MasterChef Junior (2013) s07e01 Episode Script

Announcer: After a nationwide search This is my home in New York City.
- Milton, Georgia.
- Boerne, Texas.
to find the best young home cooks in America - Oh, yeah! - Bon appétit.
This looks divine! three of the biggest names in the culinary world welcome the next generation of culinary giants into the MasterChef kitchen.
This is the world's biggest cooking competition - I got one! - featuring the world's smallest - I got it.
- home cooks.
- Big, big.
- ( grunts ) I'm gonna need help.
From the big top - Our performers are arriving.
- Service! - ( playing "Reveille" ) - to the great outdoors Guys, look at the campers! - We need chicken! - they'll face the toughest This is a two-star Michelin service.
- scariest - ( screaming ) We're just kids.
messiest, most outrageous Oh, my God! Cupcakes! challenges of their young lives.
- Aww! - Christina! - Look at her hair.
- Aww! - Gordon! - How's your outfit stretch out that much? And for those who make the grade You're going places, my friend.
You did that all on your own? - All on my own.
- Wow.
Where are these ideas coming from? You're only eight.
Usually, my mind.
- victory - ( all shouting ) - No! - will be sweet.
This is the best day ever! - But in the end - Whoo! only one will win $100,000 and claim the title of MasterChef Junior.
( shouting, laughing ) I feel so awesome to be one of the top 24 junior home cooks in America.
I feel like I'm on cloud nine and I just floated into heaven.
( all shouting ) I'm eight years old, and I started cooking when I was three.
The MasterChef kitchen is so big.
The equipment room can fit 100,000 stuffed animals.
And the pantry? Don't even talk about it.
It is the biggest thing on Earth.
- Come on down.
- ( laughing ) I'm 11 years old, and I was nine years old when I started to cook.
They're so cute! I think I have a more sophisticated palate compared to other kids.
My mom normally says I'm 11 going on, like, 20.
- Yeah! - Oh, my God.
Seeing the judges in person is amazing.
I mean, I'm fixing to cook for Gordon Ramsay, Christina Tosi, and Aarón Sánchez.
I'm like, is this even real? Welcome to "MasterChef Junior.
" ( cheering ) All of you are standing in the best kitchen in the world.
It is equipped beyond belief from those amazing, brand-new, state-of-the-art Viking ranges to the most incredible MasterChef pantry.
Christina: You are the best young home cooks all between the ages of eight and thirteen in America.
Aarón: One of you small home cooks will win the biggest culinary trophy in the world Kid: It's shiny.
and the title of MasterChef Junior.
And I think there's something else as well.
$100,000.
If I won the $100,000, I would definitely buy 17 more cats and then I'd buy my cats a mansion.
You all are about to face your first official mystery box challenge.
Gordon: And on the count of three, I'd like you to lift those boxes.
- One, two - ( beeping ) - Matthew, is that your cell? - No, I don't have a phone.
- ( beeping continues ) - No cell phones in this kitchen.
Right.
Let's start that again.
- One, two - ( beeping resumes ) - ( rapid beeping ) - Wow! - Dear, oh, dear.
One, two, three, lift.
- ( beeping continues ) - ( alarms blaring ) - What? - I can't do it.
Whoa.
- Rise and shine! Kid: Oh, it's an alarm clock! How can you cook a clock? What's the most important meal of the day? All: Breakfast! For your very first challenge, we want to see your favorite breakfast dish.
Make us a dish that has your signature style all over it.
Aarón: Whoever has the best dish after this challenge will receive a huge advantage.
You all have just 45 minutes to make us an incredible breakfast dish.
- Is everyone ready? - All: Yes, Chef! Your 45 minutes starts now.
Go, go, go! Whoo! I love breakfast.
I always wanted to do this! ( kid gasps ) I love breakfast so much, back home I call myself a breakfast bro because I wake up every morning and make my brothers breakfast.
I live in Boiceville, New York, and this is my house.
My brothers are huge fans of my cooking.
I don't think there's another kid out there that can cook better than him.
To me, cooking is family.
Ooh, listen to that sizzle.
I love it so much.
Whenever I'm in the kitchen, it feels like the complete right place to be.
Anybody got the smoked salmon? My brothers love poached eggs.
Are you gonna use all the challa bread? I'm gonna do toasted bread with mozzarella, tomato, smoked salmon, and then poached egg on top.
- Bok choy.
- Gordon: Let's go, guys.
- Yeah! - All right, here they come.
- There.
- All right.
The top 24 most talented youngsters in the country - cooking tonight.
- There we go.
So, 24 young home cooks from all over America, all with their own particular styles, even at this young age.
Breakfast is something near and dear to everyone's heart.
- Four eggs.
- They've all grown up with mom, dad helping, whether it's a Sunday brunch, an early breakfast.
So this is the perfect start for these youngsters to show us them on a plate with an amazing breakfast tonight.
35 minutes remaining.
Reid: Okay, let's get rolling.
I am making an egg sandwich with roasted asparagus and mixed fruit.
I eat this for breakfast most of the days at home in Milton, Georgia.
My family loves this dish, so I hope the judges will, too.
I'm eight years old, and I have been cooking for two years.
I am making a breakfast sandwich with sausage, eggs, cheese, and a side of potato chips.
A lot of things in here are from Alabama, so I thought combining them all together, then they would be amazing.
Less than 30 minutes to go.
Ben, how old are you? Where you from? I'm 11 and I'm from Morristown, New Jersey.
Now tell me, what are you doing? Japanese-style pancakes with maple bacon.
- Have you ever been to Japan? - No.
But I've been to Barcelona, San Sebastián, - Oh, my Lord.
- Uruguay, Argentina, and Belize.
Have you tasted the food in all these place? - Yes.
- You lucky man.
- Thank you.
- Good luck.
I feel confident because I cook breakfast for my sister and for my family.
Come on! Come on in.
Come on.
I'm 11 years old and I'm from Atlanta, Georgia.
I think I have a more sophisticated palate compared to other kids.
This is how it came out.
It's a different texture than normal.
Ivy cooks about twice a week, and it's always interesting because she likes to experiment with food.
This is really good.
She's an amazing child.
We ordered smoked trout pâté.
My dad works in the restaurant industry, so I go to many high-end restaurants.
Oh, that was such great food.
When I grow up, I wanna be a food critic and I wanna travel the world.
- All right, Miss Ivy.
- Hello.
Welcome to the MasterChef Junior kitchen.
- How's it feeling? - Great.
- What are you making? - I'm making french toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, and plátanos, because my mother's side of the family is Latin.
Oh, plátanos! I love that.
- Good luck, Ivy.
- Good luck.
Thank you.
Sadie! How old are you? Where you from? I am 12 years old and I'm from Seattle, Washington.
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? I'm making bacon chive parmesan egg cups.
Well, hold on there.
Bacon chive parmesan egg cups.
- Yes.
- Where are these recipes coming from? - Oh, I made it up.
- Oh.
I have a very refined palate.
I'm not like most other kids.
I don't only eat, like, dinosaur chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.
I can't wait to see this dish.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
- Malia, how are you? - I'm good.
How are you? How old are you and where you from? I am 11 years old and I'm from Newhall, California.
I've been cooking since I was four, and I am way different from other 11-year-olds, because I love to dirt bike ride, play soccer, and I am German, Japanese, and Greek.
But I cook my best when I show my Japanese heritage.
Best tools in the kitchen.
She is a quick learner, she's passionate about cooking, and she's gonna bring it in the kitchen.
I am very passionate about cooking because I really want to be a chef when I grow up.
First of all, I just need to give you props on the head scarf.
That for me is, like I get my superpowers in the kitchen when I can put a little head scarf on.
- Yes.
- Now what are you making for us? I am making gohan Japanese rice, 'cause I am part Japanese, and in Japan they normally eat rice for breakfast.
- All right, Malia, you got this.
- Okay.
Thank you.
This pan should be ready soon.
Matthew, remind me, how old are you and where are you from? I'm eight years old and I'm from Livingston, New Jersey.
What are you cooking for this amazing breakfast? Today I'm making your filet mignon with a sunny-side up egg.
Hold on a minute.
Filet mignon for breakfast? Yeah, me and my dad think it's the all-American breakfast.
Matthew, what about dinner? Uh, maybe, like, a nice beef Wellington.
- Oh! - Or you know? Right.
Good luck.
Wow.
Now there is an incredible array of breakfasts.
Christina: These young home cooks are bringing the thunder tonight.
60 seconds to go.
Come on, guys.
Excuse me, Matthew, go.
Go, Matthew.
Aarón: All right, guys, start putting things on plates.
Go, go, go, go, go.
- Taste everything, guys.
- 25 seconds to go.
- We got this, guys.
- Christina: Come on! - Aarón: Everyone, let's go.
- Okay, perfect.
Gordon: Remember, there's a big advantage back in the pantry for one of you.
Ooh, that looks gorgeous.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- Aarón: That's it.
- Gordon: And stop.
- All: Hands in the air.
- Gordon: Well done.
Tonight, we challenged you to make us an incredible breakfast.
Aarón, Christina, and myself watched you all very carefully across that mystery box challenge.
We would now like to bring forward the three best that we wanna take a much closer look at.
The first home cook we'd like to bring forward tonight did an amazing job.
What stood out the most was the plating because it looked straight out of one of our restaurants.
Please step forward, Sadie.
( cheering ) I feel like I'm just walking on cloud nine.
I am so happy that I'm the first one called up in the first mystery box challenge.
I will definitely blow the judges' minds.
Sadie, describe the dish, please.
So I made bacon chive parmesan egg cups with tomatoes and sourdough toast.
Look at that.
Growing up, who was your hero? Definitely my mother.
She inspired me to get in the kitchen and start cooking.
When I first arrived in the U.
S.
, guess who my hero was.
- Who? - Julia Child.
- Same.
Yes.
- No.
- You know Julia Child? - Yes.
- She's the queen of butter.
- She is the queen of butter.
Do you know what she sounds like? Would you like me to do an impression? - Yes, please.
- Okay.
( high-pitched voice ) I think Sadie's going to be the next MasterChef Junior.
Love that.
Yes, Sadie! Man.
Wow.
It's delicious.
You know, the eggs are cooked beautifully.
The finesse is incredible, 'cause those yolks are runny.
That parmesan is very salty, but it gives a great season to the eggs.
I can taste the bacon.
What would I do differently? You know, maybe when you chop those chives up, throw the chives across the parmesan so you got that nice light onion flavor running through the parmesan.
- Okay.
- But, young lady, you have vision.
Great start.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Ben: Good job, Sadie.
Kid: Good job, Sadie.
The second dish that we would like to examine a little further, this home cook incorporated berries in a very clever way.
Ivy, please bring us your dish.
- Whoo! - Woohoo! I feel amazing that I'm top three.
I think I made my grandparents really proud by putting plátanos on my plate.
Now everybody knows that I have a little Latin flair in my body.
Ivy, explain your dish, please.
I made french toast, scrambled eggs, with Gruyère cheese, bacon, plátanos, and a berry compote with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries.
Mmm.
You have everything that a proper breakfast should entail.
You have something savory, you have something sweet, you have texture.
You have saltiness with the bacon and your eggs are cooked perfectly.
I love the fact that the Gruyère has melted in every little nook and cranny, and the fact that the plátano really brings it back to you and, I think, your culinary style.
If I had to change one thing, I would've done a little bit more sugar with the bacon.
So, who are some of your culinary heroes? Gordon Ramsay.
- You do like Latin flavors, though, right? - Yeah.
Who's a great chef that does unbelievable Latin flavors? I'm just throwing that out there.
- Um, hmm.
- Handsome, extremely talented.
I don't know.
Uh, uh I'm just kidding.
- Aarón Sánchez.
- Oh, there you go! I'm really impressed.
- Thank you.
- Great job, young lady.
- Yay, Ivy! - Whoo! Christina: The final dish we'd like to taste is simply stunning to look at.
Please, bring your dish up here Ben.
It feels so cool that these pancakes are getting me to the top three of the mystery box.
This shows everybody that I'm a really good chef and that I should be one to look out for in this competition.
Ben, what did you make? For you today, I made Japanese-style pancakes with maple bacon, garnished with fruit.
What do you wanna be when you grow up? Um, I wanna open a smoothie business.
A kid-friendly nightclub, no alcohol allowed.
( whispers ) Oh, dear.
- And I also want to have a culinary school.
- Wow.
Are you free to consult for my business? Mmm.
I have a lot of homework, so I'm busy usually.
I think that's a polite no.
( Christina laughs ) What's impressive to me about your dish is you make these tiny decisions in really smart ways to ensure that the time you spend in this kitchen makes your dish stand out above all the rest.
I think the flavor is delicious.
It's light, it's airy.
I love the color and the approach to it.
You kept your berries there for acidity and sweetness.
You candied your bacon and cut it into small pieces so I could get a little bite of that with every bite of pancake.
Next time, I'd say just make sure that the coloring on those pancakes is even on both sides, right? That's me nitpicking, though, Ben, because you're really bringing some serious talent into the MasterChef Junior kitchen.
- Very nice job.
- Thank you.
Good job.
This is tough.
Incredible.
Ivy, I think you're gonna get in.
Sadie, Ivy, Ben, well done.
Three breakfasts I'd love to wake up to any day of the week, let me tell you that.
Your dishes were so good that it was hard to separate them and choose a favorite.
But this is a competition, so the home cook with the best dish this evening, that will receive a huge advantage right now in the MasterChef pantry congratulations goes to.
The home cook with the best dish this evening, that will receive a huge advantage in the MasterChef pantry congratulations goes to - all three of you! - What? - Well done.
- Aarón: Whoa.
- Amazing! - Oh, my God.
- Good job.
- That is great.
Congratulations.
Now, please, follow us into the MasterChef pantry.
Let's go.
- Well done.
Great job.
- Amazing job.
That was brilliant.
Winning this big advantage on the first challenge with Sadie and Ivy is an honor.
It feels so great, because it shows everybody that we are the ones to look out for.
I can't wait to see what our advantage is.
Because you three won the mystery box challenge, you do not have to cook in the next challenge.
Now, we started the day with breakfast here - in the MasterChef kitchen.
- Right.
What do you do after breakfast on a normal day? - Go to school.
- When you're at school, guys, - you probably head to the cafeteria, right? - Yeah.
- For school lunch.
- Lunch.
Now, do we look anything like your lunch ladies at school? - All: No.
- Nope.
- You look good.
- Yes.
- How about now? - Yeah.
- A little.
- Yeah.
All right, for your next challenge, you three get to decide what school lunch everyone else will be making.
- ( gasps ) - This will be fun.
First, we have one of America's most popular school lunches.
It has elements of my Mexican culture all over it.
Quesadilla with red rice and beans.
So, now that I've showed you this school lunch, I can take this off now.
This next school lunch was one of my favorites as a kid.
It is definitely a school lunch you've seen before.
Chicken tenders with barbecue sauce, French fries, and sautéed corn.
- Hmm.
- This next school lunch is a little taste of home that you can get at school.
Delicious meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Can I take this thing off now, please? - No.
- How's the hair look? - It's okay? - Aarón's is better.
- Oh! - ( laughs ) - Aarón: My man! - Now, all three school lunches will be made tonight.
Each of you will get to decide which talented home cooks will be making a particular lunch.
We'll be expecting your fellow home cooks to make versions of these with fresh flavors, creativity, and beautiful plating.
To help you decide - Ben: Oh.
- Sadie: Hmm.
Ivy: Oh! This competition is now firmly in your hands.
Come on up.
Having the power of the competition in my hands feels amazing.
Malia, the chicken tenders.
I think Rhashad should do the meatloaf.
We want everybody to have a challenge, but also have fun with it.
- Gordon: You happy with those decisions? - All: Yes, Chef.
Let's go.
Follow us.
Here we go.
Now, back in the MasterChef pantry, they got to pick what each of you will be cooking - in the next challenge.
- Ooh! Now, you've already made us breakfast.
So for your first elimination challenge, you'll each be making us your version of a school lunch.
- Oh, God.
- We want you to take that school lunch and elevate it.
Turn it into a restaurant quality MasterChef Junior level dish.
Tonight, you'll have 60 minutes to make us a stunning lunch.
And after this next challenge, we'll be saying good-bye to two of you.
- Are you ready? - All: Yes, Chef! Your 60 minutes start now! Let's go.
- Whoo! Go, Chefs! - You got this! - You got this! - What are we making? - A quesadilla! - Meatloaf! - Chicken tenders! - ( cheering ) We got meatloaf.
Potatoes and green beans.
I'm so happy that I got meatloaf, because I think I can pizzazz it up and make a juicy loosey meatloaf with cheese in the middle.
Where's the white cheddar? I make meatloaf for my family regularly, and they absolutely love it.
So I think I have a really good shot at being safe from elimination.
Where's the parmesan? Go, go, go, go.
- Whoo! - Move it, move it.
- Christina: All right! - Gordon: Let's go, guys.
Yeah, guys, you can do it! ( grunting ) Oh, whoa.
Now, suddenly tonight, we will be saying good-bye to at least two of these talented young home cooks.
To prevent them from going home, they need to make us a stunning, - replicated lunch.
- Yes.
- MasterChef quality.
- Let's get this rolling.
Aarón: Think about these different influences when it comes to school lunch.
For me, the quesadilla really stands out.
- I think the combinations are endless.
- Yes.
I think you could stuff it with just about anything you want.
Ben: If you were assigned a quesadilla, - what would you do? - Oh, gosh, I don't know.
Start cutting up these mushrooms.
What we're not looking for is school lunch quality.
Elevate that quesadilla.
What goes in it? Herbs and spices and cheese.
Go, Jaala, you got this.
Gordon: We also have them cooking meatloaf.
The secret behind any great meatloaf is that glaze.
You know, getting the blend right, sufficient fat in there.
But the big jeopardy for these youngsters tonight is can they get a delicious meatloaf cooked in 60 minutes? - Aarón: Absolutely.
- Yes.
Now, chicken tenders is on some level the hardest school lunch to elevate.
- Yeah.
- How do you bring personality? How do you make chicken tenders into restaurant, MasterChef Junior quality? Mmm.
It's gonna be good.
For me, it's gonna be all the breading.
Get creative, and then really have fun with the dipping sauce.
- Christina: For sure.
- Gordon: Let's go.
I was assigned chicken tenders.
I love them.
They're really good.
So, I'm making it with corn and potato chips.
Back home in Scarsdale, New York, I never made chicken tenders before, but I'm confident I can do it.
I got meatloaf, so I am making a cheddar jalapeño meatloaf with roasted asparagus and saffron mashed potatoes.
I feel good about it and I think it's going to impress the judges.
- Kyle's meatloaf looks good.
- Yeah.
I got a quesadilla.
Feeling pretty confident, because I make quesadillas at my house a lot in New Jersey.
So I am making a three-cheese chicken quesadilla with lemon lime rice and bean purée.
40 minutes to go.
Let's go, guys.
And remember, sadly, we have to say good-bye to at least two of you this evening.
Huh! Okay, I'm 11 years old and I live in San Antonio, Texas.
Dia dhuit! That's hello in Irish.
I'm Irish and I love it.
I love Irish dancing They're all Irish dancing medals.
and I do it al the time.
I Irish dance everywhere I go.
I love cooking so much This is my grandma.
I've been cooking with her since I was a baby.
because it's a way to express my Irish side, and I'm ready to bring it to "MasterChef Junior.
" - All right, Neko.
- Yes, ma'am.
So what school lunch are you cooking? I'm cooking a chicken quesadilla with onions and cheddar cheese, pinto beans with long-grain rice.
I'm not a big fan, but I think that this is gonna teach me to like 'em.
Maybe the only reason you don't like quesadillas - is because you haven't been the cook.
- Yes.
- All right, good luck.
- Thank you.
Oh, look at Rhashad.
He has such good knife skills.
Meatloaf.
I'm in the sixth grade and I am 12 years old.
This is my home in Milton, Georgia.
Come in.
Fashion is very important to me because I like to stand out.
I like stuff to be exotic.
This is my lion until I get a real lion.
I like exotic spices, exotic flavors, exotic materials.
I like to look good and my food likes to look good.
I learned how to cook from my grandfather because he owned five restaurants in New York.
He's someone I really look up to.
Rhashad, what tray did you get? What school tray? - Meatloaf.
- Now trying to get a meatloaf cooked in 60 minutes, - even I would struggle to get this cooked in time.
- Yes.
Is it in the oven now? - Um, no.
- Hold on there.
So you're chopping shallots, you're peeling potatoes.
- Yes.
- What's more important? - The meatloaf.
- So why shouldn't you be focusing on that now? Oh, my gosh.
- We need to get that cooking.
- Okay.
'Cause I don't know if the meatloaf is gonna be cooked in time.
No.
Rhashad, now trying to get a meatloaf cooked in 60 minutes, - even I would struggle to get this cooked in time.
- Yes.
Is it in the oven now? - Um, no.
- Oh, my gosh.
- We need to get that cooking.
- Okay.
'Cause I don't know if the meatloaf is gonna be cooked in time.
- No.
- Let's go.
Tell me about the blend.
What are you gonna put in the seasoning? I'm adding a jerk spice because I like exotic flavors.
What are you serving with this? - Mashed potatoes and green beans.
- Mm-hmm.
Okay.
You have to prioritize and think what's the most important thing.
- Okay? So focus.
- Yes.
- Get that meatloaf in the oven, please.
- Okay.
- Good luck.
- Thank you! - Oven open.
- Sadie: Mmm.
- Something smells really good.
- Oh, yes.
Sadie: Yes.
Thomas, what school lunch were you given? - I'm making breaded chicken tenders.
- Okay.
And street corn with cotija cheese, cilantro, jalapeños, and mayo and sour cream.
I definitely think this is for sure gonna save me - from elimination.
- Good luck.
I'm really looking forward to your dish.
- Thank you.
- Miguel, can you reach the cups? - Which one? - That one.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Talulah, tell me about the dish.
Today I am making a bacon, cheese, ras el hanout, - Wow.
- and paprika and chicken quesadilla.
Where does all this influence come from? I come from a French background.
( speaking French ) Aaron, first of all, I like your name.
Now, what are you making, buddy? Today, I'm making meatloaf with potatoes and green beans.
I am a fan of meatloaf.
Down in Georgia, I like to make my meatloaf spicy.
- Mm-hmm.
- So maybe a bit of Tabasco hot sauce.
I live in New Orleans, and they make it in Louisiana.
You know what it's called? - It's called a pepper sauce.
- Pepper sauce.
- Let me hear you go, "Huh huh.
" - Huh huh.
There you go.
All right, best of luck.
Gordon: Eight minutes remaining.
- Let's go.
- Yes.
- Miguel, how we doing? Tell me about the dish.
- Good.
I'm making chicken tenders with sautéed corn and red mashed potatoes.
I feel really confident because I always cook them at home - and my brothers and sisters love it.
- Right.
How are you gonna elevate this? - I'm gonna put some edible - Some edible flowers? Come on.
That's not the thing you see at school, is it? - No.
- Have you tasted these things before? - No.
- Let's have a taste.
- So, what do you think? - Okay.
Maybe.
- You like them? - A little.
Wow.
Love this idea, the presentation.
Love that you're elevating that.
Make those tenders the star.
- Yeah.
Okay, thank you.
- Okay? Good luck.
Two minutes remaining.
Start plating, guys.
- And there.
- What an amazing array of dishes.
- Yes! - How about the creativity - with the sides? - Ooh, gorgeous.
30 seconds remaining! There you go, finishing touches.
I'm doing that right now.
And remember, sadly, we have to say good-bye to at least two of you this evening.
- Make sure it's not you.
- Ben: Make it count.
All: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- That's it.
Hands in the air.
- Gordon: And stop! - Well done.
- You guys did amazing! - ( sighs ) - That was amazing! Tonight, we asked you to make us an A-plus school lunch.
After watching every move that you guys made in that kitchen, and tasting as we go, a lot of you are at the top of your class this evening.
Quite a number of you did such a great job that we only want to examine six dishes further.
From those six, we'll then decide who'll move on in the competition and which two from that six, sadly, will leave the MasterChef kitchen.
But before we do that, we need to celebrate some grade-A dishes.
The best meatloaf out there tonight Evie.
- Congratulations.
- ( cheering ) Thank you.
The best quesadilla was made by a home cook who knows her stuff.
Talulah.
- Well done, young lady.
- ( cheering ) Now for the chicken tenders.
Well done, Thomas.
( cheering ) Unfortunately, we're on to the less good news.
Not all of the dishes made the grade.
Christina: When we call your name, please bring your school lunch up to the front.
The first dish that we would like to examine in further detail Please, bring up your quesadilla, Mateo.
My heart is pounding so fast 'cause it's an elimination challenge.
So I hope I didn't put too much cheese or too little in my quesadilla because I'm not ready to go home.
Mateo, what do you have here, buddy? I made a three-cheese chicken quesadilla, lemon-lime rice, and a black bean purée.
Visually, I love the way that you were able to get beautiful char on the outside of the quesadilla.
Do you see how perfect that is? Are you a fan of quesadillas? Yeah, I'm a pretty big fan.
I make them at my house a lot.
Look at how beautiful the chicken is right there.
And the cheese is hugging the outside of that tortilla.
Beautiful job.
Wonderful.
I love the texture of the outside of the tortilla.
You were able to melt the cheese beautifully.
I love the chicken.
It's cooked through.
And the beans? Spot-on, 'cause there's just such a small amount of them.
- Yeah.
- But the rice is kind of grainy.
It's a little hard to get through.
But what's the star of this dish, Mateo? - The quesadillas.
- Exactly.
So I want you to make sure that you focus on that, little buddy.
All right? Great job.
Good job, Mateo.
Next up, please, Rhashad.
Make your way down.
I'm very nervous about my meatloaf because I only made it once or twice in my whole entire life.
So I really hope it has a lot of flavor and that the judges like how it tastes.
Rhashad, tell me about the dish.
I made a meatloaf with a jerk ketchup glaze, mashed potatoes with shallots and garlic, and green beans.
What concerned me earlier tonight you started prepping the garlic, potatoes, the shallots.
What did you forget to get done first? - The meatloaf.
- Why? I wanted to put the things I chopped inside the meatloaf.
So you have to get them done quickly.
Are you confident the meatloaf's cooked inside? - Yes.
- Now, let's check in there.
Rhashad, what's this? Are you confident the meatloaf's cooked inside? Yes.
Now, let's check in there.
Rhashad, what's this? It's cooked, that's the good news, but it looks a little bit gray.
The kind of thing that my bulldog leaves under the sofa.
And what's this on top of the mash? Chives, garlic, and shallots.
- And would you say they're burnt? - Yes.
Why put them on? Because I wanted it to pop out with the white mashed potatoes.
So, I actually quite like the beans.
They're quite hard to get right.
The mashed potatoes it's soft, it's creamy.
But, sadly, it's got burnt bits of shallot running through.
And the meatloaf needs a bit more seasoning, but I'm just happy that you got this on the plate.
Tough one.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
All right, next up, please, Neko.
I'm not super confident about my finished dish.
My quesadilla doesn't look like I really wanted it to.
But you know what? I did my best.
Neko, what did you make for us? I made a chicken and cheese quesadilla, rice with butter, and beans.
Let's talk about this quesadilla.
When you look through the center there, there's a big hole.
Look through that with me.
I can almost see you through this.
The beautiful part about a quesadilla is that it should be stuffed.
It should be full of yummy, delicious things.
Is there any cheese in there? Mm-hmm.
I made it how my grandpa likes it.
He really likes chicken.
There's so little cheese, that all I'm getting is flour tortilla and chicken.
You missed some of the most important parts of what makes a quesadilla so special, but I appreciate that you really did your best.
It just fell a bit short.
- Thanks, Neko.
- Thank you.
The next home cook, from Atlanta, 12-year-old Miguel.
I'm confused why they called my name.
I've made chicken tenders for my mom, dad, my sister, and my brother, and they always turned out really well.
So I'm hoping that I just did enough to be safe.
Young man, describe the dish, please.
I made chicken tenders with sautéed corn and red mashed potatoes.
So, it looks a little bit unfinished.
No color underneath there.
Lots of color on top.
So it needs to be colored evenly.
How's the cook? The actual cook's okay in there.
Tell me about the breading.
What's on the outside of the chicken tender? Parmesan cheese, paprika, salt, and pepper.
What did you put into this mash? - Butter and sour cream.
- Have a little taste.
What's wrong with those potatoes? - They're hard.
- That tells you what? - That it's - Undercooked.
The chicken is actually not bad.
But the mashed potatoes is a letdown and the corn needs a little bit more spirit in there.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Good job, Miguel.
Next home cook, please step up, Kyle.
I'm surprised I'm one of the bottom six, because I think I did amazing.
Even though I haven't really cooked with meatloaf before, I know this is a high-end meatloaf dish.
Kyle, explain your dish, please.
I have a jalapeño and cheddar stuffed meatloaf with a homemade gravy and saffron mashed potatoes.
Saffron? That's a very luxurious ingredient, Kyle.
Do you just throw saffron around the house all the time? No, I use it on special occasions only, and I considered the MasterChef kitchen, being in here, a special occasion.
I agree with you a hundred percent.
So, visually, your meatloaf, it's misshaped a little bit.
It doesn't have that very uniform square look to it.
What do you think about the color of the meatloaf? - I think it looks okay.
- It's serviceable.
It's cooked all the way through.
I think the potatoes are delicious.
They have a beautiful texture.
They just need salt.
Your meatloaf, it also needs some seasoning as well.
And I think the flavors don't match up to how much work you put into the presentation.
But you took a lot of risks, and that is what gets you far in this competition.
- Good job.
- Thank you, Chef.
- You're fine, okay? - Thank you.
Last up, Shannen.
There's so much butterflies swimming around in my stomach, because although chicken tenders are very popular in New York City, I've never made it before.
Shannen, what did you make? Today, I made chicken tenders with corn, potato chips, and a side of ketchup.
What do you think about chicken tenders? What I love about them is that they're so golden on the outside, and as soon as you cut them, they're just snow white.
I hope I find the same.
Let's see what you got.
Hmm.
Well, I'm gonna be honest.
Christina: What do you think about chicken tenders? What I love about them is that they're so golden on the outside, and as soon as you cut them, they're just snow white.
I hope I find the same.
Let's see what you got.
Well, I'm gonna be honest.
This chicken, it's impressive.
It's beautiful golden brown on the outside.
Nice and tender, juicy.
How did you season this chicken? I put salt and pepper, but I didn't put a lot of seasoning.
So I look at your outfit, and I'm thinking, Shannen, you have all this color and all this personality to you.
And then when I see this dish I go, "Oh, well, that can't be Shannen's because there's not a lot of personality.
" It feels very just sort of by the book.
And though there's nothing technically wrong with the dish, the chicken's cooked well, the potatoes are cooked through, the corn is cooked.
There's nothing about it that screams Shannen.
You gotta take risks and you gotta bring Shannen to every dish that you make.
- Okay? Nice job.
- Okay.
Please, make your way down to your stations.
- Gordon: That was a tough one.
- Aarón: Yep.
- It threw some home cooks for a loop.
- Yeah.
Now, two will be leaving the kitchen tonight.
If we say your name, please come down to the front.
Neko.
Rhashad.
And, finally, Miguel.
All three of you did an amazing job.
You reached the top 24.
Top 24 is something, right? - Yes.
- There you go.
Now, the one individual that is safe and staying in this kitchen, that person is Rhashad.
Rhashad: Thank you.
Good job, Miguel.
I was so close to going home, so I need to really step it up.
I wanna stand out because I'm a good chef and show the judges that I deserve my spot in this competition.
Miguel, Neko, we're gonna miss you.
You both did your family so proud.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Gordon: Neko, come on.
You've been in the most famous kitchen in America.
- How do you feel? - Wonderful.
I made so many new friends.
Miguel, come on, bud.
What's been the most exciting thing for you - in this competition? - Seeing you guys.
Head up high, hold on to those aprons, and promise me one very important thing.
You'll continue cooking.
Mm-hmm.
I will.
- Please have a safe trip home.
- Bye.
Bye, Miguel.
You'll do great.
Even though I'm going back home to Atlanta, Georgia Bye, guys.
I'll miss you.
I beat thousands of thousands of kids to get a white apron, and that's awesome.
You did so well.
Don't stop cooking.
I'm sad to be ending my MasterChef journey, but Gordon, Christina, and Aarón taught me to follow my dreams.
I'll see you again in San Antonio.
( sniffling ) Okay, see you again in San Antonio.
So I know my bakery in San Antonio is gonna be in my grasp in no time.
Announcer: Next time - All: Banana split! - Let's go! You guys get bananas.
I'll bring the ice cream.
- Come on! - the competition - A foot, B foot.
- gets much closer.
- Make one more! - ( shouts ) And the judges face a very messy end.
This is the best day of my life.
- Followed by - Wow.
an elimination challenge ( screaming ) that's alive and pinching.
We're just kids.