MasterChef Junior (2013) s04e08 Episode Script

(male narrator) This season [kids screaming.]
They're so tiny.
(narrator) The best aspiring young chefs in America (Zac) Gigantic mixer coming through.
Why am I so short? (narrator) Have already faced Oh, my God! (narrator) The biggest What the heck happened to you, Gordon? (narrator) Most explosive Marshmallows! (narrator) And out-of-this-world challenges.
Oh, my God! This is the hardest challenge ever.
Congratulations, Blue Team! [cheering.]
(narrator) And now (Christina) Are you old enough to be doing this? (narrator) Only the ten most talented junior home cooks remain.
(Graham) You're top of the class.
Great job.
This is one bodacious surf-and-turf.
(Gordon) At 8 years of age, you are a freak.
[giggles.]
(narrator) Tonight [kids shouting.]
On a two-hour MasterChef, it's an "egg-splosive" team challenge - Hurry, hurry, hurry! - Go! (narrator) With a twist.
(Christina) There is another team: Graham Elliot and Gordon Ramsay.
How the heck are the kids gonna win this? (narrator) And then Switch! (narrator) A MasterChef Junior classic (Graham) It's the hardest tag-team challenge that we've ever asked any home cook to undertake.
(narrator) Pairs the top eight Whoa.
(narrator) In the most intense challenge of the season.
Stop crying, Amaya.
I'm trying, I'm trying! (Avery) The lamb is not cooked! This is not good.
(Avery) Faster! People are going home today! [cheering.]
(Sam) Right now this competition is anyone's game, because we're all the very, very best.
Oh, my gosh.
(Sam) This is the top ten.
You've got to get everything right.
Good morning.
- Where's Graham? - Where's Graham? Graham? - Oh, my God.
- What the heck? Oh, my gosh.
[laughter.]
God, that's crazy.
Bawk-bawk, baby.
It's chicken time.
(girl) Oh, my gosh! [laughter.]
[groaning, laughter.]
I'm not sure if you should be proud of this.
(Kya) Graham's moves are really cool, but a little bit weird.
[laughter.]
Graham, what are you doing? [laughter.]
Anyway, I'm sure you can all guess now what the next challenge is all about.
(kids) Eggs! (Christina) That's right.
Now, there are ten of you in front of us, but only four of you will compete in this next challenge, in two teams of two.
Oh.
One by one, you will come up here, take an egg, and [laughter.]
(Gordon) Crack it on Graham's head.
[laughter.]
If inside that egg is red or blue, then you are in the game.
I want to be in the game.
First egg goes to Addison.
- Come on up, girl.
- Come on, Addy.
(Addison) It's a huge disadvantage for me to be the first one picking, because it's a very little chance that I'm gonna pick a red or blue egg.
But please, red or blue.
[cheering.]
Dang it, a regular egg.
(Gordon) So you are not competing.
- Head up to the balcony.
- Okay.
(Christina) Next up, Amaya.
Amaya! (kids) Crack it, crack it (Amaya) I don't want to crack a very hard egg over Graham Elliot.
I mean, he's so nice.
[cheering.]
(Gordon) Congratulations.
You are in the Blue Team.
(Amaya) This is awesome.
I get to participate in this challenge, which I'm really excited about.
(Christina) Zac, come on up.
(kids) Crack it, crack it, crack it! [laughter.]
[groaning.]
Yes, I got a red egg.
Congratulations.
(Zac) Boom, baby, oh, yeah.
(Christina) Next up, Corey.
[laughter.]
I got a normal egg.
(Zac) That's gonna leave a mark.
(Christina) Kamilly.
(Kamilly) There's only one red egg and one blue egg left.
And I want the red egg, because Zac is such a strong leader, and he knows how to control the team.
(kids) Crack it, crack it! [cheering and laughter.]
I love this game.
Congratulations.
You're on the Red Team.
- Look at that.
- Three eggs left.
Graham, come here, I need to tell you a secret.
[laughter.]
(Gordon) It's a normal egg.
Head up to the balcony.
There are two contestants left, two eggs in the basket, and one space left.
Ladies first, right, come here.
- Ladies first.
- Yay! Kya! You got to be a gentleman.
One, two, three.
[laughter.]
Oh, Kya! (Gordon) You are in the Blue Team.
Yes! (Gordon) JJ, that means the last egg is a normal egg.
So, you are safe on this challenge.
Head up to the balcony.
Red Team, Blue Team, please come down to the front.
Thank you.
(Zac) Kamilly is an amazing chef, so I'm super excited to do a team challenge with her.
But what do the judges have in store for us? Now, this challenge is all about perfection in one bite.
(Christina) Deviled eggs.
Oh.
(Christina) Creamy seasoned yolks piped into those hardboiled egg white halves.
And a delicate sprinkling of paprika and chives.
Yes.
(Christina) You two teams will have to make as many perfect deviled eggs as you can.
(Kamilly) Oh, man.
I have not made a deviled egg, so I'm just hoping that Zac knows how to cook them, or else we're doomed.
Delicious.
(Christina) You guys may also have noticed there are three stations set up behind you.
- [gasps.]
- Oh, gosh.
There is another team competing against you tonight.
- What? - What? Let me introduce you to the Yellow Team: Graham Elliot and Gordon Ramsay.
Why? (Zac) Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliot against a 12-year-old and a couple other kids-- I mean, this is pretty unfair.
You look like a little girl.
[laughter.]
(Gordon) I cannot wait to kick your butts.
I cannot wait to kick your butt.
Kick your butt.
(Christina) You two teams will have 12 minutes.
But, to try and make it fair, the Yellow Team will only get half the time.
- What? - Oh, come on.
That's not fair.
(Christina) The winning team will not have to cook in this next challenge.
But if they win, both teams will have to face the next challenge.
No, why do you guys do this to us? It's time to head to your station.
Come on, Kamilly, we got this.
At your station, you're gonna find a bowl of 24 hardboiled eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, chives, and four deviled egg trays that are gonna perfectly fit Are you guys ready to get cracking? (kids) Yes, Chef! (both) Yes, Chef.
(Christina) Your 12 minutes start now.
(Avery) Peel them eggs, peel them eggs! (kids) Peel them eggs! (Gordon) All right, Graham, we need to hatch a plan.
Now, the fastest way to peel a hardboiled egg is in a bowl of water.
(Graham) Absolutely.
(Gordon) Because it releases the membrane and should remove that shell.
Don't roll them too hard, 'cause mine broke a bit.
Perfect.
(Gordon) And then cut them in half, get the yolks out, put your whites into the trays, and as one person's mashing, then you continue shelling the eggs.
Our game plan is to crack open the eggs as fast as we can, because we only have five minutes before Graham and Gordon are coming in.
Come on, guys, you can do it.
I can't do this; this is hard.
Yes, you can.
You got this, all right? (Zac) Communication is key, because Kamilly has never made a deviled egg, so I have to step up to the plate.
Just roll it around in a circle like that, and then most of it comes off.
(Zac) So, that way, we can win this challenge as a team.
So, Christina, what is the perfect deviled egg? (Christina) There should be no egg shell left on the egg white.
There should be no indentation from clumsy peeling.
Scoop those yolks out, hurry! (Kya) Okay.
(Christina) That filling, though, it has to be smooth and even.
Otherwise it's never gonna come out of that piping bag.
That is a very important part.
(Amaya) Christina, you're giving them pointers.
I'm giving you pointers.
You can hear me too.
In that water, girl, keep going.
Push, push, guys.
There's just one minute until the Yellow Team gets in the game.
What? (Amaya) Kya, we better start moving.
(Kya) Let's go fast.
Zac, you can do it! (Sam) Gordon and Graham are just about to start, and they're just gonna destroy.
Yellow Team in five, four, three, two, one.
Hit it! Go, go, go! No, I haven't started! - All right.
- Let's go.
[kids cheering.]
(Sam) Two at a time, Graham! Two at a time! (Gordon) Come on, quick, quick, quick.
This is, like, impossible here.
(Addison) Red Team and Blue Team are competing against two of the best chefs in the world.
(Sam) Wow, they're going pretty fast.
Come on, Kamilly, come on, come on, come on.
How the heck are the kids gonna win this? Hurry, hurry, hurry! Come on, come on, come on.
(Avery) Go! (Sam) Come on, Gordon, you can do it.
(Zac) We only have a few minutes left to make as many deviled eggs as we can.
(Avery) Two at a time! Oh, my God, they're almost done already.
(Zac) And Gordon and Graham are going through this super quick.
I'm like, Oh, my God, we have to speed up right now, otherwise I don't know how we're gonna win this challenge.
(Addison) Add the mustard! (Christina) Keep going, guys.
The Yellow Team's catching up.
Do not let these world-famous chefs beat you.
(Kya) Never! Let's do this, Kya! Ah, here you go.
Got it, got it, got it.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Amaya, get those yolks broken up.
(Kya) Mix, mix, mix! (Gordon) What do they taste like? A little rich.
I need a little more yolk.
(Christina) Just over three minutes to go.
You need to get piping.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Fill up the bag.
Come on, Amaya.
Amaya's piping.
I'm squeezing as hard as I can, and it won't come out.
(Amaya) Kya, this isn't piping.
We got a problem.
(Amaya) It's a nightmare.
Oh, no.
Yeah, that's a bad decision.
(Addison) The key to making a perfect deviled egg is not putting too much filling, but then not putting too little.
Come on, Kamilly, let's go, let's go.
(Addison) It needs to be just the right amount.
Even the best chefs in the world can make a complete mess.
(Graham) Get them in, get them in.
Oh! Dude.
(Avery) They're having trouble! They're having trouble! What are they doing? (Christina) Zac, that is some sick knife skill.
One minute left! - Go, go, go, go.
- Let's go.
(Graham) You got to chop the chives! I don't care! Fill up my bag! Guys, communicate.
(Sam) Gordon Ramsay, hurry! Come on, sprinkle.
(Christina) Finishing touches, guys.
Make those eggs nice.
Yeah, get it, get it, get it.
(Christina) Do it, guys! (Sam) Yellow team, yellow team! (Christina) Push, Red Team.
Just sprinkle it! Five, four, three, two (all) One! (Christina) Hands up, guys.
Oh, my God.
(Christina) Wow.
[giggles.]
Now I will come around and determine how many of your eggs are acceptable.
The winning team will be going nowhere tonight.
But if Gordon and Graham win, then everybody will face the next challenge.
I think our deviled eggs are perfect, and maybe, just maybe, we can win this advantage.
Aah! (Zac) All of ours are not perfect, but I think we got more eggs on the plate.
But the Yellow Team, I mean, they're world-class chefs.
I've never lost anything in my life, Graham.
All of my friends back home are gonna be a teeny bit jealous if I beat the Gordon Ramsay.
I mean, if we didn't win it, we're a close second, for sure.
(Christina) All three teams, please come down to the front.
[suspenseful music.]
(Christina) So, results are in.
One team got three, one team got six, and the winning team got ten.
Yellow Team, you scored three.
Oh, come on.
[cheering, laughter.]
- What? - Are you crazy? And the winning team, with ten perfect deviled eggs, is [suspenseful music.]
The Red Team.
[cheering and clapping.]
(Zac) Boom, baby.
Final eight.
Nice job.
(Zac) I just beat two of the best chefs in the world in a cooking competition.
I mean, it's just mind-blowing.
You two, head up to the balcony, And everyone on the balcony, head on down to your station.
It's now time for your next elimination challenge.
Right, this next challenge tonight is all about dreams.
Christina, Graham, and myself, honestly, are no different to all of you here.
(Graham) When I was 8 years old, I dreamt of being Luke Skywalker's little brother in the next "Star Wars" movie [laughter.]
And also one day having my very own cookbook.
Now, I'm still holding out for the "Star Wars" call, but unlike my fellow judges, I've never had a cookbook published.
Mm.
- Aww.
- Aww.
Until now.
[cheering.]
(Gordon) Finally.
This is it, guys.
My very first, very awesome cookbook.
I like it.
(Christina) Now, at the very beginning of your journey here in the MasterChef kitchen, we asked you to start thinking about your very own cookbooks, as well.
So hopefully you've done your homework.
Why don't you guys take out your cookbooks? We're so curious to see what you've been working on.
[grunts.]
[laughter.]
[Kya grunting.]
Kya, we can't see your book.
It's too small.
[laughs.]
It's half the size of me.
It is about as big as you.
What's the name of that cookbook? It's called "Kya's Culinary Kaleidoscope.
" What kind of food is in your cookbook, Kya? French classics and my own food.
- Looks great.
- Interesting.
Avery, show us your book.
What's it called? "Avery's Amazing Bayou Food.
" It's Bayou classics, but also elevated.
What's on the front cover? Me in my overalls, playing "How You Doin', Darling?" I like that.
(Gordon) Nice.
Now, in this challenge, we want each of you to make us your signature dish from your amazing future cookbook, a dish that tells us your story.
(Addison) I've been working on my signature dish since I was born, so I think I know exactly what I'm doing.
(Gordon) Sadly, at the end of this challenge tonight, two of you will be leaving the MasterChef kitchen.
Is everyone ready to cook us your signature dish from your future cookbooks? (all) Yes, Chef! Your one hour starts now.
[clock ticks.]
Go, go, go, come on, guys.
- Hurry.
- Sorry.
[cheering.]
Out of my way! Out of my way.
(Kya) Oranges, oh, I need oranges! Garlic, lots of garlic.
My cookbook is called "Corey's Slice of Life.
" It is full of island cuisine.
Rice! My dad's from the Caribbean, so I want to bring the culture of St.
Thomas to my dish.
Ground nutmeg, okay.
Has anybody seen the fennel? Eggs! This is "Addison's Absolutely Divine Delectables.
" (Addison) It has all my recipes.
I'm forgetting the passion fruit.
(Addison) The outside of my bakery is a baseball diamond.
It'll look a little better in real life.
I'm not your best artist.
Shortening, butter, salt.
Mix it together.
(Addison) I just love baking, and I can't wait to highlight that in this next challenge.
Let's go, guys.
Oh, my God, this is hard.
(Gordon) Let's go, guys.
Aw, jeez.
Let's get a-cooking.
Wow, congratulations on "Cooking Like a Master Chef.
" - Thank you.
- And the book looks amazing.
What are we looking for tonight from these youngsters? I always think that it should be us tasting a dish and saying, "I know this is Amaya's," or "Look how fun and crazy this is.
Has to be Addison's.
" It needs to be them on a plate.
But I don't want just one element on a plate that you've made in 60 minutes.
No one can play it safe.
(Gordon) No.
[dramatic music.]
(Zac) How you doing, Avery, good? (Avery) Great.
Awesome.
Keep it up.
I've got to get this roux cracking.
All right, Avery.
Louisiana, nine years old.
Bayou-inspired cookbook.
What is the dish that you're doing? (Avery) I'm doing a crawfish étouffée, served over steamed rice.
Okay.
I, like, grew up eating crawfish étouffée, like, for breakfast every day.
We catch our own crawfish, and we love to cook them.
Now, can you show me your book? Right here.
That looks great.
Avery's Southern Bistro.
The theme of the restaurant will be "Sothern.
" That's S-O-T-H-E-R-N.
So we're not serving any "U"s.
I'm nine.
Give me a break.
All right, good luck, it sounds tasty.
I hope that I can spell it when it's done too.
Ugh! (Gordon) Ten minutes gone, I want to see you on a plate, and you at your absolute best.
Come on, Kaitlyn.
- Right, Kaitlyn.
- Hi.
What's the dish tonight? What's the signature dish? (Kaitlyn) I'm making my version of Black Forest cupcakes.
(Gordon) So dark chocolate and cherry? (Kaitlyn) No, I'm not doing cherry in this.
Raspberries pair better with dark chocolate.
Black Forest is cherry, traditionally.
So how many cupcakes are you making? I'm probably only gonna plate one.
One cupcake.
Oh, my God.
Tell me about the frosting.
It's just gonna be a simple vanilla buttercream.
Any alcohol, kirsch, or liqueur in there? No, Chef.
No, Chef.
Ugh.
Right, Kaitlyn, what's the dish tonight? What's the signature dish? I'm making my version of Black Forest cupcakes.
And how are you going to lift this cupcake? I'm making a raspberry coulis.
And the coulis goes inside the cupcake, or I might drizzle it on top, or I might put it inside the cupcake.
Wow, okay.
(Gordon) Are you confident this dish is good enough to stay in the competition? - Yes, Chef.
- Why? Because I think it really represents me, and I think I can execute it very well.
(Gordon) Now, with a simple cupcake, make sure it's the best cupcake you've ever made.
Yes, Chef.
You're up against tough competition tonight.
(Gordon) You've got 45 minutes remaining.
- Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
I've been making my chocolate cupcakes for years, so I know I can take this cupcake to the next level to prove to them that I'm the next MasterChef Junior.
Yay.
Let's do this thing.
[tense music.]
Amaya, your sauce smells so good.
(Amaya) Thank you.
- Hi, Amaya.
- Hello.
What are you doing? I'm smushing these plantains.
Oh, you're smushing them.
(Amaya) I'm gonna put them in the fryer.
(Christina) All right, tell me about the dish that you're making tonight for us as your signature dish.
I am making a shrimp asopao.
It's the name of this stew from the Dominican Republic.
And today I've decided to make it with shrimp.
(Christina) I love that.
I'm gonna read a little bit of your cookbook, "Amaya's Amazing Book of Recipes.
" "I would like a school for all the arts.
"I will have classes for cooking, singing, dancing, painting, and playing an instrument.
" Do you do all these things? Yes.
(Christina) So you're kind of like a woman that's super well-rounded that can do it all.
Kind of like you.
Kind of like me.
[laughs.]
All right, good luck, mama.
(Amaya) Thank you.
Right, Kya, this is a big one tonight.
What's the dish you're cooking? Canard à l'orange.
Oh, canard à l'orange, duck à l'orange.
Yes.
Look at you, all fancy-pants.
How are you modernizing this? What's Kya's twist on this duck à l'orange? I'm doing an orange and fennel salad to go with it.
Right, oh, okay.
And then I'm also doing a sweet potato fondant.
(Gordon) Wow, you are incredibly creative.
Where does this come from? Myself.
Are you gonna skewer the duck breast before you start cooking it? Yes, I like how it looks, and then, also, it can help to render the palate a little bit more.
(Gordon) That's right.
- Confident with this dish? - Yes.
- Right, young lady, good luck.
- Thank you.
Addison, what are you making? Addison's signature dish.
Tonight I'm making apple passion fruit Danishes on a homemade puff pastry, and then orange and passion fruit whipped cream.
Where did you come up with that combination of green apple and passion fruit? I definitely wanted to show that making a delicious but bold dessert can really give you a chance at winning.
(Christina) Good luck.
(Gordon) Less than 15 minutes remaining.
Come on, you can do this.
Right, Kamilly, how you doing? I'm good, sir.
How are you? Very well, indeed, thank you.
Describe the dish.
It's really called the dreadlock jerk chicken.
Jerk chicken, okay, great.
So you've taken it in a sort of Caribbean way, right? Yes.
And does you family have roots from the Caribbean? Yes, my dad was born in St.
Thomas originally.
Right, now what's in here? What's this sauce? In here, I call it my Rasta sauce.
(Gordon) Wow, what's in there? Well, it is tomatoes and habanero peppers.
How did you cook the chicken? I basted it and marinated it, and then I put it in the oven for 35 minutes.
So then I took it out, and then I pan-seared it.
(Gordon) Make sure that's cooked, yeah? Yes, Chef.
And this is you on a plate.
This is you at your best.
- Yes.
- Good luck.
Thank you, Chef.
(Gordon) Right, signature dishes.
- Kya.
- Mm-hmm.
(Gordon) Brace yourself.
She is doing a duck à l'orange - No.
- With a sweet potato fondant, and caramelizing sugar to do a perfect orange sauce.
Stop.
(Gordon) You know, if they get these signature dishes correct, you know, they can go on to inspire millions.
(Graham) Right, and with Avery, it sounds totally like an Avery dish, right? It's, you know, crawfish étouffée.
I'm just expecting her to knock it out of the park.
This Bayou thing runs in my veins.
I got this in the bag.
Addison is going down the dessert route, passion fruit and green apple Danish.
It's bold.
I think she's giving us an unlikely flavor combination.
But she's gonna have to pull it off.
(Gordon) Yeah, on the other hand, I'm slightly concerned about Kaitlyn, because she's doing a single chocolate cupcake.
(Christina) But, you know, we've seen some amazing dishes out of her.
I think Kaitlyn's completely capable of pulling it off.
(Graham) Uh-huh.
I mean, it's gonna have to be a phenomenal cupcake.
(Gordon) Less than five minutes to go.
I'd like all of you to speed up, please.
Start thinking about plating.
(Addison) Agh! (Zac) What's going on with Addison? Did I over-whip this? Ooh, that's over-whipped.
Oh, my God.
Dang it.
(Addison) Time is running out, and my whipped cream is over-whipped.
(Addison) Oh, no, what am I gonna do? (Addison) Wasn't paying attention to my whipped cream.
It's just chunky, and I have to throw it away.
Shoot.
(Addison) This is my signature dish, and I don't have any more heavy cream to restart it.
Wow.
Oh, my gosh.
(Gordon) Less than five minutes to go! I'd like all of you to speed up, please.
Start thinking about plating.
(Addison) Agh! (Zac) What's going on with Addison? (Addison) Ugh.
Ooh, that's over-whipped.
Oh, my God.
(Addison) My whipped cream is over-whipped.
It's gonna be a disaster, because I don't have any more heavy cream to restart it.
Oh, my gosh.
How's it coming, Addie? Do you have any extra heavy cream? Because I got to start over.
(Kaitlyn) Girl, I have, like, three extra bottles of heavy cream.
(Addison) I can use your heavy cream? - Yeah.
- Oh, my gosh.
Thank God.
Hurry up, guys.
(Addison) Kaitlyn just saved my whole life.
But time is ticking, and it's just running away.
And I'm not gonna let the one thing that I'm really good at totally throw me under the bus.
Wow.
(Christina) Guys, two minutes to go.
You need to think about plating, if you haven't already.
Remember, we are looking for you on a plate.
(Zac) Come on, guys.
I got to go fast.
(Gordon) A chance for you all to shine and cook the very best signature dish from your future cookbook.
[dramatic music.]
(Graham) and for two of you, it is your last 30 seconds in the MasterChef kitchen.
I'm scared to do this.
I don't want to mess it up.
(Gordon) Finishing touches.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop, hands in the air.
- Well done.
- Nice job, guys.
- Nice job, guys.
- Whoo.
(Gordon) Great job, everybody.
Now, in tonight's challenge, we asked all of you to make us your signature dish from that future cookbook.
It's now time to see how well you did with those dishes.
First up, from Louisiana, Avery.
(Avery) I think my dish looks great.
This thing looks like the cover of my cookbook.
I cannot wait for the judges to get a taste of the Bayou.
(Christina) All right, Avery, what is this dish, and why is it you on a plate? I made a crawfish étouffée with steamed rice, and this is me because I love crawfish, and I catch crawfish in my backyard.
So how many times have you made this? About a thousand with my papa.
(Christina) Love that.
So your sauce looks nice and thick.
The color is exactly that sort of, like, Bayou, stew-y color.
Whoo.
I absolutely love it.
One second.
[whispering.]
Yes, yes! (Christina) Your sauce coated the rice nicely.
There's a nice amount of seasoning all the way through.
I love how generous you were with that crawfish.
It's strong, and it's bold, and it just stands there proud, just like you.
- Nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
Right, visually, it looks delicious.
It's got that authenticity to it.
What heat did you use in this thing? I did cayenne, a little bit of paprika, and salt and pepper.
Mm, have you tasted this? I have not tasted them together, Chef.
A great chef always tastes their food.
Describe that.
Wow, that tastes like my papa's.
I think you've made papa proud.
(Gordon) Seriously, the heat's right.
The crawfish are cooked beautifully.
(Avery) Thank you, Chef.
(Gordon) One question.
Can I have the recipe, please? - Yes, Chef.
- How much? I'll give it to you for free.
You've got to charge for your recipes.
That is what I call a signature dish.
Great job, thank you.
Good job, Avery! (Avery) Oh, my God.
I mean, nobody in the Bayou would believe Gordon Ramsay wants to buy my recipe.
I mean, wow.
[chuckles.]
Next up, please, Kya.
(Zac) Whoo, go, Kya! (Kya) I'm feeling pretty confident, because this is one of my favorite dishes, and it's a French classic.
And I put my own little spin to it, so I got this.
Wowzers.
Somebody remembered to wear their fancy pants today.
[laughs.]
Ooh la la.
What do we have? Today, I made a duck à l'orange, and then there's an orange fennel salad with dried cranberries and a sweet potato fondant.
- Were you born in France? - No.
- Are you French? - No.
- Have you been to France? - No.
- Do you speak French? - No.
(Graham) Then how are you cooking French classics? I mean, this looks super technical, not just with the ingredients and the cook that you have, but look at the presentation.
(Kya) I love French food.
To me, it's the best cuisine.
The cook on the duck, crispy, mid-rare, amazing.
The potato fondant, caramelized, nice and moist in the middle.
The only thing that can maybe use some work, the fennel.
It's still crunchy because of how thick it is cut, right? You want it to be really paper-thin.
Everything else on the dish, though, makes me want to like Kya! [laughs.]
Because it's that good.
Thank you.
- Good job, Kya.
- Kya.
Great job.
Amazing job.
Right, next up, Kaitlyn, let's go.
(Kaitlyn) I see that everyone else around me made amazing signature dishes, and I'm kind of second-guessing myself right now, because maybe I should have made one of my Korean dishes instead of my cupcake.
Right, young lady, describe the dish, please.
I decided to do my version of a Black Forest cupcake using raspberries instead of cherries.
(Gordon) Right, now, I'm gonna be really honest.
You're in the top ten.
You've done brilliantly well to get here.
You have blown my palate away so many times in this competition.
And what frustrates me is that I see duck à l'orange, étouffée, and I see a cupcake.
I'm seriously worried.
It's not a dish.
Oh, dear.
That is not a dish.
And I don't think it's Kaitlyn on a plate.
Everybody else behind you have done dishes.
So if you're gonna do a dessert as a dish, it needs to be phenomenal.
So, it looks very light.
Was that the idea? Yes, Chef.
And then the butter icing, what's the ratio? Two parts sugar and one part butter.
(Gordon) You know, it's rich, it's gooey, it's very chocolaty in the center, but the frosting deserves to be on a slice of toast.
It is so buttery, I feel like I've got a mouthful of grease.
If I asked you to go back and cook one of your Korean dishes, what would you do? I probably would have made Korean fried calamari.
- Ooh.
- Sounds great.
That's a dish for me, because your skill level is way better than a cupcake.
This was months ago, and I don't think tonight, my darling, this is you at your best.
Thank you.
[applause.]
Great job, Kaitlyn.
[dramatic music.]
Next up, please, Amaya.
- Come on, Amaya! - Whoo! (Amaya) Everything in my dish came out perfectly, and I'm feeling really, really good.
I think that the judges will really like this simple Dominican dish.
- That's beautiful.
- Look at that.
Wow, wow, wow, wow.
It looks like I'm on, like, the little S.
S.
Amaya, like your little boat of goodies here.
- [giggles.]
- What do we have? This is a Dominican asopao, which is a rice and shrimp stew, with friend plantains called tostones.
Those are these.
So walk me through some of the steps.
So I made an escovitch, added seafood stock, then I added my rice, and after the rice opened up a little, I added the shrimp.
(Graham) Amaya, this is amazing.
Thank you.
It's so good, it's so thought-out.
It has so much heart and soul in it.
And it is what we were asking for.
But the thing that stands out the most, these shrimp, these camarones, are cooked to perfection.
I mean, it's hard for professional cooks to get them done that way.
Is that a fluke? Is this, like, just a No, Chef.
You getting lucky kind of thing? Never.
You went above and beyond here.
- Thank you, Chef Graham.
- Good job.
(Christina) Why does this dish say Amaya? Why did you choose this dish? My mother taught me the recipe, and the first asopao I ever had was from my grandmother.
(Christina) You know, the depth of flavor that you managed to build over 60 minutes tastes like you've been standing over the stove all day.
There's complexity, there's dimension.
It's very, very deep.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good job.
[applause.]
- Good job, Amaya.
- Good job, Amaya.
Thank you.
- So good.
- Are you kidding me? (Christina) Perfectly her.
Yeah, exactly.
Next up, JJ, please, let's go.
Bring me your signature dish, young man.
It is fettuccine with a cream sauce and grilled chicken.
[tense music.]
This is just good.
Fettuccine's delicious.
It's seasoned beautifully.
The cream sauce is not too rich.
However, is that you? Because I thought we were gonna braise a rib, or tri-tip barbecue flank steak.
So I was just disappointed.
Thank you.
(Graham) Next up, Sam.
Please describe your dish.
It's a chicken wrapped in bacon with couscous and artichoke.
(Graham) Beautiful skill with those artichokes.
That takes a lot of time.
Great flavor.
Moist chicken.
You got the bacon around it, gives it some smokiness.
You know, this is you in a bowl, which is what we asked for.
- Good job.
- Thanks.
Next up, Addison.
I've made an apple passion fruit Danish with a orange and passion fruit whipped cream.
You made the pastry yourself, or it's a puff pastry that you got? So I decided to make my own.
The flavor is great.
It's bold, it's fresh, it's bright.
That's Addison.
But the thing that's disappointing is, visually, this dessert is pretty flat.
I'm just worried that this, as your signature dish, may not represent how great of a cook that we know that you are.
Thank you, Chef.
(Corey) Wow, if Addison is looking bad in front of the judges She is one of the best chefs here.
I mean, this competition is getting brutal.
(Gordon) And finally, Corey, let's go.
Yes, Chef.
- Come on, Corey! - Go, Corey.
(Kamilly) Corey's signature dish looks so good.
I mean, it has, you know, very Jamaican style.
Wow, wow, wow.
(Kamilly) That's very special, that he's making something from his culture.
Describe the dish, please.
Well, I have what I call the dreadlock jerk chicken, with red rice and beans, carrots, and a Rasta sauce.
Okay, great.
How long did you cook the carrots for? A minute on each side.
Ooh, is that still raw there? When you got carrots looking that delicious, I expect them to be nice and soft and sweet and sort of almost roasted, because you've got a lovely glaze on the carrots.
What's the seasoning in the rice and beans? (Corey) It is salt and pepper.
Mm, let me get this chicken.
How long did you cook this for? (Corey) First, I baked it for about 35 minutes, then I pan-seared it.
Wow, what is going on here? Are you sure you cooked it for 35 minutes? Yes, Chef.
Was the oven on? Yes, Chef.
- You sure? - Yes.
Damn.
Oh.
(Gordon) Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.
Wow, what is going on here? Are you sure you cooked it for 35 minutes? Yes.
Raw chicken.
Oh.
Damn.
Are you sure that oven was on, Corey? Yes, Chef.
I cannot believe that was in the oven for 35 minutes.
(Gordon) When you have two thighs and two drums, what's the one thing you should do with the other one that you're not serving? (Corey) Cut it open to check to see if it's cooked.
(Gordon) I love the concept, in terms of you trying to bring your background and that kind of personality to the plate.
Unfortunately, the execution was sub-par, and the chicken's raw, so I can't taste that.
- You know that.
- Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
(Corey) I don't know what went wrong.
I mean, I could have sworn that I was cooking the chicken perfectly.
I am not ready to go back to Arizona.
I have so much more to show these judges.
[exhales.]
(Christina) Sadly, we're going to have to say good-bye to some of you.
We're gonna need a moment to discuss.
Excuse us.
(Sam) You did a great job.
(Gordon) Avery and Amaya, come on, seriously.
The étouffée, and then her take on the stew, brilliant dishes.
Both of those dishes taste like they were made by professional chefs.
- Right.
- Yeah.
(Graham) Addison has been at the top.
That little tart It was incredibly underwhelming.
(Gordon) Sure.
Kaitlyn's was badly conceptualized.
(Graham) She could have done so much more.
One cupcake? I wish I would have stuck with the calamari.
Happy with the decision? - Yes.
- 100%.
Let's go.
[dramatic music.]
Oh, my gosh.
(Graham) We are so proud of how all of you guys did with tonight's challenge.
It was a big one.
But there were two dishes that stood out above the rest.
Amaya Thank you.
- Congrats.
- Whoo! Whoo! And a huge congrats for a stunning dish, Avery.
Yo! [applause.]
(Avery) I know that Louisiana would be proud.
I am in the top eight, and it is crazy.
Good job, Avery.
(Avery) But I also know that two of my friends right now could be going home, and I'm really sad about that.
(Gordon) Will the following three home cooks please make their way down to the front? Corey.
Addison.
And Kaitlyn, please.
Corey, Addison, and Kaitlyn, tonight wasn't your best performance inside the MasterChef kitchen.
One of you did just enough to stay in this competition.
Step forward Addison.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
(Gordon) Young lady Oh, my God.
(Gordon) Please say good night to Kaitlyn and Corey and make your way back to your station.
You guys are amazing cooks.
Good night, Addison.
Bye, Addison.
(Addison) Oh, my God.
[sighs.]
Be strong, Kaitlyn.
You can do this.
(Corey) Okay? Oh, my God.
You two, I think you know what this means.
Unfortunately, tonight, it just wasn't enough.
Corey, tonight your chicken was simply not cooked.
Kaitlyn, your cupcake had many technical flaws with it.
But this is not the end of your culinary journey.
This is the first step.
(Graham) You have to keep cooking.
You guys are so talented.
(Gordon) Kaitlyn, Corey, please, both of you, come up here and say good-bye.
Head up high, my darling, yeah? - Great job, Corey.
- Okay? - It's all right, dear.
- Best of luck.
Head up high.
Corey.
(Gordon) Well done.
Good night, guys.
[cheers and applause.]
(Avery) I'm gonna miss you guys so much.
We're gonna miss you.
You did great, Corey.
- Bye, everyone.
- Bye, guys.
I'm sad to go back home to Arizona, but it was amazing just walking into the MasterChef kitchen.
This is so amazing! I got a chance to reach my dreams.
(Graham) Your chicken tastes delicious.
I think it says a lot about you as a cook and as a mature young man.
Good job.
I'm really proud of myself, because, out of thousands of kids, I made it into the top ten.
You totally took this 1980s dish and brought it into 2016 with such elegance.
Thank you, Chef.
I'm going to have so many great memories.
here in the MasterChef kitchen.
(kids) Crack it, crack it! (Corey) I got dumped on by a bunch of marshmallows.
I got soaked by a giant lemonade balloon.
[screaming.]
But, best of all, I've made some great friends.
Blue Team! [cheering.]
(Kaitlyn) I have accomplished so much.
[cheering.]
I won three challenges in "MasterChef Junior.
" The dish of the night: Kaitlyn.
(Gordon) It was just magical.
Kaitlyn, out of this world.
(girl) Whoo, go, Kaitlyn! I'll miss you.
(Corey) I may not have gotten the MasterChef trophy, but I'm very proud to be going back home with my MasterChef apron.
Come on, Kaitlyn, chin up high.
(narrator) Still to come Switch! (narrator) It's a "MasterChef Junior" classic.
(Graham) It's the hardest tag-team challenge that we've ever asked any home cook to undertake.
[alarm blaring.]
- That's not good.
Unbelievable.
(narrator) The top eight pair up Whoa! (narrator) In the most intense challenge of the season.
Time's running out! (Zac) Put the food on the plate, Kya! (Gordon) Two! (Avery) The lamb is not cooked! - One! - Stop crying, Amaya.
- I can't.
- Don't break down.
I'm trying, I'm trying.
This is not good.
[kids shouting.]
Come on down, guys.
I can't believe I'm in the top eight.
(Gordon) Straight to your stations, please.
- Yes, Chef.
- I am so happy to still be in the MasterChef kitchen, since I almost went home in the last challenge.
If I want to open up my bakery, I need to step up my game.
Welcome back, guys.
(Christina) We started this competition by meeting thousands of young home cooks across the country.
And now we're down to you, the top eight.
Now, I've invited someone special here today.
She's my absolute best friend in the entire world.
I know who it is.
(Christina) All the way from Virginia [dramatic music.]
My mother, Greta.
[cheers and applause.]
- Hello! - Hi! It's awesome to be meeting Christina's mom.
- Hi, Mom.
- Sweetie.
Love you.
(JJ) Christina's the best pastry chef in the world, and her mom is how it all started.
I am so excited to be here.
I'm so pleased to meet you.
(Gordon) We asked Christina's amazing mum, Greta, to put together an amazing mystery box.
On my mom's count of three, please lift your mystery boxes.
One - [gasps.]
- Two, three.
Lift! Aah! Yes! (Greta) In those mystery boxes, you'll find pretty much every single thing that Christina would eat as a child.
We have chicken breasts, chocolate chips, strawberries, Worcestershire sauce, broccoli, fruity rice cereal, chocolate rice cereal.
What am I gonna do with cereal? And some Worcestershire and candy? I mean, seriously? How are you supposed to make a dish out of that stuff? (Christina) Now, before we begin our challenge, we have another surprise for you.
Another one? (Christina) Since I have my BFF here with me, we thought maybe all of you could use a little extra support from yours, too.
[gasps.]
Open up your drawers and take out what's inside.
(Christina) It's a Surface tablet.
Oh, my gosh! (Christina) And on those tablets, you're going to get to use Skype to have a video call with your best friends.
Yes! (Christina) It's time to turn on those tablets.
Get a little extra boost of support before you start this mystery box.
Hey, Greg-o! Hi.
It's so awesome to be here, Greg.
- You can do it.
- Whoo! Do you know where I am? Yeah, you're in the MasterChef Junior kitchen! Hi, Shaheen.
Hey, Zac.
(Zac) To speak to my cousin Shaheen, it means so much to me, because she is extremely supportive of my cooking.
And do you see my apron? Boom.
- You're so official.
- I know, right? (Zac) Just really nice for her to give me a couple of words of encouragement and really give me that boost that I need to win "MasterChef Junior.
" More than half the kids have gone, so I have a 1-in-8 chance of winning.
You got this, man.
And we miss you a lot back here, and we're super proud.
Last 30 seconds, guys.
I have to say bye.
See you soon, bye.
- Bye.
- Bye.
(Graham) So, now that you've all gotten a little inspiration from your besties back home, it's time to get this challenge started.
And the winner of this challenge will get a huge advantage.
Yes.
(Gordon) You're gonna have 60 minutes to take some of Christina's favorite childhood ingredients and make an amazing dish worthy of the biggest cooking competition anywhere in the world.
Your 60 minutes starts now.
[clock ticking.]
Get out of my way, fellas.
Ooh, wow, wow, wow.
[grunts.]
Oh, gosh.
Ugh, this is heavy.
(Christina) This mystery box challenge excites me to no end, because they're ingredients that, for me, are right in my wheelhouse.
Oh, my God, this is so heavy.
(Christina) When you're growing up and you're 6, 7, 8, this is food that's accessible and that's in the pantry of your mother and father's house.
(Graham) And it's fun and colorful.
Oh, this is even lighter than my one at (Gordon) Where can these kids go, Christina? (Christina) I really think that the home cooks should play to their strength, but also play to their creativity, because we're not looking for something pedestrian, run-of-the-mill.
That's for sure.
Whoa.
Gosh.
Today I'm making a chocolate molten lava cake with strawberry and cereal sauce.
I have won a lot of advantages, but I want to keep winning them to show other people that I'm a really strong cook.
Ooh, Kya, looks delicious.
Thank you.
I'm making a simple soup that I make with my dad.
Broccoli, zucchini, cheddar cheese soup.
I feel like my dish is gonna stand out, because most people are making desserts, so I think this will really, you know, wow the judges.
(Gordon) Sam the man, what's the dish? It's a chocolate mousse with a little bit of mint and a strawberry sauce.
Are you getting more confident with these sweet things? I think so.
At first, I was really scared of Christina, but now that I know that she likes my desserts Mm-hmm? I'm feeling a lot more confident.
- Good.
Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
That's perfect.
- All right, Addison.
- Yes.
(Christina) What are you making today? (Addison) Cocoa crispy rice cereal pie.
Then, in the inside, I'm gonna have pastry cream, strawberries, and chocolate.
- Ooh.
- And if I have time, I'm gonna make some cereal milk.
(Christina) It sounds delicious, Addison.
You know my mom's my BFF.
(Addison) Mm-hmm.
And we know that you got to Skype with your BFF.
Mm-hmm.
(Christina) What kind of advice did your BFF give you? She told me that I should bake, and I said, "Okay.
" (Greta) Wow, Addison, what would you do if you won $100,000? (Addison) I would open up my own bakery called Batter Up Bakery, and in the back I would have a batting cage, that if you bought any food, you could use the batting cage for free.
I would come to Batter Up.
- Good luck, Addison.
- Thank you, Chef.
Good luck, sweetheart.
(Graham) Let's do it.
- Avery, how we doing? - I'm doing just fine, Chef.
Just fine? What is the dish? I'm making a strawberry pie.
I'm basically going to make a strawberry sauce too.
I want to show you guys that I'm not just a one-legged pony.
I can do-- One-legged pony? Is that the same as a one-trick pony? Yes.
All right, can't wait to try it.
Good luck.
Let that set.
(Gordon) Zac, how you doing? I'm good, Chef, how are you? I'm very good.
Tell me about the dish, what are you doing? I'm doing a pan-seared chicken breast with broccoli, crispy potato noodles and a potato puree.
You've only been cooking for just under two years.
- Yes, Chef.
- Yeah.
Some of these kids in here have been cooking since the age of 4 or 5.
Do you see that as a bit of a disadvantage or not? No, Chef, I don't think that's a disadvantage at all, because I am an amazing chef.
Where does that level of determination come from, to be successful? It comes from my dad and my mom, because they worked really hard to get to where they are, and I want to be just like them.
- Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.
(Gordon) Just over ten minutes to go.
What could I add to make this better? (Gordon) And remember, there's a big key advantage for the best dish of tonight.
Dang it.
My cereal, it's burnt.
It's on, like, fire.
Crap.
Look at that.
(Sam) My station is really smoky.
It's like smoke everywhere.
It's just black.
What's going on back there? I mean, it looks like smoke signals.
(Sam) This is not looking good.
(Sam) Dang it, dang it, dang it.
Dang it.
(Sam) It's burnt.
It's on, like, fire.
(Sam) Dang it, dang it, dang it.
Look at that.
- Sam.
- What's going on back there? I mean, it looks like smoke signals.
- What is it, bud? - My cereal burnt.
- Don't worry, don't worry, let's get it out.
Ooh, dear, Sam.
That's definitely ready, wow.
(Sam) I tried to broil my cereal for two seconds, and it went poof! Whew.
(Gordon) Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
Do you have any more cereal anywhere? Yes, Chef.
Let's get another tray in.
Just shake the tray so they toast evenly.
(Sam) Time's almost up.
I got to keep moving and try to make a new one right now.
Good luck.
(Gordon) Let's go.
Think about that plating.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Start plating.
(Gordon) Sam nearly burned the house down.
He had some cereal in the oven, and it got a little bit toasty.
[humming.]
(Graham) So who looks good? Zac is doing the most amazing marinated chicken breast.
(Christina) Addison's tart looks really great.
If she gets that bake time just right, will bring us to another world.
Christina, cereal milk.
[laughing.]
(Gordon) We want to see something magical tonight from Christina's favorite childhood ingredients.
- That's perfect.
- Ten seconds to go.
(Zac) My chicken is perfect.
(Greta) Seven, six, five (Addison) Wow.
(Greta) Three, two, one.
Hands up! [cheers and applause.]
Good job, everyone.
Those dishes look amazing.
(Graham) And as always, during those 60 minutes, we look, we taste, we smell, we examine everything.
Tonight my mom came all the way from Virginia to bring you a box filled with my favorite childhood comfort foods.
It's time to bring forward the best three dishes.
The first dish we'd like to take a closer look at is a dessert.
It's a dessert that uses strawberries, and it's plated beautifully.
Please step forward, Addison.
(Addison) Baking is my passion, and my last dessert almost sent me home.
I want to prove that I can bake.
So this is my redemption dessert.
(Christina) Addison, what have you made for us? Today I have made a chocolate rice cereal and strawberry tart, and then some cereal milk.
(Christina) Presentation-wise, I like that it's a little funky.
It's a little Jackson Pollock with the chocolate drippings there.
What do you think, Mom? I think it's amazing.
I love the way she has layered the strawberries.
It's just lovely.
(Christina) Did you know you wanted to go down the dessert route? I know that the last dessert I made got me into the bottom three, and I was very close to going home.
And just like when I'm in softball and I strike out, that doesn't mean the next time I go up to the plate, I can't hit a home run.
What do you think, Mom? You're a chocolate fan.
I really enjoy the texture of it.
I love the depth of the chocolate mousse component of it.
You're very smart to do the cereal crust, and then to put that layer of chocolate fudge, chocolate ganache there.
I think that really helped elevate that crust.
Yes.
The crust, I think, probably could have been baked just a little bit longer.
Longer, yes.
Overall, the flavors of chocolate to pastry cream to strawberry are really nice.
And what the fruity cereal milk brings to the dish, I think, is really great.
- Nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
Bravo.
[giggles.]
(Graham) The second dish that we all want to examine further shows a lot of creativity, as well as technique, and it's a savory dish.
This dish belongs to Zac.
(Zac) Yes.
I'm so happy I decided to do something different than everyone else and go the savory route.
The more risk, the more reward.
(Zac) So I hope the judges love it.
So, Zac, what is the description of the dish? (Zac) It's a pan-seared chicken breast with a potato purée, broccoli, and crispy potato noodles.
Greta, did you think a dish like this was gonna come out of that mystery box you chose? No way.
(Greta) Absolutely amazing.
(Graham) So, Zac, when you lifted that mystery box up, what did you think of those ingredients? I obviously knew that there was gonna be some sweet ingredients, and I thought that a lot of people would do that, so that's why I went the opposite direction and I made the savory dish.
[sniffs.]
You've got your vegetable, you've got crunch, texture, beautiful cook on the chicken.
Everything on here is super simple.
It looks like three ingredients.
They're all done perfectly.
And it shows not only the skill that you have in cooking a technical dish, but that you're very methodical in your thought process to get from A to Z, and you did it great.
Thank you, Chef.
[applause.]
- Great job, Zac.
- Thanks.
High five.
(Gordon) The third and final dish we would like to examine more closely-- This is a bit of a mystery for us, because it is a dish that doesn't look that good, but the main element of this dish tastes phenomenal.
Please bring that dessert down here, Sam.
(Sam) This is awesome.
I've never been in the top three with the mystery box challenge before.
And it was after I almost burnt down the MasterChef kitchen.
(Gordon) Sam, describe the dish, please.
(Sam) It's a chocolate mousse with a strawberry mint maple syrup coulis and a strawberry sauce.
What'd you do with the strawberries? (Sam) I put them in a pot with a little bit of water and maple syrup until they got soft, and I mashed them.
How does that taste? Really good.
(Gordon) And how does that look? A mess.
(Gordon) You did the most important part brilliantly.
You made an incredible mousse.
Well done.
Thank you, Sam.
- Nice job, Sam.
- Great job.
I thought I wouldn't even be up there.
- Three incredible dishes.
- Oh, incredible.
I have to win this.
I've only been in the top once.
Two amazing desserts, one incredible savory.
(Zac) I know that my dish was really good, but Addison had this amazing tart, and then Sam, his mousse was not really the prettiest, but it tastes delicious.
(Christina) Three amazing dishes.
All three took me back to some great childhood memories.
But there can only be one winner tonight.
The young cook with the dish of the night Congratulations The young cook with the dish of the night Congratulations Zac.
Oh, yes.
Oh, my God.
Yes! I finally won a mystery box challenge.
Oh, my Christina's mom being here was so lucky for me.
Nice job.
(Graham) Congrats, Zac, good job.
Nice job, Addison.
(Zac) I'm stoked.
And I can't wait to find out what this big advantage is gonna be.
[exhales.]
Zac, before we find out your huge advantage, I just want to thank my mom for coming here all the way from Virginia.
Thank you.
[cheers and applause.]
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Bye, sweetie, good-bye.
Good luck.
Wow, what a lady.
(Gordon) Absolutely incredible.
Thank you.
(Christina) Can all of you come down into the front? Zac, please come and stand over here.
Zac's advantage tonight is big, and the next challenge is gonna be epic.
Ooh.
This next challenge is a team challenge.
You guys are gonna face this challenge in four teams of two.
Oh.
Zac, who do you think is gonna be picking all four teams? [dramatic music.]
Me? That's right.
You are, Zac.
(Zac) I am super excited, but then, at the same time, I feel really, really nervous, because I have to pick all of these teams, and everyone here, they're all really good friends of mine, but then, this is a competition.
(Gordon) Zac, first, you need to pick your own teammate.
I'm choosing this person because I know that she is an amazing chef, and I think that we'll work extremely well together, so I choose Kya.
Kya, come up and stand on the other side of Zac, please, my darling.
(Zac) Got this, Kya, right? (Gordon) Now, who do you put with Sam? (Zac) I'm choosing Kamilly.
(Zac) Communication is key in team challenges, so I'm putting Sam with Kamilly because they're both extremely quiet, and I think that there will be some lack of communication.
Let's go to Avery.
I'm choosing JJ.
(Gordon) JJ, wow.
Obviously the last pairing is Amaya and Addison.
Addison, she's a very good cook, but I can be super, mega bossy.
Zac and Kya, stand next to Addison and Amaya, please.
(Amaya) And Addison, as well, can, like, be bossy.
I just think that our personalities will clash a little bit.
You have your teams, but there is one more important fact that you don't know yet.
This isn't any ordinary team challenge.
This is a tag team challenge.
- No! - No! (Sam) I'm really scared, because I've seen the tag team challenge before, and they're extremely hard.
We got this.
(Sam) This is gonna be crazy.
(Graham) Are you guys ready to find out exactly what you are going to be making as a tag team? (all) Yes, Chef! (Graham) All three of us are world travelers.
Every culture, every country, has its own food identity.
To get a true taste of any country, a real sense of its food, you have to walk the street.
Tonight's challenge is an incredible tray of International street food.
Awesome.
Oh, yes, I love those.
Here you have potato pea samosa with coriander yogurt raita from India.
You have mozzarella arancini with marinara from Italy.
Shrimp spring rolls with a soy dipping sauce from Vietnam.
Beef bao buns with cucumber pickles from China.
And then, lamb kofta with tzatziki from Greece.
It's a trip around the world through our taste buds.
It's time to head to your stations, let's go.
(Addison) I have never gone out of the country, but I actually have tasted every single dish that's on that platter.
Street food is by far the best food.
(Graham) At your stations, you have everything that you need to replicate that platter of international street food.
(Christina) In a tag team challenge, only one of you can cook at a time.
When we call switch, you'll tag your partner, and you'll switch places.
To succeed in this challenge, You'll have to communicate, and you have to work together as a team.
Stakes could not be any higher, because at the end of this challenge, both members of the losing team will be saying good-bye tonight.
(Gordon) Can the finisher step to the end of the bench? (Graham) Is everybody ready? (all) Yes, Chef! Your 60 minutes starts now.
- Get that water boiling.
- You got this.
On the other side, on the other side, because the water's closer to there.
Get everything pre-heating, and then start your chopping.
Let's go, let's go, let's go! Start the marinara.
- Wait, what are you doing? - Getting the steamer.
[clattering.]
(Addison) Aah.
(Gordon) Wow, so, difficult challenge, but the energy in this kitchen tonight is incredible.
- Yeah, absolutely.
- Listen to them.
Pour the kettle right away.
You can do it, you can do it.
Squeeze like you've never squeezed before! Great job, JJ.
(Graham) What steps are you taking first? Marinara sauce.
You want the depth of the flavor to come through, so that's got to go on early.
Let it just simmer.
Put it on the back burner.
Don't even worry about it till the end.
(Gordon) After that, then you've got to start the bao buns, but the secret behind these is to marinate the flank steak.
So the marinade is something that you need to have happen quickly, right? (Gordon) Slice it nice and thinly, marinate as long as you can, grill it, mix it with the pickles, and then put those buns in a steamer.
(Christina) Steaming the buns is an important part, but it's not something you can do too early, because the second those buns cool down, dry.
Arancini, leftover risotto, balled up, a little touch of mozzarella in the center, lightly bread-crumbed, and then shallot fries.
- Right.
- Come on, pile that in there.
That samosa is one of my favorites.
Those potatoes cooked, combined with peas.
(Sam) Drop the peas.
Put them into the water.
Seasoned perfectly before they're wrapped.
You need a little bit more seasoning, just so you know.
(Gordon) After that, then you start rolling the koftas.
As things are being cooked, you start rolling the spring rolls.
Mix, mix, mix, and then taste it.
(Christina) Where do you think these home cooks could go wrong? (Gordon) The secret to this tag team challenge is to divide and conquer, but make sure that you each check in with each other every minute.
What do you think I should do next? Stuff the arancini with cheese, and then start breading them, too.
Too much, too much.
(Christina) We're asking them to achieve five dishes on one platter.
You've got to be able to multitask as well as communicate.
Then start slicing the peppers, and then start chopping the onion.
Next I can do the cucumber marinade.
before we swap, guys.
What the-- Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
Just add the whole thing.
(Gordon) Stand by.
Addie, don't forget to taste it.
Okay, okay.
- Three, two, one.
- That's good, that's good.
Switch! - The bao buns are not done.
- Yeah, they are.
- They're overdone.
- Go, go, go, go, go.
Get the pickles in! Get the pickles in, go, Amaya! Guys, speed up, let's go, come on.
(Gordon) Got to communicate.
(JJ) You can do it, Avery, just hurry.
- Right, how's it going? - Taste the pickle.
It's going really good, Chef.
Is the steak in marinade? (JJ) No, Chef, it's about to be.
Right, what did you do in the first ten minutes? What did you accomplish? I have started the peas and the potatoes, and then I marinated the cucumber slices.
Why marinade the cucumber before the steak? Because we know that cucumbers take a while-- No, no, stop, stop, stop, stop.
Come on, now you're sounding silly.
- Yes, Chef.
- Come on.
What's more important, the steak or the cucumbers? Steak, Chef.
- Avery.
- Yes, Chef? - Psst, hello? - Yes, Chef? Set the alarm clock and wake up a little bit.
Gordon Ramsay does not look happy, and this is not good.
Come on, you two.
(Gordon) Not good enough.
This is not looking good for me and JJ.
I'm going as fast as I can.
Why marinade the cucumber before the steak? Because we know that cucumbers take a while-- No, no, stop, stop, stop, stop.
Come on, now you're sounding silly.
- Okay, yes, Chef.
- Come on.
What's the hero on that bun? It's the steak.
And where are you from? I'm from Texas.
Have you turned into all vegetarian on me? - No, Chef.
- Come on, you two.
Not good enough.
(Avery) JJ and I are both hunters, so we're like the meat people out of everybody.
We need to get on the ball.
Put it all in a bowl and get it in the marinade.
Quickly, quickly, quickly! - Hurry.
- Shoot.
- Take out the potatoes.
- Okay, hold on.
Lime and lemon juice, okay? All right, how's the communication going? It's actually going amazing.
How far along are we right now? I just cut up all the vegetables for the spring rolls, and she's gonna roll them.
The tomato sauce is just boiling away, and the steak is marinating already.
- It is, okay.
- Mm-hmm.
So do you want me to chop it? Yeah, into, like, small cubes.
Okay.
(Graham) I mean, it looks like you're focused.
We're helping each other, and we're figuring out what we're gonna do next.
- Totally, yeah, beautiful, good job.
- Thanks, Chef.
Keep going, keep going.
(Amaya) Start the risotto ball right now, okay, and then lamb.
We've got to get the samosas filled.
Quicker, move faster! (Graham) All right, guys, here we go.
Three, two, one, switch! Go, go, go, go, go, go! Check it.
Oh, Amaya! Come on, you got to start frying food! Let's go! All right, Amaya.
I see those steamed buns look like they've already been steamed.
What's going on there? They've got to be steamed right before they go on the platter, and you still have some serious time left.
There are a lot of other things that maybe you need to think about prioritizing that can be done right now that are serco.
That spring roll is served cold.
A lot of the sauces should be on.
They're gonna need time as well.
Amaya, Addison needs to hear your voice.
You need to be communicating this stuff.
You can't be quiet.
You don't want to go home.
Yes, Chef! Good luck.
Keep talking.
Addie, please start making the spring rolls.
(Addison) Well, not this second, Amaya.
We have to make the spring rolls sooner or later, and I prefer sooner.
(Sam) All right, that's good, that's good, that's good! Start the samosas.
- Sam, how are we doing? - Hurry.
(Sam) Oh, we're doing good, Chef.
Who's doing what? Kamilly's doing the samosas, and then once she's done, I'm gonna run in for the spring rolls.
Okay, so you're just taking one thing at a time, and completing it, starting it, and finishing it? - Yes, Chef.
- Yes, Chef.
Is the tomatoes on for the marinade sauce? No.
Is the pickle on for the bao buns? - No.
- No, Chef.
Is the skirt steak marinated? - No, Chef.
- No.
- That's not on either? - No.
Guys, come on, check in with each other.
It's like two individuals.
You're on the same team.
Listen, we may be behind, but we're not gonna give up.
Yes, Chef.
But you two have to get on the same page, okay? Come on.
(Sam) So we got to get the marinara sauce.
Okay, get a pot.
(Kya) Mash, mash, mash, smash it! till the next switch.
(Gordon) Just over 30 minutes to go.
Communicate.
The arancini, the arancini.
(Addison) Amaya, the samosas, they're stuck together.
- Oh, gosh.
- Big problem.
I'm gonna separate the samosas.
You make the arancini and the spring rolls, please.
Cut and cut and cut, good.
(Avery) Will you get some water set for me? You're doing great.
You're working clean, dude.
(Gordon) Three, two, one, switch! Go, go, go, go! Do the mozzarella balls! Sorry.
You can do it, okay? I can hear, just so you know.
Why don't you start with the samosas? (Kamilly) Not too much garlic.
(Sam) Trust me, I know Asian cuisine.
You use a lot of garlic.
Wow, I am so nervous.
Kamilly and Sam, they haven't even marinated the steak.
They've got no timers on for the marinara sauce.
What they've done is dissected the board, "You take three, I'll take two," and they're focused individually, not as a team.
(Zac) Just get those out.
You're doing really, really good.
(Graham) On the flipside, Zac and Kya are gelling really well.
They've got every sauce done.
Everything's marinating, everything's rolled.
(Addison) That's way too much filling, Amaya.
(Amaya) That is enough filling.
- It's way too much.
- It's enough! (Christina) I'll tell you who I'm surprised and worried about, is Amaya and Addison.
(Gordon) Yeah, they're not working together.
I don't think they're compatible.
(Addison) Oh, my gosh, Amaya.
I'm getting this done.
Stuffing arancini with cheese is not easy.
Coaches, I want to hear you.
Let's go.
(Gordon) One minute to go before we switch.
(JJ) You have a lot to do.
But I assure you, we will get it done.
(Kamilly) Come on! I'm trying as much as I can.
That's not good.
I don't do this every day for a living, you know.
(Amaya) Oh, no, I forgot to put the bread and the flower in the arancini.
Get them out.
(Amaya) Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
Start it over, hurry! Five, four - Oh, my God.
- Three Amaya, it's fine.
- No, they stuck together.
(Christina) One, switch! Pepper.
Make the spring rolls! Hurry, please! Start frying the balls.
(Avery) Get those lamb kebabs started.
That's our first priority.
- Stop crying, Amaya.
- I can't.
They're yelling.
S.
O.
S.
coming from Amaya and Addison's station.
- Don't break down.
- I'm trying, I'm trying.
(Addison) We got this.
We got this, Amaya, we got this, we got this.
[exhales.]
(Avery) The lamb is not cooked! I know! The judges can't eat raw meat! (Zac) Oh, we forgot to dredge them in flour.
Okay, just take them out, just take them out.
- Shoot.
- Dress them in flour right now.
(Zac) I can't now.
till your final switch.
Speed up! (Amaya) We can do this, Addison.
I have faith in us.
(Avery) Come on, faster.
People are going home today.
This is not for reward.
You got to grab the entire chunk.
(Kamilly) It's not even done.
Three, two, one, switch! (Gordon) Let's go! - Come on.
- Go, go, go.
- Hurry! - Go, go, go! (Addison) Cook, Amaya, cook! Final switch, guys, come on! - Whoa.
- Amaya.
(Gordon) Last ten minutes, let's go.
(Kamilly) Make into like little corn doggy shapes.
(Zac) Come on, Kya, you've got to hurry.
Almost done, still got to fry.
(Gordon) So this is where the intensity goes up.
- Double.
- They speed up, but the level of communication has to be so much more apparent.
- Absolutely.
- No, you need water! - It's okay! (Christina) This is where the teams start to unravel.
It's about endurance as well.
I can do it.
Don't worry, okay, okay? (Graham) This is so stressful now.
How much are you actually expecting them to get on, guys? At least three.
You can do it, Avery.
I believe in you.
Even though I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
Last three minutes, come on.
(Zac) Oh, my God, our meat.
Man, we have so much to do.
How are we gonna get this on the plate? - Come on, guys.
- Oh, gosh.
Start plating.
(Christina) Dig deep, guys.
- Okay.
- Let's go.
(Kamilly) No, no, no, no, they're still pink! They're still pink! I can't cook them any longer.
Oh, my God.
(Graham) Whoo, come on, guys! (JJ) Good job, Avery, good job.
Go, Amaya, go, Amaya, we got this.
Yes, we do, my friend, we do! (Kamilly) Plate! I'm getting everything that I got! - What's this for? - I don't know.
Just put the food on the plate, Kya! (Graham) Come on, guys.
Time's running out! (Kamilly) Come on, Sam, that's good.
Come on, go, go, go, go.
- Let's go.
- 60 seconds to go, guys.
[Graham shouting.]
(Graham) Come on, let's go.
(Addison) Great job, go, Amaya.
Samosas are good.
- Put them on the plate.
- What else do we have? (Gordon) Ten, nine Come on.
Eight, seven, six Kya! (Gordon) Five, four Right there, Amaya.
(Gordon) Three, two, one, and stop! - Time up! - That's it.
(Christina) Hands in the air, whoo! - Come on, guys.
- Kya! - Right there, Amaya.
- Five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! - Time up.
- That's it.
(Christina) Hands in the air, whoo! - Well done.
- Good job, guys.
Don't cry.
Okay, now for the most important part, the taste.
Let's start with Amaya and Addison.
I'll go.
Let it go, just me.
(Addison) Communication was key today, and Amaya and I had some communication issues.
But even though we had a long and emotional challenge today, I think that we did an awesome job together.
(Gordon) Addison and Amaya, in terms of the breakdown in communication, what happened? I don't know what happened today.
(Amaya) I always keep my confidence, and I never have that type of nervous breakdown.
(Addison) Yeah, I was stressed because I just wanted to stay here so bad.
I just think that I've never had as much pressure as this has been.
Well, pressure is healthy.
I don't like seeing you guys upset.
And sometimes the emotions get a little bit high.
But sometimes where we feel we're our weakest and most vulnerable, that's when you find your strongest parts.
And that's what you both did.
Congratulations on getting everything on the platter.
What an effort.
Okay, who grilled the lamb? I did.
Visually, it looks appetizing.
Mm, beautiful sear.
The seasoning is there, and it tastes nice.
Who cooked the samosa? Me, Chef.
It's just peas, coriander, cumin.
(Gordon) Yeah, spot on.
Good job.
Who rolled the arancini? I did.
Some parts were cooking unevenly, so I'm so sorry about that.
(Gordon) Nice color, crisp.
You got the balance right, delicious.
Beef's nice.
I like the seasoning there.
Remember one thing.
In life, it's not how you start, it's how you finish, because it was looking a little bit scary.
Yes.
But you dug in and got back.
Good job.
- Really good job.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
[both chattering excitedly.]
(Amaya) I am so proud of me and Addison.
Good job, guys.
Even though we had some communication problems, it brought Addison and I closer together.
We did it, we did it, we did it, we did it.
(Graham) Next up, please, Zac and Kya.
(Zac) I'm feeling really nervous right now, because we're missing some sauces and the spring rolls.
And it's just so frustrating, because Kya and I started out really, really strong.
I just hope that everything tastes delicious.
(Graham) Clearly some things are missing.
Yes, Chef.
About 20 minutes left, I was checking in, and it seemed that there was a plan for everything.
Where did it go wrong? I think I would have preferred to have been the person at the end, because I can be extremely quick.
(Graham) Who was in charge of the steamed bun? (Zac) I steamed the bun, and then I started the flank steak, and she finished it.
A little too burnt on the beef.
Pickles are nice, hoisin on the bun.
That's great.
Who made the kofta? I did, Chef.
It's cooked very well.
Looks like a beautiful medium.
- Who seasoned it? - Kya did.
You guys try a little bit.
You tell me if you think it's five-star seasoning.
- That's a little bland.
- It is a little bland.
Who made the filling for the samosa? I cut the potatoes, put them in the water, and seasoned it with salt.
I like that.
No breading on the risotto? We actually dumped them in the fryer, and we forgot to flour them.
It's one thing to have just a couple items on the plate and miss a few, as long as those things are pretty near perfect.
Here, under-seasoned, burnt, very all-over-the-place, which is the last thing I expected from you two.
I really, really thought you guys were the frontrunners, and now this makes me definitely second-guess that.
(Zac) Right now I'm feeling like we're doomed, because we had a lot of problems.
But then, at the same time, maybe someone else had as much trouble as we did.
I just really hope that we did enough to continue inside this competition.
Next up, JJ and Avery.
Let's go, please.
(JJ) Even though me and Avery had a rocky start and we don't know much about these street foods, I think we cooked our hearts out and did a pretty darn good job.
(Christina) All right, so how do you feel like you did? (Avery) We didn't get two sauces on the plate, and we didn't get our spring rolls, but I think it went pretty well.
It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
(Christina) Yeah, I think there was a lot to do, and certainly a lot at stake tonight.
All right, let's do the bao first.
The meat looks well-cooked, nice and tender.
Mm, great flavor, spot on.
Only thing missing, I'd say, is the hoisin.
All right, kofta.
There's some uneven cooking, but great flavor.
I'm really drawn to these beautiful samosas.
The filling is really lovely.
Thank you, Chef.
- Mm.
- You like the crunch? The filling is spot on.
You seasoned it very well, and your assembly of it was really nice.
Thank you, Chef.
(Christina) You guys did a great job tonight.
The things that you did, you did well.
I think you guys have some real stars on this platter.
- Nice job.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Amazing job.
- Thank you.
Sam and Kamilly, please.
Let's go.
(Sam) I'm really worried, because our platter is just all over the place.
Kamilly and I were really not communicating at all.
And that's exactly what Zak wanted, because this challenge was all about communication.
On a scale of one to ten, Sam, how tough was that? - Ten.
- Ten.
(Gordon) Let's talk about what's missing.
The arancini, we're missing the marinara sauce.
Between the both of you, the communication was like two individuals working in one challenge.
(Gordon) Why did that break down, Sam? (Sam) I think we were overwhelmed with the different things that we had to make.
Okay, kofta.
Who cooked these? I did, Chef.
Just touch them for me.
That's soft in the middle there, right? Yes, Chef.
(Gordon) When you open it up inside, unfortunately, the only thing that's missing is the wool.
If you put the wool back on there, we can put that thing back in the field, because that's raw.
(Gordon) Okay, kofta.
If you open it up inside, unfortunately, the only thing that's missing is the wool.
If we put the wool back on there, we can put that thing back in the field, because that's raw.
Okay, spring roll.
Who rolled these? I did, Chef.
And what's in there? (Sam) It's Napa cabbage, carrots, red pepper, cucumber, and shrimp.
Ah, the samosa filling is done beautifully.
Who cooked the potatoes? I did.
Here's the thing.
The spring rolls, you nailed beautifully.
You guys got that right.
Love the samosa.
Unfortunately, I can't eat the lamb, and the beef is so undercooked as well.
I think if you were to work at this challenge individually, you would have done a better job.
Thank you.
Incredible dishes tonight, but there were some downsides.
(Sam) I'm really sad that Kamilly and I weren't able to replicate the judges' platter.
I'm really hoping that we did just a little bit better than Zac and Kya, because I've come so far, and I don't want to go home yet.
- Happy? - Mm-hmm.
All of you, well done, and that was a very difficult challenge that you all had to face.
Sadly, we do have to say good-bye to some of you tonight.
But first the good news.
There was one team that totally stood out.
They had a really crazy, hardcore, emotional 60 minutes, but somehow what they put together was remarkable.
That team was Addison and Amaya.
Yes, oh, my gosh! Good job, Am-Addison.
Congratulations, ladies.
And now for the harder part.
The following two teams, please come down and stand in the front.
Sam and Kamilly.
[suspenseful music.]
Zac and Kya, please step forward.
(Zac) I'm so disappointed right now, because I had the advantage.
I got to pick the teams.
I picked the person I wanted, and it backfired.
All four of you, well done.
We hate saying good-bye to anyone at this stage, but neither of your performances were on top tonight.
One team just did sufficient to keep their necks above the water.
The other team, sadly, have cooked for the last time in this competition.
Please step forward Sam and Kamilly.
[gasps.]
I'm sorry, but tonight is your last time inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Zac and Kya, please, say good-bye to Kamilly and Sam.
- Sorry, Sam.
- Bye.
[poignant music.]
- Good job, Sam.
- Thanks, you too.
(Gordon) Sam, Kamilly, unfortunately, there were too many errors on that platter.
The one ingredient that was missing was your communication.
Just remember one thing when you walk through those doors.
At your age, Christina, Graham, and myself were nowhere near as good as you two.
The world is your oyster.
[chuckles.]
Both of you, please, come and say good-bye.
We're gonna miss you both.
Come here.
Well done, my darling.
If you ever decide you want to be a pastry chef, you know who's rooting for you.
(Gordon) Kamilly, ladies first.
In your mind, who's gonna become America's next MasterChef Junior? Addison.
(Gordon) Sam? - Zac.
- Zac.
(Gordon) All right, guys, well done.
- Good night.
- Good night, guys.
Oh, Kamilly.
I'm really sad that I have to go home, but I did a lot in this kitchen.
Yeah! [cheering.]
I'm never gonna forget the marshmallow challenge Marshmallows.
And the croquembouche, because it showed that, even though I don't like baking, I'm really good at it.
If a new pastry cook at Milk Bar brought me this on their first day of work, I would give them a raise immediately.
(Kamilly) I'm really proud of myself for making it in this competition.
Really lovely dish.
Really shows that you do know how to cook.
(Kamilly) Because millions and millions tried out, and I made it to the top eight.
Blue Team! [cheering.]
(Kamilly) I get to go back home with my head held up high to my fifth grade class and brag to all my friends that I got to meet Chef Ramsay, Graham Elliot, Christina Tosi.
This is gonna be an experience that I'll never forget as long as I live.
(Addison) We'll never forget you.
(narrator) Next week (Gordon) Welcome toRamsayville.
Go, go, go! (narrator) The final six Whoa.
(narrator) Tackle the most intimidating challenge Those are burnt, ooh.
(narrator) In "MasterChef Junior" history.
- That one's missing fish.
- What are you doing? (Addison) These are Michelin-star dishes Overcooked.
(Addison) For owners of Michelin-star restaurants.
This is burnt.
I'm only 9 years old.
- Aah! - JJ.
(Gordon) Oh, man.