MasterChef Junior (2013) s06e13 Episode Script
Grandma Gordon
Previously Our VIP guest are arriving.
When our chefs cooking for former contestans Cheers! - How long? - Ehm - The blue team.
.
- Olivia! Olivia! landed on the preasurre test.
Please welcome Jasmine! And faced to baking challenge Macarone.
that was anything but sweet for Evan.
- Unfortunatly - And Olivia.
This is the end of road for you.
Tonight It's a culinary challenge for the ages.
What? What are you looking at? As the top five compete for spot in the finale only the best rise.
It's pretty perfect.
It's what you do best.
You show off.
And earn their chance to winning one hundred thousand dollars.
It's crazy.
And the title our America's next MasterChef Juninor.
Thank you very much.
( cheering ) - What? - Where are the judges? Where's the judges? - Girl: Anybody here? - ( slurping ) - Whoa, guys! Look! - Oh! Wait, what? I would like another sandwich, would you? Yeah.
There's a lot of older people in there.
- What? - Excuse me.
Thank you.
What is this? Okay.
It's Gordon! It's Gordon! Hello, dears.
- As you can see - Gordon! I'm a little older.
And a girl.
I'm also a grandma.
Guys, I can't remember if I'm supposed to do this alone.
Uh, no.
Do we have other judges? - Yes.
- Huh? Yes.
Oh, Christina, yeah.
That's right.
Yeah.
Where is Christina? - Christina! - Christina: I'm coming.
Grandma Gordon, I'm coming.
- Oh.
Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, my God.
I just saw you a minute ago.
We were just drinking tea together back there.
I forgot.
Christina: Okay, we need to get started.
- Where's Joe? - Joe: Eh? - Joe! - Oh, my Come on, Joe, please? - Eh? - Oh, my God.
Is Joe a nun or an old Italian grandma? Nonna! Andiamo! Because if those are the way grandmas look in Italy, I may never be going to Italy.
What? What are you looking at? Now, you five have been away from home for a very long time.
And we know that there are some very important people in your lives that you guys haven't seen since you came in to this kitchen months ago.
Please welcome your grandmas! - Oh, my God! - Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Remy's grandma, Oma! - Remy! My wonderful - Nana! I'm so proud of you, I could bust.
Beni's grandma, Cheryl.
- She looks just like you.
- Oh, my gosh.
My grandma lights up my life.
We do fun activities together, we bake together, so it means so much having my grandma here tonight.
Christina: Please welcome Avery's grandma, Vera.
Oh, I missed you.
Quani's grandma, Bernadette.
Yeah! And last, but not least, Mikey's grandma, Joyce.
Hi, Grandma.
I miss my grandma so much.
She's from Maryland, so I only see her probably three times a year.
I can't wait to show my grandma how much I've grown in my cooking career.
And I also think I've probably grown two inches over this past time.
Now, each of your grandmas has probably cooked more family dinners than the rest of us combined.
So tonight is all about celebrating how much your grandma inspires you.
We want to see you five make a stunning dish that impresses your grandmothers and us.
Now, our amazing grandmas are going to take a seat in the comfortable MasterChef lounge.
- What? - Oh, my God.
Please, ladies, go ahead and grab yourself a front row seat over there.
Bye! All right.
Bye-bye! - Gordon: Right this way.
- Love you.
There we are.
Now, guys, this is the semifinal of "MasterChef Junior.
" The winner of this challenge is going to receive more than an advantage.
The talented young home cook with the very best dish in this next challenge will officially take a place in the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
- Oh, my gosh.
- And this year, for the first time ever in the history of "MasterChef Junior," there will be not two, but three young home cooks in the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! You'll have one hour to make us a dish good enough to earn you a spot in the finale.
Are you all ready for the most important pantry shop of your entire young lives? All: Yes, Chef! Your 60 minutes starts Does that say 60 minutes on there? - Yeah.
- It does? Starts now.
( panting ) - ( giggling ) - Oh, my - Where are the baskets? - Baskets.
No, ladies first.
Jeez.
The finale is just within arm's reach.
White wine.
White wine! The stakes are sky high and everyone in this kitchen is really good.
I need quail eggs! My grandmother is my number one biggest fan, so I'm going to use that inspiration to bring everything I've got to this challenge.
Let's go, guys.
Well done.
Christina: There you go! Say hi to your grandmas on the way! All: Hi! - Whoo! - Wish me luck.
( grunts, sighs ) All right, guys, the semifinals of "MasterChef Junior.
" The winner of this grandma challenge is going straight into the finale.
One more just for good luck.
You know, to have your grandmother present is always such a inspirational thing, because a lot of these kids started cooking with their grandmothers.
It brings a piece of their home here today.
Gosh.
Gordon: Tonight is about proving and showing their grandmas how far they've come in this competition.
So we're looking for an elevated dish, not something they baked with years ago.
- No, it's a show off dish.
- We said restaurant quality.
Guys, halfway.
30 minute remaining.
Okay.
Oh, mama mia! What is going on over here, Mikey? - Your station is packed.
- You got a lot of stuff going on here.
I'm making a crab and breadcrumb-stuffed lobster tail, with a filet, asparagus, and fingerling potatoes.
Where does the inspiration for surf and turf come from? Well, my grandma's from the east coast, and she loves crab and lobster.
- He's right.
- Joe: Where does she live? - Maryland.
- That's like the crab capital of the world.
- Yeah.
- It sure is.
All right, Mikey, I have a very serious question to ask you before we leave.
Who do you think makes the best-looking grandma? - You.
- Aww! She does, she does.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Beni, how are we feeling? Great, Chef.
Or, otherwise, Grandma.
Now, give us an insight into the dish.
What are you cooking? Every Christmas Eve, we have a party, and we always do salmon.
I am making crispy skin salmon, creamy polenta, and beets three ways.
Excuse me! I can't believe I'm drooping down to my kneecaps.
I'm just lifting them up to make myself look presentable, that's all, in front of your grandma.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah! - Come on! - He's always fooling around with his girls.
Young lady, 40 minutes.
Nail it.
Good luck.
- Yes, Chef.
- Perfect.
- All right, Miss Remy.
- Hello.
Now, grandma's here.
What kind of relationship do the two of you have? I love cooking for my grandmother, and she loves seafood.
So that's why tonight I'm making pan-seared scallops with a quail egg on top, butternut squash puree, white wine farro, and apricot sauce and fried sage.
- Ooh! - My God, That's a lot of stuff going on.
- You're going for it, Remy.
- Oh, yeah.
- All right.
Good luck.
- Oh, Avery.
- Hello! - Tell me about the dish.
I am making pan-seared duck breast with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, a haricots verts bundle, and port wine cherry sauce.
Why duck tonight? Well, I used to always feed the ducks bread with my grandma when I was a lot younger, and we always had such a great time.
Avery, tonight's best dish goes straight in to the finale.
- Yes.
- How happy would that make you to cook like this in front of Grandma? ( imitates explosion ) - That much? - Yes.
- Right.
Good luck.
- Thank you.
Gordon: Eight minutes remaining, guys.
- All right, Quani.
- Hello.
What are you cooking for us today? My grandmother loves seafood, so I'm making a shrimp and scallop squid ink pasta with a spicy puttanesca sauce and a parmesan crisp.
- That's a lot of flavor.
- Yes, Chef.
Well, Quani, you nail this dish tonight, you are guaranteed a spot in the finale.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
They're working so hard.
And it looks like nobody's missing a beat.
Right, ladies, may I join you, please? - Yes.
- Oh, please.
Now, Grandma Oma, how are you enjoying yourself? I'm awestruck that such little children could be such masters of an art.
- They're geniuses.
- So naturally gifted.
- Can you cook? - Can I cook? Do you watch cooking shows? - I don't watch anything.
- You don't watch anything.
So you're on you have your own show on TV? Uh, a ( laughter ) I have a few programs on TV, yes.
Do you have a garden? No, I I don't Honestly, you and I are going for a dance later.
Christina: Just under a 1:30, guys.
- Start plating! - Strain it.
Whoo! Excusez-moi.
Gordon: For one of you, a spot into the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Joe: Let's go, guys.
Come on.
Put it on the plate.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop! - Hands in the air.
- Hands in the air.
- Well done.
- Good job, guys! Now, in the first part of this semifinal, you all had to make a dish that showed us the skills that you've gathered throughout the competition.
And for extra inspiration, we welcomed your grandmas.
This is where the three of us turn back time.
But before we do, unfortunately, we have to say good night to our incredible guests this evening.
Ladies, it's been an honor to have you here in the MasterChef kitchen.
Please make your way out and say good-bye to your amazing grandkids.
Bye.
- Bye, Grandma.
- Bye, baby.
- You did amazing.
- Fantastic, sweetheart.
- Good night.
- Wow, that looks amazing.
- Wish me luck.
- Good luck, sweetheart.
- Bye! - Bye, Grandma! Bye, grandmas! - How did they do that? - They're young again.
- So cool.
- Better? Joe: Better this way or the other way? It's better, yes it is.
I liked it better before.
Right, we cannot wait to taste these incredible dishes that were inspired by your amazing grandmas.
Tonight's best, most outstanding dish gets the first spot in the first ever three-way MasterChef Junior finale.
First up Quani, let's go.
Kids: Whoo! Quani! Quani: I have not won a challenge yet, but having my grandma here really inspired me to step up my game, and I think this dish is more than worthy of getting into the finale.
- Wow.
- Holy moly.
Gordon: Quani, describe the dish.
I have made a scallop and shrimp squid ink pasta with a spicy puttanesca sauce and a parmesan crisp.
Making black squid ink pasta is a bloody nightmare.
On such a difficult night already, why go for the ultimate of pastas? I didn't want to do white pasta because I've got all the other colors.
And it being black really shows that the hero of the dish is supposed to be the pasta.
You've given a lot of love to that sauce because it's really spicy, very rich.
But for me, the hero tonight is those incredible squid ink noodles, because that's art on its own.
What would I change? A little less cooking on the shrimp.
- Okay.
Okay.
- 30 seconds less.
But I'm just pleased that you're showing so many strings to your bow and you're not a one-trick pony.
Because you can bake, you can cook, and that dish is going to be tough to beat.
- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Quani! - Good job.
Good job.
Next dish we want to taste is Mikey.
Come on up.
Girl: Whoo! Mikey! Mikey: So much is on the line tonight.
I mean, the whole finale is on the line.
So I went big with my dish.
Looks great, Mikey.
I want to show the judges that I can cook fancy, and tonight is that night to cook fancy.
Joe: Mikey, tell me about this dish.
Today I've made for you a crab breadcrumb-stuffed lobster tail with a filet, asparagus, potatoes, and a white wine butter sauce.
Temperature on the filet, what were you looking for? - Medium rare? Medium.
- A medium, actually.
My grandma loves her steak cooked medium.
That is about a medium.
A little overcooked for my taste, but if your grandma likes her meat cooked a little bit more, I'm down with that.
How long did you boil the lobster for? Three minutes, and then I cooked it in the oven with the crab meat and breadcrumbs on it.
Now that lobster could be a one-way ticket to the finale.
It is perfect.
Perfectly cooked, flavored, tender, and the crab meat is the perfect supplement on top.
Thank you so much, Chef.
Potatoes and the asparagus are a little bit undercooked, but, um, wow.
That lobster is top notch.
If I would make my grandmother a dish like this, you know what she would say to me? Joe, it's wonderful! No, she'd say come here.
She'd say, "Bravo, mio Josephino! Bravo, bravo, bravo!" - Good job.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Mikey.
- Good job, Mikey.
Next up, please, Miss Avery.
- Good job.
- Avery! Avery: I have never cooked duck before but I wanted to cook it today to prove to the judges that I can cook any protein they throw at me.
And I think I made Satches proud.
All right, Miss Avery, describe the dish for me.
Today I made a pan-seared duck breast with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, with a haricots verts bundle and a cherry port sauce.
The cook on the duck, what were you going for? I was going for a medium rare.
It's pretty impressive.
I'd say it's closer to a medium than a medium rare.
- Okay.
- But look at those juices you can still see running through.
Okay, first off, the skin of that duck breast is rendered beautifully.
It's rich, it's flavorful, it's well-seasoned.
I was afraid the garlic mashed potatoes would be too simple for me.
They actually balance the flavor of that duck breast.
the slight gaminess really well.
I love the idea of that little chive bundle.
I think it shows a lot of finesse.
But we got to be sure you're cleaning the ends of them a little bit there.
Is this dish good enough to propel you into the "MasterChef Junior" finale? It might be.
Nice job.
- Thank you.
- Kids: Good job, Avery.
Next up, Remy.
Let's go, please.
You've got it.
Amazing, Remy.
Everyone's taken a step up tonight, but I think my dish will stand out from everyone else's, because it's really creative.
I'm pairing two things that people have never heard of together.
So I'm hoping that my dish is innovative enough to blow the judges away.
Remy.
Wow.
Describe the dish, please.
Tonight, I have made for you pan-seared scallops with a sage-infused farro, a butternut squash puree, a quail egg on top, with an apricot sauce.
So scallops naturally are sweet, okay? Like the idea of the sage and the sort of richness of the egg yolk, but I'm a little bit slightly confused with the apricot glaze on top of something that's already sweet.
Well, I've tried apricots and scallops together, and weirdly, they actually are a good combination.
So I wanted to make all of my flavors be really interesting tonight, but also taste really good.
First of all, you've nailed the scallops.
They're cooked beautifully.
I think you got a great sear, top and bottom, both sides are just really good.
Love the idea of the yolk, but it's very sweet.
It needs a little bit of acidity and the farro needs to be cooked more.
But here's the thing.
You're really creative.
I can always spot a Remy dish from a mile away, because you've got your personality on there.
It's a very strong effort.
Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Remy.
Amazing job, Remy.
Last up, Beni.
Beni: I am feeling pretty confident about my dish.
It looks beautiful, and I think my grandma would say a lot of great things about my dish, because, hey, that's what grandmas do.
Okay, tell me about this dish.
You have a crisp skin salmon with creamy polenta and beets three ways fried, pureed, and then roasted.
Let's see.
How long did you cook the salmon for? Um, about maybe three to five minutes.
- Nice and flaky.
- Thank you.
Certainly cooked through.
Your skin is nice and crispy.
- Thank you.
- You got nice color on it.
I mean, the salmon is seasoned beautifully.
These beet chips are crispy, delicious, and perfectly seasoned.
Puree sweet, earthy, really the essence of beets.
- Really good job.
- Thank you.
- These two are spot on.
- Thank you.
These on the other hand leave a little bit to be desired.
- Yeah.
- They're quite undercooked.
But overall, an excellent dish.
- Thank you.
- Whoo! Great job, Beni! - Great job, Beni! - Boy: Good job, Beni.
Beni: This is going to be a hard decision for the judges tonight, because everyone did such a good job.
I want that spot in the finale so bad.
Can everyone please come down to the front? I am praying to God that I did enough to win.
That was great challenge.
You all impressed us, but only one of you is about to earn a place in the first ever three-way "MasterChef Junior" finale.
The young home cook who delivered us a mind-blowing dish, claiming the first spot in the "MasterChef Junior" finale that young home cook is congratulations The young home cook claiming the highly-coveted spot in the first-ever "MasterChef Junior" three-way finale, congratulations Quani.
- Yeah, Quani! - Good job, Quani.
Good job, Quani.
Gordon: Young man, that dish was packed with finesse.
It showed such technical flair, and it was executed brilliantly.
Good job.
Quani: I'm the first on to make it into the finale of "MasterChef Junior.
" - Good job, Quani.
- Yeah, Quani! I definitely think I made my family proud and Georgia proud, and I'm ready to take home that trophy.
The rest of you have another challenge to face tonight.
It's a challenge that's going to determine which two other young home cooks will make it to the finale with Quani.
Now, Quani, you're about to make some extremely important decisions.
But before you can do that, there's one more thing we need.
Gentlemen? Oh, no.
Oh, God.
Beni: Oh, my gosh.
Inside here, we have four different proteins.
Now, each one is very challenging and all four of them are very similar on so many levels.
First of all, they are the same shape.
They come from similar habitats.
But there's one thing they don't all have in common tonight.
What? Christina: Size.
- Oh! - Oh, my gosh.
Quani, you are about to dictate which fish your fellow four home cooks cook with tonight.
- Oh, no.
- Oh, no! Yes! First up, this beauty an incredible, stunning, Scottish salmon.
Treat that beautiful, pink, oily flesh with respect and you'll easily have a restaurant-worthy dish.
- Yum.
- Right next to it, the striped bass.
That stunning white flesh is so flaky and takes on beautiful flavor every time.
But it can be very temperamental.
Working our way down, we have a mackerel.
Another oily fish, but certainly less familiar to any home cook.
And finally, the most difficult fish sardine.
They're a lot of work for a lot less yield.
Quani, it's time to make some very big decisions.
Think about using this as a chance to send home your toughest competitors.
Mm-hmm.
Let's start off with the Scottish salmon.
Who would you like to assign this incredible fish to? I'm assigning this one to Remy.
Whew.
Remy, please come and pick up your salmon.
I want to give Remy the easiest fish because I think Remy's a good cook, but she's not my biggest competition.
All right, Quani, next up is the striped bass.
Quani: I'm thinking about giving this to someone who lives not near any oceans.
And I would give this one to Mikey.
- Christina: Hmm.
- Joe: Wow.
Mikey on the striped bass.
There you go.
Next, just two little fish remain, the delicious, humble mackerel, and the sardine.
Your next choice, Quani, obviously dictates the last decision as well.
So, Quani, who is going to be working with the really difficult, little, tiny sardine? This girl hasn't been afraid of anything and she's my biggest competition, so I'm assigning this small fish to the small person, Avery.
And Beni's getting the mackerel.
Okay.
Ladies, please come up and collect your fish.
Quani clearly does not want me in the finale.
He's trying to throw me off track.
But I've nailed every protein the judges gave me so far, so that exactly what i will do tonight.
I'm not going bye-bye.
I'm going to the finale, yo.
Well, Quani, your work for the night is done.
Please head up to the balcony.
Good job, Quani.
Guys, tonight you will have 45 minutes to create a restaurant-worthy dish using the fish that Quani just assigned to all of you.
Now, inside the pantry you'll find filleted portions of salmon, mackerel, sardines, and bass.
- Is everybody ready? - Yes, Chef.
Your 45 minutes starts now.
( grunts ) Hurry, guys! Go, Remy! Go, go, go! - Go! - Baskets! Mikey: Back home in Chicago, we don't really use bass or eat bass.
Where's the arugula? So I'm going to do what my guts tell me and go Italian.
- One of these.
- Soba noodles! Pomegranate molasses.
I kind of want to do a global style dish.
Mustard seeds.
I want to be one of those two that goes into the finale, so I want to give it my all.
- Let's go.
- Let's go, guys! Come on! - Christina: Come on.
- You got this, guys.
Oof.
Gordon: The pressure's on.
This is the biggest night of this season so far.
Four cooks going head-to-head with two spots left in the finale.
- Use time wisely, guys.
- Oh, my God.
Christina: Avery, she's got the sardine she's cooking with tonight.
One of the most trickiest, one of the most awkward, but one of the most delicious fishes anywhere on the planet.
Christina: But it's that you typically find in a can.
It's fishy.
It's oily.
That is absolutely the most difficult fish out there to cook tonight.
- Remy, what's the glaze? - Miso! Christina: And then, of course, Remy, she's cooking with salmon, arguably the easiest fish to work with.
She needs to do something we've never seen before, and it needs to be elegant.
Beni, she's cooking with the mackerel.
It's a fat, oily, fishy type fish, and it needs a lot of personality and character and flavor to really make it elegant.
- Mikey, how you doing? - Good.
Mikey, now he's working with the sea bass.
Joe: Striped bass is very delicate and you need to bring flavor on the plate to make that striped bass pop.
No.
I'm just worried that the stakes and the pressure is too high here tonight.
Will it get to them? - Will they crumble? - Gordon: Tonight is the night that you do not want to leave this competition.
You've got this, guys! The pressure's on like never before.
I'm so close to making it to that finale, so if I don't, that's just going to be devastating.
At the end of this cook-off tonight, two of you will be saying good night and two of you will go into the grand finale alongside Quani.
- You got this, guys! - Let's go.
- Avery.
- Hello.
You got the hardest fish because you're the biggest threat.
- Yes.
- What's the dish? I'm making a crab and spinach-stuffed sardine with a caramelized fennel and a parsley lemon butter sauce.
Joe: That's incredibly bold.
Good luck.
Thank you.
- Beni.
- Hello.
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? So I am doing a Asian-style mackerel with a yogurt cucumber sauce, cauliflower couscous, pickled radish and onion, and glazed carrots.
And how are you going to get that spice into that mackerel? Because it's an oily fish.
I'm going to add some "vauvedon.
" - Uh, vadouvan.
- Yes.
So vadouvan's got those caramelized shallots in there, - the curry, the spice.
- Yes.
How do you incorporate that across the mackerel? So I'm gonna put in some butter with the pan, and then I'm going to baste it with that.
Love that idea.
- Thank you.
- Good luck.
Yes, Chef! Remy, what are you frying? Remy: Salmon skin.
- All right, Remy.
- Hello.
Now, salmon is a piece of fish that everyone knows and loves, so how do you make it stand out? Well, tonight I am really taking salmon in an Asian fusion direction.
- Okay.
- So I'm going to be making miso-glazed salmon with a carrot-ginger puree, fried salmon skin, and cold soba noodles.
All right, Miss Remy, make sure that dish is the most elegant dish you've ever made.
- Good luck.
- Oh, yeah, Chef.
You got this, Mikey.
Mikey.
Right, young man.
The most important cook-off so far this competition.
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? I'm making a pan-seared sea bass with a potato lasagna.
- Potato lasagna.
- Yes.
Why lasagna with striped sea bass? I want to represent this Italian flair that I have.
- Love that.
- So I'm going to do all the Italian colors.
So I'm going to make a tomato vinaigrette and a arugula sauce.
Have you got your A game tonight? - Uh, yes, chef.
- Good luck.
Let's go.
Home cooks, 60 seconds remaining.
Guys, speed up! Joe: Go, guys.
Last minute.
Gordon: This is it.
For two of you, a spot in the finale.
For the other two, the last time inside this incredible kitchen.
Come on, guys.
You've got this! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Gordon: And stop! Hands in the air! Kids: Whoo! - Good job, guys.
- Girl: Good job, guys.
Joe: Tonight, we asked Quani to assign you all a different fish to cook with.
It's time to find out which two have earned a spot in the "MasterChef" finale.
First up, Beni.
Quani gave me the mackerel, and I have never cooked it or tasted it, but I put myself into this dish.
I took my creativity, my confidence, and I think that I rocked this.
All right, Miss Beni.
What's the dish? In front of you I have a vadouvan mackerel with a cucumber yogurt sauce, glazed carrots, pickled radish, and a cauliflower couscous.
Why do you think Quani gave you the mackerel? We live in Chicago, and the only piece of water we have is, like, the lake, and I think he thinks I'm not familiar with it, and that's true, but I think he made a wrong decision.
Hmm.
All right, Beni, moment of truth.
- Beni.
- What? - It's pretty perfect.
- ( laughs ) You've cooked it beautifully.
Beni, it's divine.
There's so much flavor.
That vadouvan spice has a depth to it, and it really needs something that is big and bold like a mackerel to stand up to it.
The only thing that throws me off a little bit is this yogurt cucumber sauce.
I just want it to have a little bit more of a flavor profile, a little personality, but young lady, I am very impressed with you tonight.
Beni: Thank you, Chef.
Mackerel, at least in Italy what the fishermen eat.
They sell the striped bass to the rich people, but they keep the mackerel and eat it themselves because you know why? - It's cheap? - It's cheap and it's the best if you know how to cook it.
Yes.
Joe: Beni, the cooking technique is impeccable.
Carrots, very nice flavor.
The cauliflower couscous is punchy.
It's good.
The use of spices in this dish is really kind of off the charts.
- Great job, Beni.
- Thank you.
Avery: Whoo! Great job, Beni! Great job, Beni.
Next up, Remy.
- Kid: All right, Remy.
- Kid 2: You got this, Remy.
Quani's giving me the easiest fish, wow, he made the biggest mistake of his life in this kitchen because my dish looks like something I'd see at any high-end Asian New York restaurant.
Remy, describe that stunning piece of salmon.
Tonight I have made for you baked salmon with a miso-and-orange glaze with fried salmon skin on top and a carrot-ginger puree with soba noodles.
What's the temperature of the salmon inside? I want it to be pink and, like, "corally" on the inside.
Let's get in to the salmon, shall we? Oh, dear.
Remy, Remy, Remy ( sighs ) Remy, what's the temperature of the salmon inside? I want it to be pink and, like, "corally" on the inside.
Let's have a look.
Oh, dear.
Remy, Remy, Remy That is pink perfect salmon.
Oh, yeah! Gordon: Wow, young lady, I love the glaze, by the way.
- It just smells so fragrant.
- Thank you, Chef.
What's inside the noodles? Carrots, miso, and a touch of orange zest.
Fish is nailed beautifully.
Let's get that right.
Love the crispy skin.
Thank you, Chef.
The noodles? Delicious.
What would I do differently? I'd cook the carrots a little bit longer so you've got a much finer puree, - but, good job.
- Thank you.
The succulence of that salmon is incredible.
It's so moist.
It's so beautifully cooked.
I love that carrot-ginger puree.
I think it brings an earthiness to the dish.
My only real critique comes down to those soba noodles.
That marinade that you tossed them in just wasn't enough.
It needs acidity.
It needs a little bit more flavor profile, - but nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Remy.
- Great job, Remy.
Give me five.
- Next up, Mikey.
- Girl: Whoo, Mikey! Quani may have given me the bass tonight, but I put everything into this dish tonight, and I'm just praying that the judges love it, and that I make it to the finale.
All right, tell me about the dish.
I've made for you today a pan-seared bass with a potato lasagna, a arugula pesto cream sauce, a fried tomato vinaigrette, and some pancetta.
Aesthetically, it's got a lot going on.
I can't believe the courage of putting all these things together.
This is a massive risk that you're taking.
- Yes, Chef.
- All right, let's see the cook on the bass.
How did you cook it? Uh, I pan-seared it, and then butter-basted it on really low heat just so it could absorb all the flavor.
I can tell that it's perfectly cooked.
I can see it's perfectly moist.
Wow.
That's good, Mikey.
Thank you.
Crispy skin, flaky on the inside.
Really good job.
- So potato lasagna.
- Yeah.
In Italy, you know what they call it? They call it lasagna ligure, because in Liguria they don't have pasta, they don't have flour, but they have potatoes, and they make lasagna using potatoes.
That's really cool.
This is some good stuff.
Thank you so much, Chef.
Good job, Mikey.
You've really nailed that fish beautifully.
Pesto, fragrant, delicious.
Tomatoes, blistered, beautiful.
Crispy pancetta, mind blowing.
The issue I have is cooking those potatoes in cream when you're serving such elegant, light additions.
See now, you could've cooked those potatoes in a fish stock so it would've been a lot less heavy.
But all in all, great job.
Thank you so much, Chef.
- Good job, Mikey.
- Yeah, Mikey.
Remy: Great job.
Gordon: Next up, the final dish, Avery.
Girl: Whoo, Avery! Avery: Quani thinks I'm his biggest competition.
He gave me the hardest fish here.
I want to prove to the judges that I can cook any protein they throw at me even though I'm only eight years old.
Gordon: Well, young lady, you were dealt the dysfunctional card this evening.
You were handed a sardine.
These are the kind of things that we throw off the end of the pier to feed the seagulls.
- Describe the dish, please.
- Tonight I made for you a crab and spinach-stuffed sardine with fennel and pickled bell pepper salad and a lemon butter caper sauce.
How did you roll it like that? So what I did was I cooked the crab down with some shallots, garlic, and olive oil, and then I wilted the spinach, and then I rolled it in the fish, and then I cooked it.
Wow, Avery.
Um oh, my.
I think this is one of your best dishes you've cooked in this competition.
You've taken the crappiest, the smelliest, the most disgusting fish anywhere in the ocean and elevated it to the Rolls-Royce of protein.
I love it.
Fennel, delicious.
The flavor is just incredible.
It's refined, it's executed beautifully, and I don't think, in the history of this competition, we've ever seen a eight-year-old cook as good as this.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
- Gordon: Well done.
- Good job, Avery.
The cooking technique on the sardine, I mean, it doesn't get any better than that, for sure.
The contrast, the sweetness of the crab meat, the minerality of the spinach, - that's amazing.
- Thank you.
Let me put this in perspective for you.
Wild Scottish salmon filet, at a good retailer, 35 bucks a pound.
Local striped bass, $28 a pound.
Mackerel, a dollar a pound.
Sardines, you get them for free if you flash a smile at the bait shop.
( laughter ) So you took something of low value and you added value by your technique.
You were able to create something that was smart, delicious, and beautiful.
- Good job, Avery.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Good job, Avery.
- Good job, Avery.
- Good job, Avery.
- Thank you.
My strategy was to get rid of the best cooks in this competition, but everyone nailed their dish, so I have no clue who's going to be in the finale with me.
This is going to be the toughest decision the judges have ever made in their life.
What a night.
Those were some dishes.
This is going to be a very difficult decision.
Please, excuse us for a few moments.
Thank you.
Gordon: These were four exceptional dishes, very, very difficult to separate.
( whispered ) I am so nervous.
Avery's, a show stopper.
I've never seen a sardine that glamorous.
Joe: She really put a lot of thought into it.
It's a very difficult dish, and was able to recreate something that was sensible and delicious.
( whispered ) I think you're going to make the finale.
Beni's mackerel.
Christina: The interesting part about Beni's dish is, she didn't follow a specific guide.
She very much went Beni on it, and it paid off.
( whispered ) It's not obvious at all who did well.
Gordon: Remy's miso glazed salmon, I mean, delicious.
Joe: That was right out of a restaurant, that dish.
The cook on that salmon was out of control.
( whispered ) We all did amazing.
- It's going to come down to those tiny details.
- Mikey's striped sea bass? - The fish was nailed, right? - Joe: Yeah, he cooked the fish deliciously.
Christina: The arugula pesto, those fried tomatoes, those things all made sense.
I mean ( sighs ) The finest of details.
Quani, please come down and stand with us.
Tonight was not easy.
And it really did come down - to just one or two tiny, tiny details.
- ( whispers ) Oh, my God.
- The next young home cook - ( whispering ) Please that will be joining Quani in next week's grand finale Congratulations Please, please Avery.
( overlapping cheering ) - Good job, Avery.
- Great job.
Avery: Oh, my God.
This means that I am the first ever eight-year-old in the finale.
Avery, please take your position next to Quani.
- Good job, Avery! - Awesome job, Ave! I am going to show the judges that I can be the youngest to ever win the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Gordon: Beni, Remy, Mikey, you three were cooking dishes up to the finale level, so tonight there was literally this tiny amount that separated all three dishes.
And the person joining Quani and Avery Congratulations ( whispering ) Please, please, please, please, please - Beni! - ( gasps ) Oh, my gosh.
( sniffles ) Young lady, take your spot with those other two incredible young chefs.
( whispering ) Good job.
Great job, Beni.
Remy, Mikey, you both have achieved so much in your own right.
Remy, I know we're going to see great things of you.
That much talent packed into a young 12-year-old is mind-blowing to me.
And, Mikey, you have an incredible palette.
The visual impact that you put on a plate is skilled decades beyond your years.
Joe: From my perspective, it was a great honor to watch you evolve in the kitchen.
If you can apply the skill sets that we saw here to everything else that you do in life, then, my friends, the future looks very, very bright for you two.
Gordon: Now, both of you come over here and say good-bye.
- Let's go.
- You did a great job.
- Amazing, guys.
- Amazing.
Come on, buddy.
Get that smile on the face.
Where'd that smile go? Remy: I am really sad to be going home.
But I gave this competition all I got, and I had the best experience of my life.
It's not good-bye.
It's "see you later.
" Guys, safe trip home.
Heads up high.
- Promise? - Yes, Chef.
Good night, guys.
Remy: This may be the end of my culinary journey in the "MasterChef Junior" kitchen, but I'm going to go back to New York City and cook, cook, and cook.
I've learned so much over this whole experience, and I'm going back to Chicago feeling like a professional chef.
Beni: Never stop cooking guys! I've done so much in these ten years that I've been alive, but making it to the semi-final "MasterChef Junior" is such a cool accomplishment, and it's just awesome.
Next time America's next "MasterChef Junior" is ( all cheering ) The three best young culinary minds Gordon: This is it.
battle it out.
- Spectacular.
- Yes! But only one will win $100,000 It's a beautiful dish.
- and the title - Perfection.
of America's "MasterChef Junior.
" Gordon: I don't say this very often.
But please may I have some more?
When our chefs cooking for former contestans Cheers! - How long? - Ehm - The blue team.
.
- Olivia! Olivia! landed on the preasurre test.
Please welcome Jasmine! And faced to baking challenge Macarone.
that was anything but sweet for Evan.
- Unfortunatly - And Olivia.
This is the end of road for you.
Tonight It's a culinary challenge for the ages.
What? What are you looking at? As the top five compete for spot in the finale only the best rise.
It's pretty perfect.
It's what you do best.
You show off.
And earn their chance to winning one hundred thousand dollars.
It's crazy.
And the title our America's next MasterChef Juninor.
Thank you very much.
( cheering ) - What? - Where are the judges? Where's the judges? - Girl: Anybody here? - ( slurping ) - Whoa, guys! Look! - Oh! Wait, what? I would like another sandwich, would you? Yeah.
There's a lot of older people in there.
- What? - Excuse me.
Thank you.
What is this? Okay.
It's Gordon! It's Gordon! Hello, dears.
- As you can see - Gordon! I'm a little older.
And a girl.
I'm also a grandma.
Guys, I can't remember if I'm supposed to do this alone.
Uh, no.
Do we have other judges? - Yes.
- Huh? Yes.
Oh, Christina, yeah.
That's right.
Yeah.
Where is Christina? - Christina! - Christina: I'm coming.
Grandma Gordon, I'm coming.
- Oh.
Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, my God.
I just saw you a minute ago.
We were just drinking tea together back there.
I forgot.
Christina: Okay, we need to get started.
- Where's Joe? - Joe: Eh? - Joe! - Oh, my Come on, Joe, please? - Eh? - Oh, my God.
Is Joe a nun or an old Italian grandma? Nonna! Andiamo! Because if those are the way grandmas look in Italy, I may never be going to Italy.
What? What are you looking at? Now, you five have been away from home for a very long time.
And we know that there are some very important people in your lives that you guys haven't seen since you came in to this kitchen months ago.
Please welcome your grandmas! - Oh, my God! - Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Remy's grandma, Oma! - Remy! My wonderful - Nana! I'm so proud of you, I could bust.
Beni's grandma, Cheryl.
- She looks just like you.
- Oh, my gosh.
My grandma lights up my life.
We do fun activities together, we bake together, so it means so much having my grandma here tonight.
Christina: Please welcome Avery's grandma, Vera.
Oh, I missed you.
Quani's grandma, Bernadette.
Yeah! And last, but not least, Mikey's grandma, Joyce.
Hi, Grandma.
I miss my grandma so much.
She's from Maryland, so I only see her probably three times a year.
I can't wait to show my grandma how much I've grown in my cooking career.
And I also think I've probably grown two inches over this past time.
Now, each of your grandmas has probably cooked more family dinners than the rest of us combined.
So tonight is all about celebrating how much your grandma inspires you.
We want to see you five make a stunning dish that impresses your grandmothers and us.
Now, our amazing grandmas are going to take a seat in the comfortable MasterChef lounge.
- What? - Oh, my God.
Please, ladies, go ahead and grab yourself a front row seat over there.
Bye! All right.
Bye-bye! - Gordon: Right this way.
- Love you.
There we are.
Now, guys, this is the semifinal of "MasterChef Junior.
" The winner of this challenge is going to receive more than an advantage.
The talented young home cook with the very best dish in this next challenge will officially take a place in the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
- Oh, my gosh.
- And this year, for the first time ever in the history of "MasterChef Junior," there will be not two, but three young home cooks in the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! You'll have one hour to make us a dish good enough to earn you a spot in the finale.
Are you all ready for the most important pantry shop of your entire young lives? All: Yes, Chef! Your 60 minutes starts Does that say 60 minutes on there? - Yeah.
- It does? Starts now.
( panting ) - ( giggling ) - Oh, my - Where are the baskets? - Baskets.
No, ladies first.
Jeez.
The finale is just within arm's reach.
White wine.
White wine! The stakes are sky high and everyone in this kitchen is really good.
I need quail eggs! My grandmother is my number one biggest fan, so I'm going to use that inspiration to bring everything I've got to this challenge.
Let's go, guys.
Well done.
Christina: There you go! Say hi to your grandmas on the way! All: Hi! - Whoo! - Wish me luck.
( grunts, sighs ) All right, guys, the semifinals of "MasterChef Junior.
" The winner of this grandma challenge is going straight into the finale.
One more just for good luck.
You know, to have your grandmother present is always such a inspirational thing, because a lot of these kids started cooking with their grandmothers.
It brings a piece of their home here today.
Gosh.
Gordon: Tonight is about proving and showing their grandmas how far they've come in this competition.
So we're looking for an elevated dish, not something they baked with years ago.
- No, it's a show off dish.
- We said restaurant quality.
Guys, halfway.
30 minute remaining.
Okay.
Oh, mama mia! What is going on over here, Mikey? - Your station is packed.
- You got a lot of stuff going on here.
I'm making a crab and breadcrumb-stuffed lobster tail, with a filet, asparagus, and fingerling potatoes.
Where does the inspiration for surf and turf come from? Well, my grandma's from the east coast, and she loves crab and lobster.
- He's right.
- Joe: Where does she live? - Maryland.
- That's like the crab capital of the world.
- Yeah.
- It sure is.
All right, Mikey, I have a very serious question to ask you before we leave.
Who do you think makes the best-looking grandma? - You.
- Aww! She does, she does.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Beni, how are we feeling? Great, Chef.
Or, otherwise, Grandma.
Now, give us an insight into the dish.
What are you cooking? Every Christmas Eve, we have a party, and we always do salmon.
I am making crispy skin salmon, creamy polenta, and beets three ways.
Excuse me! I can't believe I'm drooping down to my kneecaps.
I'm just lifting them up to make myself look presentable, that's all, in front of your grandma.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah! - Come on! - He's always fooling around with his girls.
Young lady, 40 minutes.
Nail it.
Good luck.
- Yes, Chef.
- Perfect.
- All right, Miss Remy.
- Hello.
Now, grandma's here.
What kind of relationship do the two of you have? I love cooking for my grandmother, and she loves seafood.
So that's why tonight I'm making pan-seared scallops with a quail egg on top, butternut squash puree, white wine farro, and apricot sauce and fried sage.
- Ooh! - My God, That's a lot of stuff going on.
- You're going for it, Remy.
- Oh, yeah.
- All right.
Good luck.
- Oh, Avery.
- Hello! - Tell me about the dish.
I am making pan-seared duck breast with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, a haricots verts bundle, and port wine cherry sauce.
Why duck tonight? Well, I used to always feed the ducks bread with my grandma when I was a lot younger, and we always had such a great time.
Avery, tonight's best dish goes straight in to the finale.
- Yes.
- How happy would that make you to cook like this in front of Grandma? ( imitates explosion ) - That much? - Yes.
- Right.
Good luck.
- Thank you.
Gordon: Eight minutes remaining, guys.
- All right, Quani.
- Hello.
What are you cooking for us today? My grandmother loves seafood, so I'm making a shrimp and scallop squid ink pasta with a spicy puttanesca sauce and a parmesan crisp.
- That's a lot of flavor.
- Yes, Chef.
Well, Quani, you nail this dish tonight, you are guaranteed a spot in the finale.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
They're working so hard.
And it looks like nobody's missing a beat.
Right, ladies, may I join you, please? - Yes.
- Oh, please.
Now, Grandma Oma, how are you enjoying yourself? I'm awestruck that such little children could be such masters of an art.
- They're geniuses.
- So naturally gifted.
- Can you cook? - Can I cook? Do you watch cooking shows? - I don't watch anything.
- You don't watch anything.
So you're on you have your own show on TV? Uh, a ( laughter ) I have a few programs on TV, yes.
Do you have a garden? No, I I don't Honestly, you and I are going for a dance later.
Christina: Just under a 1:30, guys.
- Start plating! - Strain it.
Whoo! Excusez-moi.
Gordon: For one of you, a spot into the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Joe: Let's go, guys.
Come on.
Put it on the plate.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop! - Hands in the air.
- Hands in the air.
- Well done.
- Good job, guys! Now, in the first part of this semifinal, you all had to make a dish that showed us the skills that you've gathered throughout the competition.
And for extra inspiration, we welcomed your grandmas.
This is where the three of us turn back time.
But before we do, unfortunately, we have to say good night to our incredible guests this evening.
Ladies, it's been an honor to have you here in the MasterChef kitchen.
Please make your way out and say good-bye to your amazing grandkids.
Bye.
- Bye, Grandma.
- Bye, baby.
- You did amazing.
- Fantastic, sweetheart.
- Good night.
- Wow, that looks amazing.
- Wish me luck.
- Good luck, sweetheart.
- Bye! - Bye, Grandma! Bye, grandmas! - How did they do that? - They're young again.
- So cool.
- Better? Joe: Better this way or the other way? It's better, yes it is.
I liked it better before.
Right, we cannot wait to taste these incredible dishes that were inspired by your amazing grandmas.
Tonight's best, most outstanding dish gets the first spot in the first ever three-way MasterChef Junior finale.
First up Quani, let's go.
Kids: Whoo! Quani! Quani: I have not won a challenge yet, but having my grandma here really inspired me to step up my game, and I think this dish is more than worthy of getting into the finale.
- Wow.
- Holy moly.
Gordon: Quani, describe the dish.
I have made a scallop and shrimp squid ink pasta with a spicy puttanesca sauce and a parmesan crisp.
Making black squid ink pasta is a bloody nightmare.
On such a difficult night already, why go for the ultimate of pastas? I didn't want to do white pasta because I've got all the other colors.
And it being black really shows that the hero of the dish is supposed to be the pasta.
You've given a lot of love to that sauce because it's really spicy, very rich.
But for me, the hero tonight is those incredible squid ink noodles, because that's art on its own.
What would I change? A little less cooking on the shrimp.
- Okay.
Okay.
- 30 seconds less.
But I'm just pleased that you're showing so many strings to your bow and you're not a one-trick pony.
Because you can bake, you can cook, and that dish is going to be tough to beat.
- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Quani! - Good job.
Good job.
Next dish we want to taste is Mikey.
Come on up.
Girl: Whoo! Mikey! Mikey: So much is on the line tonight.
I mean, the whole finale is on the line.
So I went big with my dish.
Looks great, Mikey.
I want to show the judges that I can cook fancy, and tonight is that night to cook fancy.
Joe: Mikey, tell me about this dish.
Today I've made for you a crab breadcrumb-stuffed lobster tail with a filet, asparagus, potatoes, and a white wine butter sauce.
Temperature on the filet, what were you looking for? - Medium rare? Medium.
- A medium, actually.
My grandma loves her steak cooked medium.
That is about a medium.
A little overcooked for my taste, but if your grandma likes her meat cooked a little bit more, I'm down with that.
How long did you boil the lobster for? Three minutes, and then I cooked it in the oven with the crab meat and breadcrumbs on it.
Now that lobster could be a one-way ticket to the finale.
It is perfect.
Perfectly cooked, flavored, tender, and the crab meat is the perfect supplement on top.
Thank you so much, Chef.
Potatoes and the asparagus are a little bit undercooked, but, um, wow.
That lobster is top notch.
If I would make my grandmother a dish like this, you know what she would say to me? Joe, it's wonderful! No, she'd say come here.
She'd say, "Bravo, mio Josephino! Bravo, bravo, bravo!" - Good job.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Mikey.
- Good job, Mikey.
Next up, please, Miss Avery.
- Good job.
- Avery! Avery: I have never cooked duck before but I wanted to cook it today to prove to the judges that I can cook any protein they throw at me.
And I think I made Satches proud.
All right, Miss Avery, describe the dish for me.
Today I made a pan-seared duck breast with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, with a haricots verts bundle and a cherry port sauce.
The cook on the duck, what were you going for? I was going for a medium rare.
It's pretty impressive.
I'd say it's closer to a medium than a medium rare.
- Okay.
- But look at those juices you can still see running through.
Okay, first off, the skin of that duck breast is rendered beautifully.
It's rich, it's flavorful, it's well-seasoned.
I was afraid the garlic mashed potatoes would be too simple for me.
They actually balance the flavor of that duck breast.
the slight gaminess really well.
I love the idea of that little chive bundle.
I think it shows a lot of finesse.
But we got to be sure you're cleaning the ends of them a little bit there.
Is this dish good enough to propel you into the "MasterChef Junior" finale? It might be.
Nice job.
- Thank you.
- Kids: Good job, Avery.
Next up, Remy.
Let's go, please.
You've got it.
Amazing, Remy.
Everyone's taken a step up tonight, but I think my dish will stand out from everyone else's, because it's really creative.
I'm pairing two things that people have never heard of together.
So I'm hoping that my dish is innovative enough to blow the judges away.
Remy.
Wow.
Describe the dish, please.
Tonight, I have made for you pan-seared scallops with a sage-infused farro, a butternut squash puree, a quail egg on top, with an apricot sauce.
So scallops naturally are sweet, okay? Like the idea of the sage and the sort of richness of the egg yolk, but I'm a little bit slightly confused with the apricot glaze on top of something that's already sweet.
Well, I've tried apricots and scallops together, and weirdly, they actually are a good combination.
So I wanted to make all of my flavors be really interesting tonight, but also taste really good.
First of all, you've nailed the scallops.
They're cooked beautifully.
I think you got a great sear, top and bottom, both sides are just really good.
Love the idea of the yolk, but it's very sweet.
It needs a little bit of acidity and the farro needs to be cooked more.
But here's the thing.
You're really creative.
I can always spot a Remy dish from a mile away, because you've got your personality on there.
It's a very strong effort.
Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Remy.
Amazing job, Remy.
Last up, Beni.
Beni: I am feeling pretty confident about my dish.
It looks beautiful, and I think my grandma would say a lot of great things about my dish, because, hey, that's what grandmas do.
Okay, tell me about this dish.
You have a crisp skin salmon with creamy polenta and beets three ways fried, pureed, and then roasted.
Let's see.
How long did you cook the salmon for? Um, about maybe three to five minutes.
- Nice and flaky.
- Thank you.
Certainly cooked through.
Your skin is nice and crispy.
- Thank you.
- You got nice color on it.
I mean, the salmon is seasoned beautifully.
These beet chips are crispy, delicious, and perfectly seasoned.
Puree sweet, earthy, really the essence of beets.
- Really good job.
- Thank you.
- These two are spot on.
- Thank you.
These on the other hand leave a little bit to be desired.
- Yeah.
- They're quite undercooked.
But overall, an excellent dish.
- Thank you.
- Whoo! Great job, Beni! - Great job, Beni! - Boy: Good job, Beni.
Beni: This is going to be a hard decision for the judges tonight, because everyone did such a good job.
I want that spot in the finale so bad.
Can everyone please come down to the front? I am praying to God that I did enough to win.
That was great challenge.
You all impressed us, but only one of you is about to earn a place in the first ever three-way "MasterChef Junior" finale.
The young home cook who delivered us a mind-blowing dish, claiming the first spot in the "MasterChef Junior" finale that young home cook is congratulations The young home cook claiming the highly-coveted spot in the first-ever "MasterChef Junior" three-way finale, congratulations Quani.
- Yeah, Quani! - Good job, Quani.
Good job, Quani.
Gordon: Young man, that dish was packed with finesse.
It showed such technical flair, and it was executed brilliantly.
Good job.
Quani: I'm the first on to make it into the finale of "MasterChef Junior.
" - Good job, Quani.
- Yeah, Quani! I definitely think I made my family proud and Georgia proud, and I'm ready to take home that trophy.
The rest of you have another challenge to face tonight.
It's a challenge that's going to determine which two other young home cooks will make it to the finale with Quani.
Now, Quani, you're about to make some extremely important decisions.
But before you can do that, there's one more thing we need.
Gentlemen? Oh, no.
Oh, God.
Beni: Oh, my gosh.
Inside here, we have four different proteins.
Now, each one is very challenging and all four of them are very similar on so many levels.
First of all, they are the same shape.
They come from similar habitats.
But there's one thing they don't all have in common tonight.
What? Christina: Size.
- Oh! - Oh, my gosh.
Quani, you are about to dictate which fish your fellow four home cooks cook with tonight.
- Oh, no.
- Oh, no! Yes! First up, this beauty an incredible, stunning, Scottish salmon.
Treat that beautiful, pink, oily flesh with respect and you'll easily have a restaurant-worthy dish.
- Yum.
- Right next to it, the striped bass.
That stunning white flesh is so flaky and takes on beautiful flavor every time.
But it can be very temperamental.
Working our way down, we have a mackerel.
Another oily fish, but certainly less familiar to any home cook.
And finally, the most difficult fish sardine.
They're a lot of work for a lot less yield.
Quani, it's time to make some very big decisions.
Think about using this as a chance to send home your toughest competitors.
Mm-hmm.
Let's start off with the Scottish salmon.
Who would you like to assign this incredible fish to? I'm assigning this one to Remy.
Whew.
Remy, please come and pick up your salmon.
I want to give Remy the easiest fish because I think Remy's a good cook, but she's not my biggest competition.
All right, Quani, next up is the striped bass.
Quani: I'm thinking about giving this to someone who lives not near any oceans.
And I would give this one to Mikey.
- Christina: Hmm.
- Joe: Wow.
Mikey on the striped bass.
There you go.
Next, just two little fish remain, the delicious, humble mackerel, and the sardine.
Your next choice, Quani, obviously dictates the last decision as well.
So, Quani, who is going to be working with the really difficult, little, tiny sardine? This girl hasn't been afraid of anything and she's my biggest competition, so I'm assigning this small fish to the small person, Avery.
And Beni's getting the mackerel.
Okay.
Ladies, please come up and collect your fish.
Quani clearly does not want me in the finale.
He's trying to throw me off track.
But I've nailed every protein the judges gave me so far, so that exactly what i will do tonight.
I'm not going bye-bye.
I'm going to the finale, yo.
Well, Quani, your work for the night is done.
Please head up to the balcony.
Good job, Quani.
Guys, tonight you will have 45 minutes to create a restaurant-worthy dish using the fish that Quani just assigned to all of you.
Now, inside the pantry you'll find filleted portions of salmon, mackerel, sardines, and bass.
- Is everybody ready? - Yes, Chef.
Your 45 minutes starts now.
( grunts ) Hurry, guys! Go, Remy! Go, go, go! - Go! - Baskets! Mikey: Back home in Chicago, we don't really use bass or eat bass.
Where's the arugula? So I'm going to do what my guts tell me and go Italian.
- One of these.
- Soba noodles! Pomegranate molasses.
I kind of want to do a global style dish.
Mustard seeds.
I want to be one of those two that goes into the finale, so I want to give it my all.
- Let's go.
- Let's go, guys! Come on! - Christina: Come on.
- You got this, guys.
Oof.
Gordon: The pressure's on.
This is the biggest night of this season so far.
Four cooks going head-to-head with two spots left in the finale.
- Use time wisely, guys.
- Oh, my God.
Christina: Avery, she's got the sardine she's cooking with tonight.
One of the most trickiest, one of the most awkward, but one of the most delicious fishes anywhere on the planet.
Christina: But it's that you typically find in a can.
It's fishy.
It's oily.
That is absolutely the most difficult fish out there to cook tonight.
- Remy, what's the glaze? - Miso! Christina: And then, of course, Remy, she's cooking with salmon, arguably the easiest fish to work with.
She needs to do something we've never seen before, and it needs to be elegant.
Beni, she's cooking with the mackerel.
It's a fat, oily, fishy type fish, and it needs a lot of personality and character and flavor to really make it elegant.
- Mikey, how you doing? - Good.
Mikey, now he's working with the sea bass.
Joe: Striped bass is very delicate and you need to bring flavor on the plate to make that striped bass pop.
No.
I'm just worried that the stakes and the pressure is too high here tonight.
Will it get to them? - Will they crumble? - Gordon: Tonight is the night that you do not want to leave this competition.
You've got this, guys! The pressure's on like never before.
I'm so close to making it to that finale, so if I don't, that's just going to be devastating.
At the end of this cook-off tonight, two of you will be saying good night and two of you will go into the grand finale alongside Quani.
- You got this, guys! - Let's go.
- Avery.
- Hello.
You got the hardest fish because you're the biggest threat.
- Yes.
- What's the dish? I'm making a crab and spinach-stuffed sardine with a caramelized fennel and a parsley lemon butter sauce.
Joe: That's incredibly bold.
Good luck.
Thank you.
- Beni.
- Hello.
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? So I am doing a Asian-style mackerel with a yogurt cucumber sauce, cauliflower couscous, pickled radish and onion, and glazed carrots.
And how are you going to get that spice into that mackerel? Because it's an oily fish.
I'm going to add some "vauvedon.
" - Uh, vadouvan.
- Yes.
So vadouvan's got those caramelized shallots in there, - the curry, the spice.
- Yes.
How do you incorporate that across the mackerel? So I'm gonna put in some butter with the pan, and then I'm going to baste it with that.
Love that idea.
- Thank you.
- Good luck.
Yes, Chef! Remy, what are you frying? Remy: Salmon skin.
- All right, Remy.
- Hello.
Now, salmon is a piece of fish that everyone knows and loves, so how do you make it stand out? Well, tonight I am really taking salmon in an Asian fusion direction.
- Okay.
- So I'm going to be making miso-glazed salmon with a carrot-ginger puree, fried salmon skin, and cold soba noodles.
All right, Miss Remy, make sure that dish is the most elegant dish you've ever made.
- Good luck.
- Oh, yeah, Chef.
You got this, Mikey.
Mikey.
Right, young man.
The most important cook-off so far this competition.
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? I'm making a pan-seared sea bass with a potato lasagna.
- Potato lasagna.
- Yes.
Why lasagna with striped sea bass? I want to represent this Italian flair that I have.
- Love that.
- So I'm going to do all the Italian colors.
So I'm going to make a tomato vinaigrette and a arugula sauce.
Have you got your A game tonight? - Uh, yes, chef.
- Good luck.
Let's go.
Home cooks, 60 seconds remaining.
Guys, speed up! Joe: Go, guys.
Last minute.
Gordon: This is it.
For two of you, a spot in the finale.
For the other two, the last time inside this incredible kitchen.
Come on, guys.
You've got this! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Gordon: And stop! Hands in the air! Kids: Whoo! - Good job, guys.
- Girl: Good job, guys.
Joe: Tonight, we asked Quani to assign you all a different fish to cook with.
It's time to find out which two have earned a spot in the "MasterChef" finale.
First up, Beni.
Quani gave me the mackerel, and I have never cooked it or tasted it, but I put myself into this dish.
I took my creativity, my confidence, and I think that I rocked this.
All right, Miss Beni.
What's the dish? In front of you I have a vadouvan mackerel with a cucumber yogurt sauce, glazed carrots, pickled radish, and a cauliflower couscous.
Why do you think Quani gave you the mackerel? We live in Chicago, and the only piece of water we have is, like, the lake, and I think he thinks I'm not familiar with it, and that's true, but I think he made a wrong decision.
Hmm.
All right, Beni, moment of truth.
- Beni.
- What? - It's pretty perfect.
- ( laughs ) You've cooked it beautifully.
Beni, it's divine.
There's so much flavor.
That vadouvan spice has a depth to it, and it really needs something that is big and bold like a mackerel to stand up to it.
The only thing that throws me off a little bit is this yogurt cucumber sauce.
I just want it to have a little bit more of a flavor profile, a little personality, but young lady, I am very impressed with you tonight.
Beni: Thank you, Chef.
Mackerel, at least in Italy what the fishermen eat.
They sell the striped bass to the rich people, but they keep the mackerel and eat it themselves because you know why? - It's cheap? - It's cheap and it's the best if you know how to cook it.
Yes.
Joe: Beni, the cooking technique is impeccable.
Carrots, very nice flavor.
The cauliflower couscous is punchy.
It's good.
The use of spices in this dish is really kind of off the charts.
- Great job, Beni.
- Thank you.
Avery: Whoo! Great job, Beni! Great job, Beni.
Next up, Remy.
- Kid: All right, Remy.
- Kid 2: You got this, Remy.
Quani's giving me the easiest fish, wow, he made the biggest mistake of his life in this kitchen because my dish looks like something I'd see at any high-end Asian New York restaurant.
Remy, describe that stunning piece of salmon.
Tonight I have made for you baked salmon with a miso-and-orange glaze with fried salmon skin on top and a carrot-ginger puree with soba noodles.
What's the temperature of the salmon inside? I want it to be pink and, like, "corally" on the inside.
Let's get in to the salmon, shall we? Oh, dear.
Remy, Remy, Remy ( sighs ) Remy, what's the temperature of the salmon inside? I want it to be pink and, like, "corally" on the inside.
Let's have a look.
Oh, dear.
Remy, Remy, Remy That is pink perfect salmon.
Oh, yeah! Gordon: Wow, young lady, I love the glaze, by the way.
- It just smells so fragrant.
- Thank you, Chef.
What's inside the noodles? Carrots, miso, and a touch of orange zest.
Fish is nailed beautifully.
Let's get that right.
Love the crispy skin.
Thank you, Chef.
The noodles? Delicious.
What would I do differently? I'd cook the carrots a little bit longer so you've got a much finer puree, - but, good job.
- Thank you.
The succulence of that salmon is incredible.
It's so moist.
It's so beautifully cooked.
I love that carrot-ginger puree.
I think it brings an earthiness to the dish.
My only real critique comes down to those soba noodles.
That marinade that you tossed them in just wasn't enough.
It needs acidity.
It needs a little bit more flavor profile, - but nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Remy.
- Great job, Remy.
Give me five.
- Next up, Mikey.
- Girl: Whoo, Mikey! Quani may have given me the bass tonight, but I put everything into this dish tonight, and I'm just praying that the judges love it, and that I make it to the finale.
All right, tell me about the dish.
I've made for you today a pan-seared bass with a potato lasagna, a arugula pesto cream sauce, a fried tomato vinaigrette, and some pancetta.
Aesthetically, it's got a lot going on.
I can't believe the courage of putting all these things together.
This is a massive risk that you're taking.
- Yes, Chef.
- All right, let's see the cook on the bass.
How did you cook it? Uh, I pan-seared it, and then butter-basted it on really low heat just so it could absorb all the flavor.
I can tell that it's perfectly cooked.
I can see it's perfectly moist.
Wow.
That's good, Mikey.
Thank you.
Crispy skin, flaky on the inside.
Really good job.
- So potato lasagna.
- Yeah.
In Italy, you know what they call it? They call it lasagna ligure, because in Liguria they don't have pasta, they don't have flour, but they have potatoes, and they make lasagna using potatoes.
That's really cool.
This is some good stuff.
Thank you so much, Chef.
Good job, Mikey.
You've really nailed that fish beautifully.
Pesto, fragrant, delicious.
Tomatoes, blistered, beautiful.
Crispy pancetta, mind blowing.
The issue I have is cooking those potatoes in cream when you're serving such elegant, light additions.
See now, you could've cooked those potatoes in a fish stock so it would've been a lot less heavy.
But all in all, great job.
Thank you so much, Chef.
- Good job, Mikey.
- Yeah, Mikey.
Remy: Great job.
Gordon: Next up, the final dish, Avery.
Girl: Whoo, Avery! Avery: Quani thinks I'm his biggest competition.
He gave me the hardest fish here.
I want to prove to the judges that I can cook any protein they throw at me even though I'm only eight years old.
Gordon: Well, young lady, you were dealt the dysfunctional card this evening.
You were handed a sardine.
These are the kind of things that we throw off the end of the pier to feed the seagulls.
- Describe the dish, please.
- Tonight I made for you a crab and spinach-stuffed sardine with fennel and pickled bell pepper salad and a lemon butter caper sauce.
How did you roll it like that? So what I did was I cooked the crab down with some shallots, garlic, and olive oil, and then I wilted the spinach, and then I rolled it in the fish, and then I cooked it.
Wow, Avery.
Um oh, my.
I think this is one of your best dishes you've cooked in this competition.
You've taken the crappiest, the smelliest, the most disgusting fish anywhere in the ocean and elevated it to the Rolls-Royce of protein.
I love it.
Fennel, delicious.
The flavor is just incredible.
It's refined, it's executed beautifully, and I don't think, in the history of this competition, we've ever seen a eight-year-old cook as good as this.
- Amazing.
- Thank you.
- Gordon: Well done.
- Good job, Avery.
The cooking technique on the sardine, I mean, it doesn't get any better than that, for sure.
The contrast, the sweetness of the crab meat, the minerality of the spinach, - that's amazing.
- Thank you.
Let me put this in perspective for you.
Wild Scottish salmon filet, at a good retailer, 35 bucks a pound.
Local striped bass, $28 a pound.
Mackerel, a dollar a pound.
Sardines, you get them for free if you flash a smile at the bait shop.
( laughter ) So you took something of low value and you added value by your technique.
You were able to create something that was smart, delicious, and beautiful.
- Good job, Avery.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Good job, Avery.
- Good job, Avery.
- Good job, Avery.
- Thank you.
My strategy was to get rid of the best cooks in this competition, but everyone nailed their dish, so I have no clue who's going to be in the finale with me.
This is going to be the toughest decision the judges have ever made in their life.
What a night.
Those were some dishes.
This is going to be a very difficult decision.
Please, excuse us for a few moments.
Thank you.
Gordon: These were four exceptional dishes, very, very difficult to separate.
( whispered ) I am so nervous.
Avery's, a show stopper.
I've never seen a sardine that glamorous.
Joe: She really put a lot of thought into it.
It's a very difficult dish, and was able to recreate something that was sensible and delicious.
( whispered ) I think you're going to make the finale.
Beni's mackerel.
Christina: The interesting part about Beni's dish is, she didn't follow a specific guide.
She very much went Beni on it, and it paid off.
( whispered ) It's not obvious at all who did well.
Gordon: Remy's miso glazed salmon, I mean, delicious.
Joe: That was right out of a restaurant, that dish.
The cook on that salmon was out of control.
( whispered ) We all did amazing.
- It's going to come down to those tiny details.
- Mikey's striped sea bass? - The fish was nailed, right? - Joe: Yeah, he cooked the fish deliciously.
Christina: The arugula pesto, those fried tomatoes, those things all made sense.
I mean ( sighs ) The finest of details.
Quani, please come down and stand with us.
Tonight was not easy.
And it really did come down - to just one or two tiny, tiny details.
- ( whispers ) Oh, my God.
- The next young home cook - ( whispering ) Please that will be joining Quani in next week's grand finale Congratulations Please, please Avery.
( overlapping cheering ) - Good job, Avery.
- Great job.
Avery: Oh, my God.
This means that I am the first ever eight-year-old in the finale.
Avery, please take your position next to Quani.
- Good job, Avery! - Awesome job, Ave! I am going to show the judges that I can be the youngest to ever win the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Gordon: Beni, Remy, Mikey, you three were cooking dishes up to the finale level, so tonight there was literally this tiny amount that separated all three dishes.
And the person joining Quani and Avery Congratulations ( whispering ) Please, please, please, please, please - Beni! - ( gasps ) Oh, my gosh.
( sniffles ) Young lady, take your spot with those other two incredible young chefs.
( whispering ) Good job.
Great job, Beni.
Remy, Mikey, you both have achieved so much in your own right.
Remy, I know we're going to see great things of you.
That much talent packed into a young 12-year-old is mind-blowing to me.
And, Mikey, you have an incredible palette.
The visual impact that you put on a plate is skilled decades beyond your years.
Joe: From my perspective, it was a great honor to watch you evolve in the kitchen.
If you can apply the skill sets that we saw here to everything else that you do in life, then, my friends, the future looks very, very bright for you two.
Gordon: Now, both of you come over here and say good-bye.
- Let's go.
- You did a great job.
- Amazing, guys.
- Amazing.
Come on, buddy.
Get that smile on the face.
Where'd that smile go? Remy: I am really sad to be going home.
But I gave this competition all I got, and I had the best experience of my life.
It's not good-bye.
It's "see you later.
" Guys, safe trip home.
Heads up high.
- Promise? - Yes, Chef.
Good night, guys.
Remy: This may be the end of my culinary journey in the "MasterChef Junior" kitchen, but I'm going to go back to New York City and cook, cook, and cook.
I've learned so much over this whole experience, and I'm going back to Chicago feeling like a professional chef.
Beni: Never stop cooking guys! I've done so much in these ten years that I've been alive, but making it to the semi-final "MasterChef Junior" is such a cool accomplishment, and it's just awesome.
Next time America's next "MasterChef Junior" is ( all cheering ) The three best young culinary minds Gordon: This is it.
battle it out.
- Spectacular.
- Yes! But only one will win $100,000 It's a beautiful dish.
- and the title - Perfection.
of America's "MasterChef Junior.
" Gordon: I don't say this very often.
But please may I have some more?