MasterChef Junior (2013) s03e03 Episode Script
Grandad Gordon!
Last week Pick it up! the competition was whipped into a frenzy.
Sorry, Gordon.
- Followed by - Sausages! the junior home cooks first team challenge.
- Wow.
- It's spot-on.
Definitely the best sausage of the year.
- Jenna and Mia came out on top - Well done.
But it was an emotional farewell for Alexis and Micah.
I'm gonna miss you guys.
Tonight, a giant mystery box challenge reveals grandad Gordon.
What is wrong with your eyebrows? But the culinary skills of these young home cooks never get old.
You put up a plate like this, you're sending tremors through the rest of the room.
Then a terrifying elimination test - Be careful - that bites back.
Oh My Gosh.
Oh, my god.
- What the - Oh, jeez.
- Oh, my gosh.
We walk in, and there's this huge box.
It was like: "What's underneath? Is it, like, godzilla?" - What is that? - What the hey-hey? An elephant could fit in the box.
A lot of things could fit in the box.
A candy store.
- I know who's in there.
- Who? - It's the judges.
- Are you sure? - Yes.
- We're gonna cook 'em.
- Graham.
- What? They're in there.
Graham.
Graham.
Wake up.
I think the kids are here.
- They're here.
- Oh, my god.
- Where are you? - Who is that? They look weird.
Oh, my god.
There were these old farts sitting there.
You guys look old.
What is wrong with your eyebrows? Graham didn't age well at all above his eyes.
He looks like he has, like, two little squirrels Don't worry, kids, it's me, Gordon A Gordon Ramsay age 80-ish.
And it's me, Graham, just a tad bit older.
A little.
Oh, yeah.
Where's Joe? I'm afraid to say I've got some really bad news.
Joe Joe didn't make it.
He didn't make it in time to get into the box.
What in the Joe is, like, this old Italian guy, And he has all his chest hair showing, and I'm just like: "Put a shirt on.
" Hi, guys.
Sorry I'm late.
Joe, what happened to you? Okay, you now need to prepare for your next mystery box challenge.
All of you please head to your stations.
Are all you youngsters ready to find out why we've all gotten so old for this challenge? Yes, chef! Old man.
Okay, on the count of three I want you to lift your boxes.
One, two - What number was I on? - Was it six? - Wasn't six.
Just lift those boxes now.
Oh, god.
Gross.
- I can't lift it.
- What in the world? No.
Under there, you have ingredients that, like us, get better with age.
You have dry, aged New York strip steak, Two-year aged iberico ham, smoked salmon, Black garlic, preserved lemon, and five-month aged blue cheese That smells a bit like old Joe.
Hey! How do you turn rotten things into yummy things? Along with those aged ingredients inside tonight's mystery box, you will all have access to a limited pantry of the freshest, most vibrant baby vegetables.
You'll also have a staple pantry box to help you with your delicious dishes.
There's one other special ingredient.
Please, all of you, open your drawers in front of you.
It's a surface? What you have there is some of that newfangled technology - Tablets.
- Oh, my god.
We want you to take those surface tablets and use Skype to call your favorite old person.
You're gonna ask them for recipes, ask them for inspiration, or just tell them that you love them.
It's time to call your older loved ones.
- Go ahead.
- Hi, grandma.
Jimmy, how are you, sweetheart? - Gramika? - Have you been cooking up a storm? Yes, I have, and guess what? I'm in the top 12, and now we have this mystery box My grandma and I always do thanksgiving dinner.
And we have all these old ingredients.
She's encouraged me to cook ever since I was little.
I kind of want to do, like, a dessert, because that'll make me, like, stand out, you know? The only dessert thing there is is these lemons The preserved lemons.
- Oh, that's very good.
- Don't forget salt and pepper.
You got to season.
I have these ingredients.
It's all aged stuff.
And I was thinking about making kimchi and prosciutto fried rice.
Remember, herbs, spices, smell and taste.
Okay.
Okay, guys, it's time to say good-bye to your loved ones.
- I love you.
- I love you, baby.
- Catch 'em.
- I love you.
- Love you.
- Okay, good luck.
Bye.
- Bye.
We hope you were all inspired by talking to your loved ones.
Using those conversations and their wisdom, You will have one hour to use all or some of those ingredients to make us an incredible MasterChef-worthy dish.
Thank you.
Now, the winner of tonight's challenge will get a huge advantage in the pantry.
Is everyone ready to make us a delicious dish using those ingredients that get better with age? Yes, chef! Your one hour starts Now.
- Where are the potatoes? - They're right there.
So these are 8- to 13-year-old home cooks and we're giving them ingredients that are older than most of them.
Age means refinement in a lot of products.
Certainly cheese and balsamic vinegar.
Even steak.
The older, sometimes the better a product can be.
Riley was born in 2006.
The vinegar on the board is older than him.
Come on.
2006.
I still haven't finished my tax returns from 2006.
I'm gonna make a fennel panna cotta with a preserved lemon and vanilla bean syrup.
I wanted to show that even with the hardest ingredients, I can still do what people don't expect of me.
I'm going to make a pan-cooked steak with baby cauliflower couscous, and I'm also gonna make a sauce using the black garlic.
I think it has a good chance of winning.
I'm making a salmon-stuffed ravioli with a lemon puree.
I'm gonna use some old cheese and I know how to make ravioli, So I think I'm gonna get that advantage.
guys.
Cory, slow down.
Baby radishes, come to papa.
- Hi, Kayla.
- Hello.
- You like my outfit? - No.
- Why not? This is what old Italian men look like.
- I don't know about that.
- What are you making? A root vegetable hash with the crispy ham and sauerkraut.
- Nice.
You're not using the steak, huh? - No.
Blue cheese? Is it too stinky? Stinks like old people, huh? Well, it stinks like you.
- That's disgusting.
- It smells like my feet.
Here, I'll leave you my sock as a memento of my visit.
Luckily, I'm not using the fish sauce.
Right, Andrew, how are you feeling? - I'm feeling confident, chef.
- What's the dish? Marinated grilled steak with cheese and prosciutto mashed potato, black garlic sauce, and a fennel salad.
Nice.
What's the ambition? What's the dream? To open a restaurant with crepes.
- Got any names for this creperie? - Holy crepe.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
- Hi, Riley.
How you doing? - Good.
What do you got going in your pot over here? I'm making seared steak with smoky beef ramen.
Wow.
Who's your favorite old person that you know? - You.
- Me? - Yeah.
- In the whole world? - Yes.
Because your eyebrows are creepy.
One day, you're gonna have eyebrows just like this.
- It creeps me out.
- It creeps you out? - Yeah.
- Should I leave? - Yes.
- Okay.
Less than five minutes remain.
Start plating, guys.
Definitely some cool stuff going on out there.
Jack's fascinating, 'cause he's doing a wonderful spiced rub on the steak and doing, like, a black garlic sauce as well.
Over here, Jenna is going in a completely different route, doing a vanilla panna cotta with preserved lemon and a little fennel.
- Andrew's got a black garlic marinade with his steak.
- Nice.
That guy is in the zone.
I think Andrew is definitely cooking with authority.
Some people learn great technique.
Others seem to have a real natural ability.
and that kid Andrew does not seem scared of the flame at all.
One minute remaining.
Come on, guys.
Finishing touches now.
Make sure those dishes look stunning.
Let's go, guys.
This is it.
Here we go.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Hands in the air.
In tonight's mystery box challenge, the young home cooks were given ingredients that, like the judges, have gotten better with age.
Throughout the challenge, they tasted elements of all the home cooks' dishes as they came together.
Very nice.
They now take one last look to choose the top three standouts, and the winner of this challenge will receive a major advantage in the next round.
Right.
Well done.
Your dishes look absolutely fantastic.
Before we make some tough decisions, before we taste some of those amazing dishes, we first need to quickly turn back time.
Turn around, guys.
You're young.
You're back where you were.
Thank you.
You're right, we're young.
Now, there are some phenomenal dishes out there, But some of you showed a little bit more respect for those elderly ingredients And really worked at getting it brought together To look like a stunning dish.
This young home cook has already been in the top three of mystery box challenge.
Will they make it back into the pantry again? Congratulations.
Please step forward Jack.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
I'm really happy for Jack.
His dish looks beautiful.
But I'm a little disappointed that my name wasn't called.
Right, young man.
How old are you? - I'm 12 years old.
- 12 years of age.
First of all, that dish looks like It just came out of a restaurant.
Describe it.
Pan-seared new york strip over cauliflower couscous with a side of fennel and carrot salad.
And the couscous underneath you've just cooked in butter, right? - And olive oil.
- And olive oil.
You see, there's so much confidence coming through the simplicity of your food.
The couscous is delicious.
The cook on the steak is incredible.
You've nailed the temperature.
The fennel salad, slightly weird with the red meat.
However, I loved the zestiness and the vibrancy of it.
It cuts the richness of the steak.
But for me, the balance is absolutely spot-on.
- Young man, great job.
Well done.
- Thank you, chef.
A great spice rub on there.
Is that cumin? It's cumin, coriander, cayenne and smoked paprika.
It's beautiful.
It is a perfect idea of mixing something old and young.
Baby vegetables, steak, putting them together, Making them better than each on their own.
Great job there.
Really good.
You know, when I saw you cooking this, you definitely used some pretty good techniques.
You put up a plate like this, You're sending tremors through the rest of the room.
- Good work, Jack.
- Thank you.
- Keep it up.
The next dish that we want to take a closer look at, It literally looks like it came straight out of a restaurant, and that's pretty awesome, because this young home cook could still be eating off the kids' menu.
The next dish belongs to Please pick me.
Please pick me.
- Our youngest competitor.
- Me.
Good job.
Bring your dish up here please.
Good job, Riley.
Even though Riley is small and is the youngest competitor, I know that he is a strong chef, and now I think people will definitely see that he is someone to watch out for.
This is amazing.
What is the dish? Explain it to me.
It's seared steak with smoky beef ramen.
How did you cook the steak? I put salt and pepper and some miso.
- You rubbed the steak with the miso? - Yes.
I saw you doing that.
It made "miso" happy.
The vegetables are amazing.
The fact that you used the iberico ham in that ramen broth to give it even more flavor.
- Very smart.
- Thank you.
Almost an Asian-inspired pot-au-feu.
Really, this is easily your strongest dish that we've seen you do.
Thank you.
Riley, Riley, Riley.
Have you tasted this? - Yes.
- All together with the veg and the broth? - Not all together.
.
- Yeah, here, let me just, a little bit.
You've really got to get in there Where it's been sat in the broth like that.
I mean, mmm! Right? Seriously.
The flavor of the broth is delicious.
The steak is perfect.
And that dish confirms that you're from Texas.
- Yep.
- Because that is Riley on a plate.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
- Thanks.
Nice job.
The final dish in contention for this mystery box.
This dish belongs to one of the biggest culinary threats in this room.
Please step forward - Andrew.
- Nice job.
I am seriously, honestly, deep down in my heart, I am passionate, and I want to win.
So I'm real excited to be in the top three.
Like, I'm bouncing off the walls of the MasterChef kitchen.
What happened to your apron? You have more steak on your apron than you do on the plate.
Yeah, it got messy.
Talk us through the dish.
Grilled steak with a black garlic sauce, a fennel salad and smashed potatoes with pancetta.
This looks like a, you know, a dish out of a high-end steakhouse restaurant.
You eat at a lot of restaurants? Not really.
My parents enjoy my cooking.
They enjoy your cooking? Tell me about the smashed potatoes.
They're a little dark-looking.
Why so dark? I kept the skin on because they were small.
They were, like, fingerling potatoes.
So I crushed them in the pan with a fork.
What's the sweetness? Are there some onions on this? Actually, it's the black garlic.
- Wow.
- It has a natural sweetness.
- Yeah, I love it.
- And I didn't add too much salt because I didn't want to ruin its flavor.
Really good.
You want to have a restaurant, right? - Yeah.
- Would you serve this in your restaurant? - I would.
- How much you charge for this at Andrew's? - On the menu.
- Great job, dude.
-Thanks, Joe.
Visually, it looks wonderful.
Why smashed potatoes? I think that the rusticity of the potatoes complements the steak.
And I added some green on top.
The fennel flowers.
And I think that gives it a nice appearance.
I love this, you know, "just a black garlic sauce," "rusticity," I mean, seriously.
I mean, you're 11 years of age.
- Seriously, great job.
- Well done.
- Thank you, chef.
- Nice job, Andrew.
- Thanks, Jack.
(Gordon) Jack, Riley, and Andrew, tonight, all three of you produced three amazing dishes that could easily be served in any of our restaurants.
They were that good.
But there can only be one winner, and that individual will receive a huge advantage in the pantry.
The dish that we felt had the slight edge by a fine whisker of Graham's eyebrows.
That thin.
Congratulations Three amazing dishes, but there can only be one winner.
And that individual will receive a huge advantage in the pantry.
Congratulations Andrew.
Well done.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
Yes.
This is what I came here to do.
I came here to win challenges.
This shows that I'm not just all talk, that I am the one to beat.
- Let's go into the pantry.
- Let's go.
11-year-old Andrew is now in control of the elimination test.
At the end of this challenge, at least two junior home cooks will have to say good-bye.
Andrew, your first advantage for winning that mystery box challenge Is that you Don't have to cook in the upcoming elimination challenge.
Now, Andrew, it is time to make an important choice.
Are you ready to find out what three ingredients you'll have to choose from? Yes, I am.
Tonight, Andrew, You will choose between three animals.
Three very dangerous animals.
Animals that you can eat, But animals that could also eat you.
First up, Andrew, we have something that's a bit scaly, Slippery, An animal that will let you know when it's angry with you.
You'll hear it loud and clear.
- Don't do it, don't do it.
- You ready? - Yeah, I'm ready.
Oh, my god.
A deadly Angry Rattlesnake.
- Come take a closer look.
- I'm good.
Now, they are highly poisonous.
And believe it or not, you can eat one of these guys.
Their meat is delicious.
Are you sure this is MasterChef junior? Next up, An animal that likes to hang out in the waters, the lakes, ponds, swamps of America.
And if you get too close, It can snap your nose clean off A snapping turtle.
Now, these guys can grow to be up to 300 pounds.
If you can catch one of these monsters, then you have to be careful cooking it, because they have a tendency to be really, really tough.
- Where's the third ingredient? - Andrew, trust me, rattlesnakes, snapping turtles seem like kittens compared to this next thing.
Stay there.
It lives in swamps.
It loves eating.
It has a lot of teeth.
And when this guy gets angry He can Snap! Jeez, come on! Of course, it's an alligator.
They can grow to be up to 1,000 pounds and 14 feet long.
Most commonly, we eat the tail.
And, trust me, it's absolutely delicious.
It's also very easy to overcook, so you need to know exactly what you're doing to get this cooked to perfection.
Andrew, time to decide which one of these three scary, deadly, dangerous animals That everyone out in the kitchen is gonna have to cook with tonight to stay in the competition.
Is it gonna be rattlesnake, the snapping turtle, or the alligator? I choose Andrew is safe up on the balcony.
He does not have to cook in this elimination challenge.
And, as Andrew, the boss, is missing his native New Jersey, I have ordered him a huge tomato pie to enjoy.
Thanks, Joe.
Aww.
I want pizza.
Now, back in the pantry, Andrew got to choose between three ingredients any chef would be scared to work with.
Andrew got to choose between a rattlesnake Those are edible? A snapping turtle And finally A cute little, fun little thing called An alligator.
Oh, my gosh.
Andrew, tell everybody which of those extremely dangerous and deadly animals did you choose for them to cook tonight.
They're gonna have to go in the pantry and see for themselves.
Whatever Andrew chose, I can promise you it's in there and it is scary.
Oh, my gosh.
It's waiting to give you all a big, slimy, ferocious cuddle.
It's disgusting.
I'm, like, one of those people.
I cook chicken and steak and normal things.
I don't want to cook a deadly animal.
You have one hour to make this an amazing dish featuring that scary ingredient.
- Now, is everyone ready? - Yes, chef! Your 60 minutes Starts - Now! - Let's go.
Go! I hope it's not alligator.
I am so scared.
Oh My Gosh.
Oh My Gosh.
Oh, my god! We're going to get you out.
It was looking at me, like I was its lunch.
I think I'm literally gonna throw up.
- Can you help me get this down? - I got it.
- Thank you.
You never know what's gonna happen on MasterChef.
I've only cooked alligator once before.
It's an easy meat to cook, if you know how to cook it.
But it's also pretty easy for alligator to go from a soft, tender meat and into jerky.
We will help you.
This is heavy.
I am going to make a alligator curry over jasmine rice.
Alligator is a really tricky meat, and I know it's really tough.
I'm gonna go the Indian route with this, because Indian involves lots of sauces, and I think that would complement the tough alligator really well.
I'm making a alligator chili.
In San Diego, we have a lot of restaurants that serve alligator burgers, alligator steaks, and I really think I know what the decent flavor of an alligator is.
I think I'm gonna knock this one out of the park.
- You're doing a chili? - Yeah.
- Awesome.
I just burned my hair.
I'm making grilled alligator with a pepper sauce and then peppered mushroom rice.
I think that my parents in Orange County would be really, really amazed.
I think this challenge is crazy.
- Wow.
Tough one, this one here.
- Totally tough.
For anyone who's ever eaten alligator before, it tastes a bit like chicken, but has the aftertaste of a fish.
- Yeah.
- Very lean, no fat.
What would you guys do with this alligator? I would do, like, a cajun stew, Brown dirty rice, an eggplant.
So it's a really nice, earthy delicious dish.
I would do an alligator schnitzel, Pound it super thin so that it breaks it down, Do a nice, quick sautee with that bread crumb, Then do the lemon.
With the alligator, who is he putting the bite on? He's trying to take out his strongest competition tonight: Jimmy, Jenna, Jack.
He knows that they are gonna, possibly over think this one tonight, because this is a tough project to get right.
- Do you need help? - Yeah.
- Thank you.
Mia, how you doing? - I'm good.
- Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? I'm making fried alligator tacos with grilled watermelon salsa and chipotle monnaise.
You nervous about it? It's a little scary cooking alligator because I've never made alligator before.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
- Cory, how we doing, boss? - We're doing good.
- Tell me exactly what you have.
- Alligator stir-fry.
I grinded it up, and then I put some seasoning in it, so it won't be plain.
- What are you doing with the egg? - I'm gonna do a fried egg.
- Stir-fry breakfast? - Yeah, a little decoration too.
Great, all right.
Good luck.
- Jimmy.
- Hey, Joe.
Look at this.
You got guac.
You got your mise en place.
- Where are you from, Jimmy, again? - I'm from Santa Clarita.
- California boy, right? - Yeah.
So you eat alligator once a week? How often do you eat alligator? - Never had alligator.
- No? All right, what's the dish? It's a alligator fajitas with homemade guac.
All right, good luck, buddy.
Less than ten minutes to go, guys.
Taste the alligator.
Make sure it's got some oomph.
There's a lot of top-notch dishes going out there.
Yes.
Jenna's doing an amazing alligator curry.
Nathan's doing a nice, spicy chili.
I think that where Andrew thought He was gonna take more the experienced cooks and they would over complicate it They didn't.
They went to their roots.
They went tex-mex.
They went curry, they went chili.
- Nathan, how does it taste? - Amazing.
- Awesome.
One minute remaining.
Make sure that alligator looks snappy.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three two, one.
Stop! - Yes.
- Hands in the air.
Well done.
Good job, everybody.
Lots of different dishes.
We cannot wait to taste them.
Let's begin with Jenna.
I've never cooked with alligator before.
I'm just, like, nervous.
I know the Indian curry complements the flavors, but I don't want it to hide too much.
I mean, the alligator is really supposed to be the hero here.
Wow.
That looks charming.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a alligator curry over jasmine rice with raita.
It smells and looks delicious.
You pounded out the alligator, right? - Yeah.
- And then what did you do? I cut it up pretty small because I know it's really tough.
It's absolutely delicious, Fragrant, classic You've got that refined sort of blend going on because even without the alligator in there, it would have been a delicious vegetable curry.
The sauce and gravy is that good.
The rice cooked perfectly, But the alligator you've made really tender.
And I think that's the hardest job tonight, Getting that alligator soft.
And you've done it 100%.
Great job.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
Don't try to find out what I'm looking at.
- You're always looking at something.
- You'll never know, Never.
Great use of spice, makes it very hearty.
You can smell and taste the garam masala, That cumin comes through.
The raita, it's there to help cool everything.
- Great job, delicious.
- Thank you.
Tell me, the curry is it coconut milk or cream? Cream.
Well, it's really, really good, very, very complex.
It's really good use with the alligator.
The rice is perfectly cooked.
The other vegetables complement the alligator perfectly.
You are a curry master.
You ever been to India? - No, I want to go, though.
- You do yoga? Give me a pose.
Give me a pose.
Come on.
That's the best you've got? Come on.
Let's do it together.
Okay.
This is downward dog.
And then moving one foot forward.
Joe, throw out a hip.
- You are a curry master.
- Ever been to India? - No, I want to go, though.
- You do yoga? - Come on, we'll do it together, ready? - Okay.
This is downward dog.
And then moving one foot forward.
Joe, don't throw out a hip.
Joe! Are you okay? Yeah.
That was good.
I know who's not a yoga master.
I'm, like, in la la land.
I cooked alligator, and the judges liked my alligator.
My dish is the bomb dot com.
Next up, please, Kyler.
I've never grilled alligator before.
But I feel okay.
I tried it.
I liked it.
I think it was a little tough, but I feel very confident in my dish, that it's gonna get me to the next round.
Tell me exactly what you made here.
Grilled alligator, mushroom peppered rice, and then a pepper sauce on the side.
Wow.
Very tough, huh? You hear that? It's like - Like a bouncy ball.
- Yeah, it's like a hammer.
It's really dense.
You can see It's like a really thick piece of jerky.
The char cook on the outside, delicious, very meaty, very tasty.
Everything else, overcooked, dry, very tough.
So next time, you got to pound that really thin if you're gonna cook it that way.
Okay.
But the balance and flavor's there.
Thanks.
Next up, Mia, please.
Thank you.
All right, so, young lady, describe the dish.
Fried alligator tacos with grilled watermelon salsa and chipotle mayonnaise.
The chipotle mayonnaise is delicious.
The big issue for me is the alligator.
It is so tough.
When it goes bright white like that, that means it's fried too long.
Great idea.
Very smart.
Unfortunately, was let down with the cooking on the alligator 'cause it's so tough.
Tonight the alligator bit you on the butt.
Next up, please, Cory.
Tell me what we have.
Alligator stir-fry, topped with a fried egg.
Great use of spice.
It's bold.
It's got heat.
The fact that you cooked the egg perfect, you took the time cut it out with the little ring mold.
This is delicious, one of the best things that I've had so far in the competition.
Thank you.
Next, we'd like to try Nathan's dish.
I have to do well in this challenge because if I don't, I kind of feel like I'm going to be one of those people who is pretty average, and I know we're all amateur home cooks, but I want to be a little bit more than amateur.
All right.
What do we got, Nathan? A alligator chili topped with a lime sour cream, garnished with fresh cilantro.
- What are the spices in here? - Cinnamon, cumin, I also used dark chocolate.
- You added dark chocolate to this? - Yes.
- Who taught you how to do that? - My mom.
- Is that, like, a Mexican thing? - It's kind of a Mexican thing, it's - Like a mole? - It's how mole is made.
- Yeah.
I certainly wouldn't think of adding dark chocolate to chili.
But It's delicious.
The depth of flavor of this chili is profound.
You've layered the flavors.
You used a lot of technique.
I have to say, this is an excellent use of alligator.
- It's the real deal.
Good job, Nathan.
- Thank you.
- Nice dish.
You've gone for slightly sort of Mexican take on the chili.
Why? Because I felt it would interpret my heritage well, considering I'm part Mexican.
Delicious.
I mean, seriously I wish everybody here tonight could taste that.
And the alligator's tender.
it's quite vibrant as well, in terms of flavor.
You're 12 years of age.
Big credit to your parents.
Because you bring a standard of cooking to this competition that very few have reached so far.
I'm just happy you're raising the bar.
Don't stop.
Thank you so much.
This might be the dish that'll finally get me Into the top three of the challenge.
I'm feeling ecstatic.
Last up Jimmy, please.
I'm pretty sure that everything in my dish is really well-cooked.
I'm just hoping that the judges think it was enough.
All right.
Explain your dish to me.
Alligator fajita with homemade guacamole.
The guacamole is very good.
The alligator It's interesting.
It's not as tough as the ones we saw before.
It has good flavor from the pan.
And the way you sauteed it's good.
The veggies all have nice caramelization.
I love the mushrooms, really good char on them.
But There's not a lot going on in this dish.
It's pretty simple.
I mean, like, what did you do in an hour? This is elimination.
Two people going home at least.
I thought from a guy like you, Oldest competitors here I thought that you would really kind of push the pedal to the metal.
And it seems like to me, that maybe you're putting the brakes out a little bit tonight, Jimmy.
It's not the night to put on the brakes, my friend.
I thought that you would really kind of push the pedal to the metal.
And it seems like to me, that maybe you're putting the brakes on a little bit tonight, Jimmy.
It's not the night to put on the brakes, my friend.
I have to tell you, honestly, I expected more from you.
Thank you.
Jimmy's one of my friends here, and I'm really, really nervous for him.
All right, all of you, well done.
Tremendous job.
Sadly, we have to say good-bye to at least two of you tonight.
Give us one minute, please.
- Jenna's was incredible.
- Yeah, the curry, so smart.
Nathan's truly was probably the one I liked the best.
- Yeah, it's the best dish he's ever made.
- Caramalized.
- You did really good, Cory.
- Oh, thanks.
Thanks.
Big letdown for me tonight was Jimmy.
I was amazed that Jimmy sort of almost opted out.
They were good, but I mean, he could have done that in ten minutes.
Kyler's, tough as anything.
Mia's was also tough.
I'm so nervous.
Oh, my gosh.
I totally think I'm going home.
Guys, that was a very tough challenge.
And for home cooks, 8 to 13 years of age, truly extraordinary.
There were three dishes that really stood out as winning dishes tonight.
The first of those dishes Congratulations, Jenna.
- Good job, Jenna! - Thank you.
Another fantastic dish tonight Big man in the pink glasses, Cory.
Yes! The third outstanding dish of the evening Congratulations, Nathan.
All three of you, well done.
But as you all know, we do have to say good-bye to two very talented home cooks.
Would the following three young home cooks please step down to the front? Kyler, Jimmy.
Come on down here, young man, please.
Finally, Mia.
Make your way down to the front, please.
You guys all did an amazing job tonight.
And I want you to be very proud of yourselves and each other.
This is, in fact, a competition, so not all of you will be moving forward to the next stage.
One of you just escaped elimination.
One of you Will be going back to your station and staying in this competition, Which sadly means Two of you will be going home tonight.
Jimmy.
You barely escaped elimination tonight.
We want to see more from you 'cause we know you can do it.
Please head back to your station.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
I'm in the top ten, but now I have to really step up my game because they expect a lot from me.
So whatever I make next, it has to be really good.
Kyler and Mia, you two have been brilliant across this competition.
Here's the thing Top 12 across America.
Keep your heads up high.
I am so sorry, but it's time to say good-bye to you both.
But just promise me one thing, that you will keep cooking.
'cause you've inspired thousands.
Don't forget that.
Well done.
Good night.
I'm proud of myself because only to the top 12 of MasterChef Junior.
And, like, thousands of kids tried out for this.
That's amazing.
But I'm sad that I have to leave the MasterChef kitchen.
You did really good.
Keep cooking.
Being in the MasterChef kitchen is way better than being in school.
I've made so many great friends.
And it's really fun cooking in a big kitchen for the judges.
It was really cool.
- Next week - Three - You look good.
- Two - Hurry! One Switch! - Go, go! - It's a high-pressure sushi tag-team challenge.
Go! You can do it! make it perfect! Only the cooks with raw talent You got to be a ninja! and the sharpest skills Come on! Go! Go! will make the cut.
It's the best sushi we've ever had in this kitchen, Even including the adults.
- Thank you.
- I love that.
Thank you.
good evening from washington, where we're minutes away from President obama's state of the union address to the nation, his First ever before a republican led congress.
I'm shepard smith live at the russell row tun da.
Spoiler alert, the crisis has passed and the state of the Union is strong.
The president
Sorry, Gordon.
- Followed by - Sausages! the junior home cooks first team challenge.
- Wow.
- It's spot-on.
Definitely the best sausage of the year.
- Jenna and Mia came out on top - Well done.
But it was an emotional farewell for Alexis and Micah.
I'm gonna miss you guys.
Tonight, a giant mystery box challenge reveals grandad Gordon.
What is wrong with your eyebrows? But the culinary skills of these young home cooks never get old.
You put up a plate like this, you're sending tremors through the rest of the room.
Then a terrifying elimination test - Be careful - that bites back.
Oh My Gosh.
Oh, my god.
- What the - Oh, jeez.
- Oh, my gosh.
We walk in, and there's this huge box.
It was like: "What's underneath? Is it, like, godzilla?" - What is that? - What the hey-hey? An elephant could fit in the box.
A lot of things could fit in the box.
A candy store.
- I know who's in there.
- Who? - It's the judges.
- Are you sure? - Yes.
- We're gonna cook 'em.
- Graham.
- What? They're in there.
Graham.
Graham.
Wake up.
I think the kids are here.
- They're here.
- Oh, my god.
- Where are you? - Who is that? They look weird.
Oh, my god.
There were these old farts sitting there.
You guys look old.
What is wrong with your eyebrows? Graham didn't age well at all above his eyes.
He looks like he has, like, two little squirrels Don't worry, kids, it's me, Gordon A Gordon Ramsay age 80-ish.
And it's me, Graham, just a tad bit older.
A little.
Oh, yeah.
Where's Joe? I'm afraid to say I've got some really bad news.
Joe Joe didn't make it.
He didn't make it in time to get into the box.
What in the Joe is, like, this old Italian guy, And he has all his chest hair showing, and I'm just like: "Put a shirt on.
" Hi, guys.
Sorry I'm late.
Joe, what happened to you? Okay, you now need to prepare for your next mystery box challenge.
All of you please head to your stations.
Are all you youngsters ready to find out why we've all gotten so old for this challenge? Yes, chef! Old man.
Okay, on the count of three I want you to lift your boxes.
One, two - What number was I on? - Was it six? - Wasn't six.
Just lift those boxes now.
Oh, god.
Gross.
- I can't lift it.
- What in the world? No.
Under there, you have ingredients that, like us, get better with age.
You have dry, aged New York strip steak, Two-year aged iberico ham, smoked salmon, Black garlic, preserved lemon, and five-month aged blue cheese That smells a bit like old Joe.
Hey! How do you turn rotten things into yummy things? Along with those aged ingredients inside tonight's mystery box, you will all have access to a limited pantry of the freshest, most vibrant baby vegetables.
You'll also have a staple pantry box to help you with your delicious dishes.
There's one other special ingredient.
Please, all of you, open your drawers in front of you.
It's a surface? What you have there is some of that newfangled technology - Tablets.
- Oh, my god.
We want you to take those surface tablets and use Skype to call your favorite old person.
You're gonna ask them for recipes, ask them for inspiration, or just tell them that you love them.
It's time to call your older loved ones.
- Go ahead.
- Hi, grandma.
Jimmy, how are you, sweetheart? - Gramika? - Have you been cooking up a storm? Yes, I have, and guess what? I'm in the top 12, and now we have this mystery box My grandma and I always do thanksgiving dinner.
And we have all these old ingredients.
She's encouraged me to cook ever since I was little.
I kind of want to do, like, a dessert, because that'll make me, like, stand out, you know? The only dessert thing there is is these lemons The preserved lemons.
- Oh, that's very good.
- Don't forget salt and pepper.
You got to season.
I have these ingredients.
It's all aged stuff.
And I was thinking about making kimchi and prosciutto fried rice.
Remember, herbs, spices, smell and taste.
Okay.
Okay, guys, it's time to say good-bye to your loved ones.
- I love you.
- I love you, baby.
- Catch 'em.
- I love you.
- Love you.
- Okay, good luck.
Bye.
- Bye.
We hope you were all inspired by talking to your loved ones.
Using those conversations and their wisdom, You will have one hour to use all or some of those ingredients to make us an incredible MasterChef-worthy dish.
Thank you.
Now, the winner of tonight's challenge will get a huge advantage in the pantry.
Is everyone ready to make us a delicious dish using those ingredients that get better with age? Yes, chef! Your one hour starts Now.
- Where are the potatoes? - They're right there.
So these are 8- to 13-year-old home cooks and we're giving them ingredients that are older than most of them.
Age means refinement in a lot of products.
Certainly cheese and balsamic vinegar.
Even steak.
The older, sometimes the better a product can be.
Riley was born in 2006.
The vinegar on the board is older than him.
Come on.
2006.
I still haven't finished my tax returns from 2006.
I'm gonna make a fennel panna cotta with a preserved lemon and vanilla bean syrup.
I wanted to show that even with the hardest ingredients, I can still do what people don't expect of me.
I'm going to make a pan-cooked steak with baby cauliflower couscous, and I'm also gonna make a sauce using the black garlic.
I think it has a good chance of winning.
I'm making a salmon-stuffed ravioli with a lemon puree.
I'm gonna use some old cheese and I know how to make ravioli, So I think I'm gonna get that advantage.
guys.
Cory, slow down.
Baby radishes, come to papa.
- Hi, Kayla.
- Hello.
- You like my outfit? - No.
- Why not? This is what old Italian men look like.
- I don't know about that.
- What are you making? A root vegetable hash with the crispy ham and sauerkraut.
- Nice.
You're not using the steak, huh? - No.
Blue cheese? Is it too stinky? Stinks like old people, huh? Well, it stinks like you.
- That's disgusting.
- It smells like my feet.
Here, I'll leave you my sock as a memento of my visit.
Luckily, I'm not using the fish sauce.
Right, Andrew, how are you feeling? - I'm feeling confident, chef.
- What's the dish? Marinated grilled steak with cheese and prosciutto mashed potato, black garlic sauce, and a fennel salad.
Nice.
What's the ambition? What's the dream? To open a restaurant with crepes.
- Got any names for this creperie? - Holy crepe.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
- Hi, Riley.
How you doing? - Good.
What do you got going in your pot over here? I'm making seared steak with smoky beef ramen.
Wow.
Who's your favorite old person that you know? - You.
- Me? - Yeah.
- In the whole world? - Yes.
Because your eyebrows are creepy.
One day, you're gonna have eyebrows just like this.
- It creeps me out.
- It creeps you out? - Yeah.
- Should I leave? - Yes.
- Okay.
Less than five minutes remain.
Start plating, guys.
Definitely some cool stuff going on out there.
Jack's fascinating, 'cause he's doing a wonderful spiced rub on the steak and doing, like, a black garlic sauce as well.
Over here, Jenna is going in a completely different route, doing a vanilla panna cotta with preserved lemon and a little fennel.
- Andrew's got a black garlic marinade with his steak.
- Nice.
That guy is in the zone.
I think Andrew is definitely cooking with authority.
Some people learn great technique.
Others seem to have a real natural ability.
and that kid Andrew does not seem scared of the flame at all.
One minute remaining.
Come on, guys.
Finishing touches now.
Make sure those dishes look stunning.
Let's go, guys.
This is it.
Here we go.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.
Hands in the air.
In tonight's mystery box challenge, the young home cooks were given ingredients that, like the judges, have gotten better with age.
Throughout the challenge, they tasted elements of all the home cooks' dishes as they came together.
Very nice.
They now take one last look to choose the top three standouts, and the winner of this challenge will receive a major advantage in the next round.
Right.
Well done.
Your dishes look absolutely fantastic.
Before we make some tough decisions, before we taste some of those amazing dishes, we first need to quickly turn back time.
Turn around, guys.
You're young.
You're back where you were.
Thank you.
You're right, we're young.
Now, there are some phenomenal dishes out there, But some of you showed a little bit more respect for those elderly ingredients And really worked at getting it brought together To look like a stunning dish.
This young home cook has already been in the top three of mystery box challenge.
Will they make it back into the pantry again? Congratulations.
Please step forward Jack.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
I'm really happy for Jack.
His dish looks beautiful.
But I'm a little disappointed that my name wasn't called.
Right, young man.
How old are you? - I'm 12 years old.
- 12 years of age.
First of all, that dish looks like It just came out of a restaurant.
Describe it.
Pan-seared new york strip over cauliflower couscous with a side of fennel and carrot salad.
And the couscous underneath you've just cooked in butter, right? - And olive oil.
- And olive oil.
You see, there's so much confidence coming through the simplicity of your food.
The couscous is delicious.
The cook on the steak is incredible.
You've nailed the temperature.
The fennel salad, slightly weird with the red meat.
However, I loved the zestiness and the vibrancy of it.
It cuts the richness of the steak.
But for me, the balance is absolutely spot-on.
- Young man, great job.
Well done.
- Thank you, chef.
A great spice rub on there.
Is that cumin? It's cumin, coriander, cayenne and smoked paprika.
It's beautiful.
It is a perfect idea of mixing something old and young.
Baby vegetables, steak, putting them together, Making them better than each on their own.
Great job there.
Really good.
You know, when I saw you cooking this, you definitely used some pretty good techniques.
You put up a plate like this, You're sending tremors through the rest of the room.
- Good work, Jack.
- Thank you.
- Keep it up.
The next dish that we want to take a closer look at, It literally looks like it came straight out of a restaurant, and that's pretty awesome, because this young home cook could still be eating off the kids' menu.
The next dish belongs to Please pick me.
Please pick me.
- Our youngest competitor.
- Me.
Good job.
Bring your dish up here please.
Good job, Riley.
Even though Riley is small and is the youngest competitor, I know that he is a strong chef, and now I think people will definitely see that he is someone to watch out for.
This is amazing.
What is the dish? Explain it to me.
It's seared steak with smoky beef ramen.
How did you cook the steak? I put salt and pepper and some miso.
- You rubbed the steak with the miso? - Yes.
I saw you doing that.
It made "miso" happy.
The vegetables are amazing.
The fact that you used the iberico ham in that ramen broth to give it even more flavor.
- Very smart.
- Thank you.
Almost an Asian-inspired pot-au-feu.
Really, this is easily your strongest dish that we've seen you do.
Thank you.
Riley, Riley, Riley.
Have you tasted this? - Yes.
- All together with the veg and the broth? - Not all together.
.
- Yeah, here, let me just, a little bit.
You've really got to get in there Where it's been sat in the broth like that.
I mean, mmm! Right? Seriously.
The flavor of the broth is delicious.
The steak is perfect.
And that dish confirms that you're from Texas.
- Yep.
- Because that is Riley on a plate.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
- Thanks.
Nice job.
The final dish in contention for this mystery box.
This dish belongs to one of the biggest culinary threats in this room.
Please step forward - Andrew.
- Nice job.
I am seriously, honestly, deep down in my heart, I am passionate, and I want to win.
So I'm real excited to be in the top three.
Like, I'm bouncing off the walls of the MasterChef kitchen.
What happened to your apron? You have more steak on your apron than you do on the plate.
Yeah, it got messy.
Talk us through the dish.
Grilled steak with a black garlic sauce, a fennel salad and smashed potatoes with pancetta.
This looks like a, you know, a dish out of a high-end steakhouse restaurant.
You eat at a lot of restaurants? Not really.
My parents enjoy my cooking.
They enjoy your cooking? Tell me about the smashed potatoes.
They're a little dark-looking.
Why so dark? I kept the skin on because they were small.
They were, like, fingerling potatoes.
So I crushed them in the pan with a fork.
What's the sweetness? Are there some onions on this? Actually, it's the black garlic.
- Wow.
- It has a natural sweetness.
- Yeah, I love it.
- And I didn't add too much salt because I didn't want to ruin its flavor.
Really good.
You want to have a restaurant, right? - Yeah.
- Would you serve this in your restaurant? - I would.
- How much you charge for this at Andrew's? - On the menu.
- Great job, dude.
-Thanks, Joe.
Visually, it looks wonderful.
Why smashed potatoes? I think that the rusticity of the potatoes complements the steak.
And I added some green on top.
The fennel flowers.
And I think that gives it a nice appearance.
I love this, you know, "just a black garlic sauce," "rusticity," I mean, seriously.
I mean, you're 11 years of age.
- Seriously, great job.
- Well done.
- Thank you, chef.
- Nice job, Andrew.
- Thanks, Jack.
(Gordon) Jack, Riley, and Andrew, tonight, all three of you produced three amazing dishes that could easily be served in any of our restaurants.
They were that good.
But there can only be one winner, and that individual will receive a huge advantage in the pantry.
The dish that we felt had the slight edge by a fine whisker of Graham's eyebrows.
That thin.
Congratulations Three amazing dishes, but there can only be one winner.
And that individual will receive a huge advantage in the pantry.
Congratulations Andrew.
Well done.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
Yes.
This is what I came here to do.
I came here to win challenges.
This shows that I'm not just all talk, that I am the one to beat.
- Let's go into the pantry.
- Let's go.
11-year-old Andrew is now in control of the elimination test.
At the end of this challenge, at least two junior home cooks will have to say good-bye.
Andrew, your first advantage for winning that mystery box challenge Is that you Don't have to cook in the upcoming elimination challenge.
Now, Andrew, it is time to make an important choice.
Are you ready to find out what three ingredients you'll have to choose from? Yes, I am.
Tonight, Andrew, You will choose between three animals.
Three very dangerous animals.
Animals that you can eat, But animals that could also eat you.
First up, Andrew, we have something that's a bit scaly, Slippery, An animal that will let you know when it's angry with you.
You'll hear it loud and clear.
- Don't do it, don't do it.
- You ready? - Yeah, I'm ready.
Oh, my god.
A deadly Angry Rattlesnake.
- Come take a closer look.
- I'm good.
Now, they are highly poisonous.
And believe it or not, you can eat one of these guys.
Their meat is delicious.
Are you sure this is MasterChef junior? Next up, An animal that likes to hang out in the waters, the lakes, ponds, swamps of America.
And if you get too close, It can snap your nose clean off A snapping turtle.
Now, these guys can grow to be up to 300 pounds.
If you can catch one of these monsters, then you have to be careful cooking it, because they have a tendency to be really, really tough.
- Where's the third ingredient? - Andrew, trust me, rattlesnakes, snapping turtles seem like kittens compared to this next thing.
Stay there.
It lives in swamps.
It loves eating.
It has a lot of teeth.
And when this guy gets angry He can Snap! Jeez, come on! Of course, it's an alligator.
They can grow to be up to 1,000 pounds and 14 feet long.
Most commonly, we eat the tail.
And, trust me, it's absolutely delicious.
It's also very easy to overcook, so you need to know exactly what you're doing to get this cooked to perfection.
Andrew, time to decide which one of these three scary, deadly, dangerous animals That everyone out in the kitchen is gonna have to cook with tonight to stay in the competition.
Is it gonna be rattlesnake, the snapping turtle, or the alligator? I choose Andrew is safe up on the balcony.
He does not have to cook in this elimination challenge.
And, as Andrew, the boss, is missing his native New Jersey, I have ordered him a huge tomato pie to enjoy.
Thanks, Joe.
Aww.
I want pizza.
Now, back in the pantry, Andrew got to choose between three ingredients any chef would be scared to work with.
Andrew got to choose between a rattlesnake Those are edible? A snapping turtle And finally A cute little, fun little thing called An alligator.
Oh, my gosh.
Andrew, tell everybody which of those extremely dangerous and deadly animals did you choose for them to cook tonight.
They're gonna have to go in the pantry and see for themselves.
Whatever Andrew chose, I can promise you it's in there and it is scary.
Oh, my gosh.
It's waiting to give you all a big, slimy, ferocious cuddle.
It's disgusting.
I'm, like, one of those people.
I cook chicken and steak and normal things.
I don't want to cook a deadly animal.
You have one hour to make this an amazing dish featuring that scary ingredient.
- Now, is everyone ready? - Yes, chef! Your 60 minutes Starts - Now! - Let's go.
Go! I hope it's not alligator.
I am so scared.
Oh My Gosh.
Oh My Gosh.
Oh, my god! We're going to get you out.
It was looking at me, like I was its lunch.
I think I'm literally gonna throw up.
- Can you help me get this down? - I got it.
- Thank you.
You never know what's gonna happen on MasterChef.
I've only cooked alligator once before.
It's an easy meat to cook, if you know how to cook it.
But it's also pretty easy for alligator to go from a soft, tender meat and into jerky.
We will help you.
This is heavy.
I am going to make a alligator curry over jasmine rice.
Alligator is a really tricky meat, and I know it's really tough.
I'm gonna go the Indian route with this, because Indian involves lots of sauces, and I think that would complement the tough alligator really well.
I'm making a alligator chili.
In San Diego, we have a lot of restaurants that serve alligator burgers, alligator steaks, and I really think I know what the decent flavor of an alligator is.
I think I'm gonna knock this one out of the park.
- You're doing a chili? - Yeah.
- Awesome.
I just burned my hair.
I'm making grilled alligator with a pepper sauce and then peppered mushroom rice.
I think that my parents in Orange County would be really, really amazed.
I think this challenge is crazy.
- Wow.
Tough one, this one here.
- Totally tough.
For anyone who's ever eaten alligator before, it tastes a bit like chicken, but has the aftertaste of a fish.
- Yeah.
- Very lean, no fat.
What would you guys do with this alligator? I would do, like, a cajun stew, Brown dirty rice, an eggplant.
So it's a really nice, earthy delicious dish.
I would do an alligator schnitzel, Pound it super thin so that it breaks it down, Do a nice, quick sautee with that bread crumb, Then do the lemon.
With the alligator, who is he putting the bite on? He's trying to take out his strongest competition tonight: Jimmy, Jenna, Jack.
He knows that they are gonna, possibly over think this one tonight, because this is a tough project to get right.
- Do you need help? - Yeah.
- Thank you.
Mia, how you doing? - I'm good.
- Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? I'm making fried alligator tacos with grilled watermelon salsa and chipotle monnaise.
You nervous about it? It's a little scary cooking alligator because I've never made alligator before.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
- Cory, how we doing, boss? - We're doing good.
- Tell me exactly what you have.
- Alligator stir-fry.
I grinded it up, and then I put some seasoning in it, so it won't be plain.
- What are you doing with the egg? - I'm gonna do a fried egg.
- Stir-fry breakfast? - Yeah, a little decoration too.
Great, all right.
Good luck.
- Jimmy.
- Hey, Joe.
Look at this.
You got guac.
You got your mise en place.
- Where are you from, Jimmy, again? - I'm from Santa Clarita.
- California boy, right? - Yeah.
So you eat alligator once a week? How often do you eat alligator? - Never had alligator.
- No? All right, what's the dish? It's a alligator fajitas with homemade guac.
All right, good luck, buddy.
Less than ten minutes to go, guys.
Taste the alligator.
Make sure it's got some oomph.
There's a lot of top-notch dishes going out there.
Yes.
Jenna's doing an amazing alligator curry.
Nathan's doing a nice, spicy chili.
I think that where Andrew thought He was gonna take more the experienced cooks and they would over complicate it They didn't.
They went to their roots.
They went tex-mex.
They went curry, they went chili.
- Nathan, how does it taste? - Amazing.
- Awesome.
One minute remaining.
Make sure that alligator looks snappy.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three two, one.
Stop! - Yes.
- Hands in the air.
Well done.
Good job, everybody.
Lots of different dishes.
We cannot wait to taste them.
Let's begin with Jenna.
I've never cooked with alligator before.
I'm just, like, nervous.
I know the Indian curry complements the flavors, but I don't want it to hide too much.
I mean, the alligator is really supposed to be the hero here.
Wow.
That looks charming.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a alligator curry over jasmine rice with raita.
It smells and looks delicious.
You pounded out the alligator, right? - Yeah.
- And then what did you do? I cut it up pretty small because I know it's really tough.
It's absolutely delicious, Fragrant, classic You've got that refined sort of blend going on because even without the alligator in there, it would have been a delicious vegetable curry.
The sauce and gravy is that good.
The rice cooked perfectly, But the alligator you've made really tender.
And I think that's the hardest job tonight, Getting that alligator soft.
And you've done it 100%.
Great job.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
Don't try to find out what I'm looking at.
- You're always looking at something.
- You'll never know, Never.
Great use of spice, makes it very hearty.
You can smell and taste the garam masala, That cumin comes through.
The raita, it's there to help cool everything.
- Great job, delicious.
- Thank you.
Tell me, the curry is it coconut milk or cream? Cream.
Well, it's really, really good, very, very complex.
It's really good use with the alligator.
The rice is perfectly cooked.
The other vegetables complement the alligator perfectly.
You are a curry master.
You ever been to India? - No, I want to go, though.
- You do yoga? Give me a pose.
Give me a pose.
Come on.
That's the best you've got? Come on.
Let's do it together.
Okay.
This is downward dog.
And then moving one foot forward.
Joe, throw out a hip.
- You are a curry master.
- Ever been to India? - No, I want to go, though.
- You do yoga? - Come on, we'll do it together, ready? - Okay.
This is downward dog.
And then moving one foot forward.
Joe, don't throw out a hip.
Joe! Are you okay? Yeah.
That was good.
I know who's not a yoga master.
I'm, like, in la la land.
I cooked alligator, and the judges liked my alligator.
My dish is the bomb dot com.
Next up, please, Kyler.
I've never grilled alligator before.
But I feel okay.
I tried it.
I liked it.
I think it was a little tough, but I feel very confident in my dish, that it's gonna get me to the next round.
Tell me exactly what you made here.
Grilled alligator, mushroom peppered rice, and then a pepper sauce on the side.
Wow.
Very tough, huh? You hear that? It's like - Like a bouncy ball.
- Yeah, it's like a hammer.
It's really dense.
You can see It's like a really thick piece of jerky.
The char cook on the outside, delicious, very meaty, very tasty.
Everything else, overcooked, dry, very tough.
So next time, you got to pound that really thin if you're gonna cook it that way.
Okay.
But the balance and flavor's there.
Thanks.
Next up, Mia, please.
Thank you.
All right, so, young lady, describe the dish.
Fried alligator tacos with grilled watermelon salsa and chipotle mayonnaise.
The chipotle mayonnaise is delicious.
The big issue for me is the alligator.
It is so tough.
When it goes bright white like that, that means it's fried too long.
Great idea.
Very smart.
Unfortunately, was let down with the cooking on the alligator 'cause it's so tough.
Tonight the alligator bit you on the butt.
Next up, please, Cory.
Tell me what we have.
Alligator stir-fry, topped with a fried egg.
Great use of spice.
It's bold.
It's got heat.
The fact that you cooked the egg perfect, you took the time cut it out with the little ring mold.
This is delicious, one of the best things that I've had so far in the competition.
Thank you.
Next, we'd like to try Nathan's dish.
I have to do well in this challenge because if I don't, I kind of feel like I'm going to be one of those people who is pretty average, and I know we're all amateur home cooks, but I want to be a little bit more than amateur.
All right.
What do we got, Nathan? A alligator chili topped with a lime sour cream, garnished with fresh cilantro.
- What are the spices in here? - Cinnamon, cumin, I also used dark chocolate.
- You added dark chocolate to this? - Yes.
- Who taught you how to do that? - My mom.
- Is that, like, a Mexican thing? - It's kind of a Mexican thing, it's - Like a mole? - It's how mole is made.
- Yeah.
I certainly wouldn't think of adding dark chocolate to chili.
But It's delicious.
The depth of flavor of this chili is profound.
You've layered the flavors.
You used a lot of technique.
I have to say, this is an excellent use of alligator.
- It's the real deal.
Good job, Nathan.
- Thank you.
- Nice dish.
You've gone for slightly sort of Mexican take on the chili.
Why? Because I felt it would interpret my heritage well, considering I'm part Mexican.
Delicious.
I mean, seriously I wish everybody here tonight could taste that.
And the alligator's tender.
it's quite vibrant as well, in terms of flavor.
You're 12 years of age.
Big credit to your parents.
Because you bring a standard of cooking to this competition that very few have reached so far.
I'm just happy you're raising the bar.
Don't stop.
Thank you so much.
This might be the dish that'll finally get me Into the top three of the challenge.
I'm feeling ecstatic.
Last up Jimmy, please.
I'm pretty sure that everything in my dish is really well-cooked.
I'm just hoping that the judges think it was enough.
All right.
Explain your dish to me.
Alligator fajita with homemade guacamole.
The guacamole is very good.
The alligator It's interesting.
It's not as tough as the ones we saw before.
It has good flavor from the pan.
And the way you sauteed it's good.
The veggies all have nice caramelization.
I love the mushrooms, really good char on them.
But There's not a lot going on in this dish.
It's pretty simple.
I mean, like, what did you do in an hour? This is elimination.
Two people going home at least.
I thought from a guy like you, Oldest competitors here I thought that you would really kind of push the pedal to the metal.
And it seems like to me, that maybe you're putting the brakes out a little bit tonight, Jimmy.
It's not the night to put on the brakes, my friend.
I thought that you would really kind of push the pedal to the metal.
And it seems like to me, that maybe you're putting the brakes on a little bit tonight, Jimmy.
It's not the night to put on the brakes, my friend.
I have to tell you, honestly, I expected more from you.
Thank you.
Jimmy's one of my friends here, and I'm really, really nervous for him.
All right, all of you, well done.
Tremendous job.
Sadly, we have to say good-bye to at least two of you tonight.
Give us one minute, please.
- Jenna's was incredible.
- Yeah, the curry, so smart.
Nathan's truly was probably the one I liked the best.
- Yeah, it's the best dish he's ever made.
- Caramalized.
- You did really good, Cory.
- Oh, thanks.
Thanks.
Big letdown for me tonight was Jimmy.
I was amazed that Jimmy sort of almost opted out.
They were good, but I mean, he could have done that in ten minutes.
Kyler's, tough as anything.
Mia's was also tough.
I'm so nervous.
Oh, my gosh.
I totally think I'm going home.
Guys, that was a very tough challenge.
And for home cooks, 8 to 13 years of age, truly extraordinary.
There were three dishes that really stood out as winning dishes tonight.
The first of those dishes Congratulations, Jenna.
- Good job, Jenna! - Thank you.
Another fantastic dish tonight Big man in the pink glasses, Cory.
Yes! The third outstanding dish of the evening Congratulations, Nathan.
All three of you, well done.
But as you all know, we do have to say good-bye to two very talented home cooks.
Would the following three young home cooks please step down to the front? Kyler, Jimmy.
Come on down here, young man, please.
Finally, Mia.
Make your way down to the front, please.
You guys all did an amazing job tonight.
And I want you to be very proud of yourselves and each other.
This is, in fact, a competition, so not all of you will be moving forward to the next stage.
One of you just escaped elimination.
One of you Will be going back to your station and staying in this competition, Which sadly means Two of you will be going home tonight.
Jimmy.
You barely escaped elimination tonight.
We want to see more from you 'cause we know you can do it.
Please head back to your station.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
I'm in the top ten, but now I have to really step up my game because they expect a lot from me.
So whatever I make next, it has to be really good.
Kyler and Mia, you two have been brilliant across this competition.
Here's the thing Top 12 across America.
Keep your heads up high.
I am so sorry, but it's time to say good-bye to you both.
But just promise me one thing, that you will keep cooking.
'cause you've inspired thousands.
Don't forget that.
Well done.
Good night.
I'm proud of myself because only to the top 12 of MasterChef Junior.
And, like, thousands of kids tried out for this.
That's amazing.
But I'm sad that I have to leave the MasterChef kitchen.
You did really good.
Keep cooking.
Being in the MasterChef kitchen is way better than being in school.
I've made so many great friends.
And it's really fun cooking in a big kitchen for the judges.
It was really cool.
- Next week - Three - You look good.
- Two - Hurry! One Switch! - Go, go! - It's a high-pressure sushi tag-team challenge.
Go! You can do it! make it perfect! Only the cooks with raw talent You got to be a ninja! and the sharpest skills Come on! Go! Go! will make the cut.
It's the best sushi we've ever had in this kitchen, Even including the adults.
- Thank you.
- I love that.
Thank you.
good evening from washington, where we're minutes away from President obama's state of the union address to the nation, his First ever before a republican led congress.
I'm shepard smith live at the russell row tun da.
Spoiler alert, the crisis has passed and the state of the Union is strong.
The president