jobs.
Great to see you two standing out so strong.
Justise, please head on up to the balcony, where you will find a sweet and very patriotic treat to celebrate your victory.
- Ah - ( gasps ) It's amazing.
So pretty.
Justise, enjoy.
Peyton and Lila, head back to your stations.
Thank you.
Now, Justise, because you won our White House Mystery Box, you are safe from tonight's Elimination Challenge.
Well done.
All right, guys.
There are 13 of you left standing down here and the time has come for your next elimination challenge.
But we're not gonna tell you what you're cooking just yet.
First we have a very exciting surprise for all of you.
That's right, joining us tonight is a guest judge who is a very, very familiar face.
She's the star of one of the most successful television shows in history.
She's won her own fair share of awards including two Emmys.
She's the quirky, tenacious mom in one of America's most beloved families.
From America's number-one comedy, - "Modern Family" - ( gasps ) you know her as "Claire Dunphy.
" Please welcome Julie Bowen.
- ( cheering ) - Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi! I'm so excited to see Claire Dunphy.
She's like the best TV mom ever.
And I can't believe she's in this kitchen to eat our food.
Wow! - Thank you so much.
- Good to see you.
Eww! This is so exciting.
My kids and I watch "MasterChef" at home, and to be here in this kitchen is so impressive.
Thank you for having me.
Now, it's safe to say I'm a busy mom.
And I know that being a mom is the toughest job on earth.
Your challenge today is to celebrate your mom by cooking a dish in her honor.
- Yes! - Yeah! That's right, tonight is all about honoring your moms through your food.
Now, all of you, take a look in your drawers.
( all gasping ) - Mommy! - What? - Hi, Mom.
- Mommy.
Julie: Aw, moms.
They're beautiful.
Now, Jasmine, tell me a little bit about your mom.
Well, my mom, she is really an amazing woman.
She's definitely a super mom, probably like you.
And she also inspires some of my dishes that I love to make.
Nice.
Donovan, in your house, who's the better chef? Is it you or your mom? - My mom doesn't cook.
- Oh.
Your mom doesn't cook.
So who taught you how to cook? - My dad.
- Ah.
Love that.
- How old is Mom? - Donovan: Um - No, no, no, no, no.
Unnecessary.
- ( laughing ) No.
Okay, so because that, Justise, is an awfully big cake for just one little girl to eat alone, - we have another surprise for you.
- ( gasps ) You get to pick two friends to come up there - and share that cake with you.
- Oh.
Now, Justise, before you give us your choice, tell us why.
So I'm thinking to save some tougher competitors, because in the end I want to see if I can take them down.
- Wow.
- Oh.
Love that attitude.
So the first person I'm going to be picking is gonna be Mark.
- He's a really tough competitor.
- Wow.
Interesting.
And the second choice is? My second choice is gonna be Shayne.
Yeah! He's calm, but he's super-duper tough.
Shayne, quick question, would you rather cook, or go up to the balcony? Honestly that cake looks awesome.
( Christina laughs ) Gordon: Okay.
Shayne and Mark, make your way up to that cake, let's go.
It's about the cake.
It's all about the cake.
Oh, yeah.
That's nice.
All right, guys.
Now it's time for the real challenge to begin.
You have one hour to make us a beautiful, stunning, fully-composed dish inspired by your amazing moms.
Your 60 minutes starts - now! - ( ticks ) Christina: Go, go, go! Sorry, sorry, Peyton.
Grab a basket.
Where's dairy, dairy, dairy? Can someone get some pineapple? Donovan: My mom likes sweets, so I'm making a marshmallow pie with fruit and chocolate.
But back home in New York, I never bake, so this is a big risk.
Gordon: Let's go, guys.
- Ooh, ooh.
- Whoo! ( grunts ) Ma, I'm gonna move you just a little bit, so I have more space.
- Julie, mom of three boys.
- Yes.
Do you cook for them at home? You know, I am a terrible cook.
I'm not afraid to admit it.
I've never learned how to cook properly.
We do grow lots of our own vegetables and stuff.
- Right.
- Beyond that, toast and ice cubes.
But there is something lovely about this challenge because mothers elicit that emotion of comfort food and being at home.
So I think the real challenge for these home cooks tonight is gonna be to take that endearing comfort food and find a way to elevate it.
Ah! I'm making a New York strip steak with chimichurri chipotle pepper sauce, roasted squash and eggplant.
My mom really supports me with all my cooking, and she really likes steak and chimichurri, so that's basically where I'm getting my inspiration from.
( sizzling ) Today, I'm making a raspberry soufflé with a side of a mixed berry salad.
Me and my mom learned how to make this dish together, and I really want to impress Julie, too, with this dish.
It's all about the moms today.
- ( ticks ) - 35 minutes to go.
Gosh.
Uh, what next, what next? Julie, Evan.
Evan, Julie.
- Hi, Evan.
What are you making? - - I'm making an apple crisp, with salted caramel, and making a mascarpone cream.
- Wow.
Now, Mom's name? - Veronica.
- Gorgeous.
- Did she teach you how to make this? Yes, she did.
She loves to bake.
And this is something that she makes a lot.
Love the idea.
And what's the alcohol over there? - What are you doing, are you flambéing? - Oh.
- Yeah.
I'm flambéing pears.
- Sounds good.
This sounds really good.
- How old were you when you first flambéed? - I don't know if-- Pff-fft! We're still waiting.
I've never flambéed.
It sounds like a dance.
( chuckles ) A dance.
Young man, 42 minutes to get yourself into the top 12.
Good luck.
- Three.
- ( whirring ) - All right, so, Mashu.
- Hi, Christina.
- A dish for your mother.
- Yes.
- And this is your mom.
- Yes.
- What's her name? - Sumi.
- She's gorgeous.
- Thank you.
- Do you guys cook together a lot at home? - Um, sometimes.
She kinda cooks, like, the heavy duty, and I cook, like, little appetizers.
But I'm trying to make a pretty big meal today.
- What are you making? - I'm making kind of a Japanese surf-and-turf.
That's swordfish.
The swordfish is cooked, but I'm making a cake with it.
- So wait, you took beautiful swordfish - Uh-huh.
- and puréed it down? - Yes.
You don't take a beautiful fillet of swordfish - and then purée it down.
- Right.
But talk me through it.
What's in this? Breadcrumbs, Thousand Island that I just made, - Okay.
- and I'm putting it all together and-- one day I came home from school and I just saw this leftover swordfish, I was like, "Why not do something with it?" So I just started mixing things together.
And I made this awesome dish for my mom.
So that's how I started making these.
Okay.
Keep your focus.
- Do it for this woman.
Good luck, Mashu.
- Thank you.
- ( ticks ) - Gordon: 30 minutes remaining, guys.
Julie, Donovan.
Donovan, Julie.
- Hi, Donovan.
- Hi.
- How are you doing? - Good.
- Now what's Mom's name? - Raquel.
She's a lawyer.
- Right.
- Ah-hh.
- And does Mom not cook anything? - - Um, she could order in.
- Order in? - Someone's gotta do it.
Listen, she's a lawyer.
What are you making over here? I'm making a marshmallow pie.
Okay, at what temperature are you taking that up to? I'm bring it back to 240.
Wow.
Have you ever seen anyone make homemade marshmallows? - Wait.
He's making marshmallows? - Yes, from scratch.
Wait a minute.
That's gonna be a marshmallow? - Donovan: Yeah.
- Oh, my gosh.
Right.
What are we on there now? 180? 190? What's on there? It is 238? Ah! So almost 240.
- Not yet.
- Young man, four things going.
- Mixer, blender, two pans.
Good luck.
- Julie: Oh, my gosh.
I'm very excited for you.
A little nervous, but also very excited.
( whirring ) Doing this for you, Mom.
All right.
Look at all the colors that Jasmine has in her dish.
- Look at all those.
- Oh, that's beautiful.
That's nice.
- All right, Jasmine.
- Hi.
Now what are you cooking for this woman? - I am cooking curried chicken - Okay.
- on a bed of jasmine rice.
- Okay.
I'm doing a citrus-mango salsa, and fried plantains.
My dad loves to make this dish for my mom, And since I know how to make it, I decided I'll make one of her favorite dishes for her.
This curry's for her.
She's watching over you.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Whoa.
Julie, Afnan.
Afnan, Julie.
Hi, Afnan.
What are you doing back here? I'm making a seafood trio, with curry cauliflower purée, and I put agar agar here.
I'll let it cool.
Do you know what it is, "agar agar"? - A country? A city? A speech? - Perfume? It's made from algae.
I look so forward to-- - He's gone molecular.
- I don't understand.
- Gordon: Let's watch.
- There's one.
- What? One what? - One pearl.
Oh, you're making little pearls of-- okay.
- He's making like a caviar.
- Or Jell-O.
- An algae Jell-O? - Yeah.
Young man, you've got 10 minutes to get yourself in the top 12.
Good luck.
- Yes.
Thank you.
- Wow.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm very excited for that.
Christina: Ten minutes to go, guys.
Start bringing it together.
Mashu is doing a little Japanese surf-and-turf for his mother.
- Gordon: Okay.
- He has a rack of lamb which looks delicious.
It looks well-seasoned.
I'm a little concerned about the surf element.
He's taken a beautiful swordfish, - just puréed it-- - What? Yeah.
He's puréed it down with Parmesan cheese, some mayonnaise-- Stop.
That sounds awful.
- Lamb, and then puréed swordfish? - Christina: I know.
- Wow.
Wow, wow, wow.
- This is not good.
Breaking news.
Donovan, Christina, is after your heart today.
He's making a marshmallow pie with fresh marshmallows.
Julie: He's making his own marshmallows.
He's making fresh marshmallows? - Which I didn't even know was a thing.
- It's a thing, Julie.
- I did not know it was a thing.
- That's a risky move.
- Julie: I'm excited about Peyton's.
- Gordon: Yes.
- Peyton's doing a chimichurri.
- Perfect! It smells delicious.
It looks delicious.
I'm not afraid to admit, I'm getting hungry and excited about eating this food.
- Guys, just over two minutes to go.
- ( ticks ) Gordon: Start plating.
I need a mandoline! - Oh, my fish.
- Plantains.
Oh, goodness.
I haven't even started.
Let's go, let's go.
- Perfect.
- Look at Mashu.
Hey, guys, you need to start plating.
- Gordon: 30 seconds to go.
- Come on, guys.
Push, push.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, - four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop.
- Hands in the air.
Well done! - - Hands in the air! Oh, wow.
So for tonight's challenge, we asked you to make the mother of all dishes.
Julie, I hope you're ready, 'cause it's time for the best part.
Cydney, please bring your soufflé down.
Thank you.
Baking is pretty much rocket science.
Everything needs to be perfect.
And I am feeling super-scared right now.
I just want to rush this soufflé up to the judges before it falls.
Right, Cydney.
Describe the dish, please.
Cydney: So today I made a raspberry soufflé, with a side of raspberry coulis and a mixed berry salad.
Ah, young lady, I think you're mad.
Somebody's going home tonight and you attempt a soufflé? Why would you do it in the biggest cooking competition in the world? ( sighs ) Ah, young lady, I think you're mad.
Somebody's going home tonight and you attempt a soufflé? ( sighs ) Let's dig in, shall we? - All right.
- Yes! Now.
Taste the sauce.
- That is beautiful.
- Thank you, Chef.
Please, ladies.
Now, did you use a fresh raspberry purée? Cydney: I let the raspberries melt down and then I passed them through a sieve.
The color of that.
I have to say, Cydney, very bold move tonight.
You don't get anywhere in this competition without taking risks.
I think the soufflé was nice.
It needed just a minute or two more in the oven, - to really get that height and that lift.
- Uh-huh.
But I'll tell you what, that raspberry coulis is perfect.
Thank you.
The base of the soufflé, the crème pâtissière, the purée of raspberry, it is delicious.
Thank you.
Cydney, I have no idea what he's talking about.
I don't know what crème pâtissière is.
I haven't got a clue.
It was so delicious.
And if my children made me that, I would do backflips.
- I thought it was delightful.
- Thank you.
- Christina: Thanks, Cydney.
- Gordon: Well done.
( cooks cheering ) My soufflé wasn't as high as I usually make it.
I'm just really hoping they'll look past that and remember how great the taste is.
Christina: Next up, Afnan.
( cooks applauding ) My mom moved here from Bangladesh to give me a better life and a better opportunity.
And I'm really hoping that the judges love this dish because I made this dish in honor of her.
Afnan, what did you cook tonight? Afnan: I have a tandoori spice swordfish, scallop and shrimp, with a cauliflower curry purée, pickled carrots and cucumber, and a savory peppercorn tuile.
We only gave you 60 minutes.
How in the world did you accomplish all of this? - It's stunning! - Thank you.
Now what do you think your mom would say if she saw this dish? My mom would be really impressed because it has most of her favorite things on here.
Let's see that the cook looks like.
- I mean - Yes.
Afnan, that's picture perfect.
Thank you.
- Look at this.
- Beautiful.
- I mean, bring it.
- Pretty impressed.
Mmm.
It's gorgeous.
It's got color, it's got texture, it's got height, it's got vision.
- Nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
I am very excited about this.
I watched you - as you were making the agar agar.
- Agar agar,es.
- And it was like a molecular kind of thing, right? - Yes.
Tamarind chutney pearls, and it's tamarind paste, water, agar agar and garlic and sugar.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- Oh, my gosh.
It's delicious.
- Thank you.
- How old are you? - 12.
- And when did you start cooking? - 12.
- Wait-- this year? - Yes.
This is really extraordinary.
- And I think you did a fantastic job.
- Thank you.
Bring it.
That is amazing.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
Next up, Mashu, please.
Thank you.
My innovative cooking has been doing pretty good.
And this dish is again one of my experimental things.
I think this dish will impress the judges and really make my mom proud.
Mashu, please describe that dish.
Mashu: It's a Japanese style surf-and-turf.
I have the rack of lamb herb-crusted, and then I made a swordfish cake.
- A swordfish cake? - Yes.
Do we have canned swordfish in there? - Fresh? - Yes.
I puréed it.
You puréed fresh swordfish? - Please tell me you didn't do that.
- Yes, I did.
Okay.
So what's inside this? I made a homemade Thousand Island.
- And you put that with the fresh swordfish? - Yes.
Right.
Here's the thing.
Turning that fresh swordfish, puréeing it, adding ketchup and mayonnaise, and then wrapping it in breadcrumbs, that worries me, Mashu.
Now, here's the good news.
I love what you've done with the lamb with the mustard and the breadcrumbs.
And that's where you need to find a little bit of restraint.
Where's the line that you stop complicating things? 'Cause you've confused yourself, and you've certainly confused me tonight.
Thank you.
Wow.
Why do you think Gordon was so upset about the fishcakes? Well, I was kind of ruining the freshness of the swordfish.
Except it's tasty.
And you know what? You don't get that kind of straight talk from Gordon Ramsay unless he expects really good things of you.
He talked to you like somebody in a real kitchen, and that means he really respects you.
And I respect a lot of the flavors in here, and I love your ingenuity, so I really appreciate it.
- Thanks, Mashu.
- Thank you.
( cooks applauding ) Next up, please, Evan.
- ( cheering ) - Evan! What's the dish? Evan: So I've made an apple crisp, and at the bottom there's a sauce that's buttercream sugar, mandolined apples, crumble and then caramelized pears.
I love that you did a dessert.
The crumble is delicious, it's crunchy.
It brings a lot of great elements to the dish.
I think overall, we're just missing the actual star of the crumble which is those big, beautiful cooked-down apples.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Cydney: Good job, Evan.
Next up, Jasmine, please.
Describe the dish, please.
Jasmine: Today, I have a chicken curry on top of jasmine rice, a cooling mango salsa and fried plantains.
Mm.
Wow.
The seasoning you've absolutely nailed.
- Let's get that right.
- Thank you.
The plantain, I love it.
Fresh, light.
The curry's delicious.
It's not over-spicy.
You've got that mango to cool it down.
With a dish like this tonight, Jasmine, I'm incredibly proud.
Mom, I'm sure, is equally as proud.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Great job.
- Go, Jasmine! - Let's go, Peyton.
Please, thank you.
Julie: Okay, so this is? Peyton: It is a New York strip steak with paprika rice, caramelized squash and eggplant, and a chimichurri sauce.
- Do you know what boarding school is? - No.
That's where they send you away to school.
I went to boarding school.
We had steak every Wednesday night, and it was "Grade E" for "edible.
" And I promised that I would never again eat steak until right now.
For the first time since I was 18 years old.
If I put that chimichurri on a shoe, it would be delicious.
Oh, my gosh.
That is making my mouth water as I'm eating it.
Now that is yummy.
I'm back.
I'm back, meat.
I'm back.
That sauce-- that is so good.
I hope your mom loves your cooking as much as I do.
Thank you.
Cook: Whoo! Peyton! Yes! My dish needed a few tweaks, but I'm really proud from ear to ear.
Next up, please.
Donovan.
Cook: Good luck, Donovan.
You're tipping your plate, Donovan.
All right, Donovan.
What's the dish? Donovan: I made a marshmallow pie, with caramelized fruit, a chocolate ganache, and a raspberry sauce.
Now, when I hear marshmallow pie, I think of, like, a pie crust and then beautiful, billowing fluff of marshmallow on top.
It looks like you struggled a little bit over those 60 minutes.
- I see that the pie mold is still on.
- Mark: Oh, Donovan! It just doesn't feel like you brought your "A" game.
I gotta be honest you're in a little bit of trouble.
Now, when I hear marshmallow pie, I think of, like, a pie crust and then beautiful, billowing marshmallow on top.
I see that the pie mold is still on.
It just doesn't feel like you brought your "A" game.
Let's see how it tastes.
Now, what kind of pie crust is it? It's a graham cracker crust.
There's butter and there's a little bit of brown sugar.
The ganache is delicious.
It's smooth, it's luscious.
I love that you made marshmallows from scratch.
The crust is clumsy, and that raspberry sauce is a little clumsy as well.
Thank you.
( cooks applauding ) ( no audible dialogue ) I feel so scared because I don't want to get out on a challenge for my mom.
( whimpers ) That was a tough 60 minutes.
Well done, all of you.
Justise, Shayne and Mark, please make your way down.
We've got some very tough decisions to make.
Please, give us a moment.
Oh, my gosh, I'm so scared.
Shayne.
( kisses, giggles ) Gordon: The outstanding dishes are Afnan's-- Unbelievably adventurous combination of flavors and ingredients.
- Cydney: You did amazing.
- Thank you, you did too.
Peyton-- just incredible taste.
Those sauces are amazing.
- You did a good job.
- Peyton: Thanks.
- Some disappointment.
- I'm amazed at Mashu's, because the skill shown at the beginning of this competition, was incredible.
He missed the point completely.
You don't take raw swordfish and purée it down.
I don't think you're going home.
You have had so many amazing dishes in the past.
- Gordon: Donovan.
- I thought the marshmallow pie - was a bit of a disappointment.
- He overcomplicated it.
Christina: For me, the other disappointment was Evan.
The topping with Evan was great, but he was missing the actual fruit.
You can't make a fruit crumble without the fruit.
- Gordon: Happy? - Christina: Yeah.
Julie: It is such an honor to get to be here tonight.
And there have been some really inventive, amazing dishes.
Jasmine, your curry dish was delicious.
Peyton, my goodness.
You brought me back to meat.
Who knew? And of course, the best dish of the night - Afnan.
- ( cheering ) - Good job.
- Julie: Complicated, sophisticated, - but delicious.
- Thank you.
Julie's just given the good news, but unfortunately, we do have to say good-bye to some home cooks tonight.
Now, if I call your name, please come down here to the front.
Donovan.
( sniffles ) Mashu.
( whispers ) You did okay, you did okay.
Evan.
Donovan, tenacious, feisty-- an incredible young man.
Mashu, you're too skilled for your own age.
Evan, you have a natural touch with cooking.
All three of you have a very bright future.
Now this is the tough part.
Whew.
Evan, please step forward.
That was not your strongest dish.
But there were enough good elements in that dish to keep you in this competition.
Please, head back to your station.
- Mashu: It's okay.
- Gordon: Thank you.
Guys, keep hold of those aprons.
Keep your heads up high.
Remember, you cannot give up.
Okay? This is just the beginning.
Oh, man.
To the other 12 standing behind them, put your hand up if you think Donovan and Mashu are ridiculously talented.
All of you guys, give them that big, warm send-off.
Donovan, Mashu, thank you, guys.
Mashu: Being a foodie and coming to this competition was very inspirational.
Not everyone gets a chance to talk to Gordon Ramsay and even have him taste your own food.
This is the best experience of my life.
- Mashu, don't stop.
- ( sighs ) Donovan, don't stop.
I was the youngest boy in the MasterChef kitchen, and I learned so much.
Give me one last hug, buddy.
My parents are gonna be so proud of how far I've gotten.
Mashu: It's not win or lose, it's the journey.
And if I had another chance to do it, I would totally do it.