Original subtitles

- Previously... - Please welcome...

Joe Bastianich!

Home cooks, I'm back!

The search for next MasterChef junior begans.

You get great sear on it. Both sides.

... as 12 talented young girls

Those plates looks stunning.

...make the grade.

Brava, very good job.

The plate shows great flare.

I have never seen such beautiful craftsmanship. I'm blown away.

Earning coveted white apron.

Congratulation Zia!

Benny.

Sophia.

...and the place at competetion.

I won a apron! Yeah!

- Tonight... - ( cheering )

Gordon: Welcome, gentlemen,

to the greatest kitchen in the world.

it's the boys' turn...

- No color, no... - All: Flavor!

- to get a lesson... - ( gasping )

- from the master. - Oh, my gosh.

But when the young home cooks

- Yes! - face the heat of the kitchen...

Ooh, the napkin's on fire.

- Wait, what? No! - Blow it out!

- It's really amazing. - who will stand tall...

Is this what it's like for you? How hard is that?

Not very hard when you're always this small.

( laughing, chattering )

My name is Tyler,

and I've been on this planet for eight years,

and somehow I'm still working on a lot of things,

but my parents say that I am amazing at cooking.

- ( cheering ) - Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!

My name is Chukwuemeka Waka, but I just go by Chuk.

No! My mom's from the south of Louisiana,

and my dad is from Nigeria.

I'm nerdy, I'm funny.

I'm really creative, so my dishes usually look unique,

- just like me. - Come on down, guys!

- ( chattering ) - Go, go, go!

My name is Quani. I'm 11 years old,

and I'm from Lawrenceville, Georgia.

I can cook, bake, and I can play soccer.

I'm a triple threat.

Welcome, gentlemen, to the greatest kitchen

you'll find anywhere in the world,

- the MasterChef kitchen. - ( cheering )

Yeah!

the best of the best of the boys.

We've already found 12 unbelievably brilliant girls to compete in this year's

"MasterChef Junior" competition,

and now we're looking for some of you gentlemen to join them.

Totes agree, fam. Totes agree.

Your ticket to a place in this competition is of course...

( cheering )

My main goal is to just get that white apron.

Like, I also like money a lot.

Your first opportunity to earn a white apron

revolves around one of the most loved proteins in the world.

We know that every single one of you has eaten this before,

but tonight, to try and win a white apron,

we want to see how well you can cook it.

Now, gentlemen,

I am about to show you how to cook

a stunning breast of chicken.

- Yes! - All of you, watch and learn.

First things first, gas on.

You need some heat in that pan.

Remember, no color, no flavor.

- No color, no... - All: Flavor!

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Pan's getting nice and hot.

A tablespoon of oil in first.

Place the chicken at 6:00, and lay it away from you.

Chicken breast takes between 12 and 15 minutes to cook.

Once you've got the color on the skin,

get to the thinnest part of the chicken and lay...

- Away! - No color, no...

All: Flavor!

- And lay... - Away!

Once you've flipped it the first time, back of the knife,

lightly crush the garlic.

Fresh rosemary, in. Fresh thyme.

- Some butter in there. - Boy: Basting.

Thank you. Who said "basting"?

- Me. - Good.

Spoon over those beautiful fragrant herbs.

Every two minutes turn your chicken gently.

Take that breast out,

- and look at that. - Oh, my...

A beautiful, moist chicken breast.

And that's how you cook chicken like a true MasterChef.

All of you, head to your stations. Let's go.

Boy: Cooking chicken breasts,

I can really show the judges what I'm made of.

I'm gonna make it fancy,

but I'm gonna make it simple, too.

Simple but fancy is my motto.

Each one of you young home cooks

will have just 25 minutes

to cook an exquisite chicken breast

just like Gordon showed you.

In addition to that perfect chicken breast,

you need to come up with a delicious and appropriate side.

At your stations, you will find

everything that you will need

to create this quality dish.

If you impress us tonight,

one of these incredible 12 aprons will be yours,

and you will officially take a place

in the "MasterChef Junior" competition.

But unfortunately, after this challenge,

we will be saying good-bye to some of you.

Gordon: Gentlemen, are we ready?

Yes, Chef!

Your 25 minutes starts...

now!

My name is Camson, I'm 13 years old,

and I'm from Jacksonville, Florida.

It's so important to cook this chicken perfectly

because it'll set everything else up.

I love soccer, and this reminds me

of how in the World Cup, the stakes are on.

I'm Jadon, I'm 12, and I cook a lot of chicken.

In the Chinese culture, chicken is a very popular dish.

I'm also born in the year of the rooster,

or chicken, so...

20 dynamic guys all vying for those 12 aprons.

8 to 13 years old.

This is really where we're going to see

technique and raw talent come out in this challenge.

Joe: Well, the chicken breast seems ubiquitous,

but it's the talent that makes the difference,

how you season it, how you baste it,

the temperature of the pan.

It's all in the details.

A couple of key mistakes we'll witness tonight

is they'll be overcooking it.

There will be insufficient color,

insufficient seasoning,

but the biggest problem for me potentially tonight is the rawness of it.

- You know, that thick part of the breast. - Dangerous.

Really dangerous.

Guys, just under 15 minutes to go.

- Whew! - All right, Elliot.

One of the oldest here. You're 13 years old, right?

- Yes, ma'am. - So, chicken breast.

- You cook chicken a lot at home? - Yes, ma'am.

Who taught you how to cook, Elliot?

- My mom did. She used to be a sous chef, actually. - She used to cook?

- Really? - She taught me everything I know.

I love it. How confident are you

that you can win a white apron?

I got some competition for sure,

but I think I can do this.

- Keep your eye on that clock, okay? - Yes, ma'am.

Good luck.

Getting some nice color. Whew!

- Mikey, how are we doing? - Mikey.

- Good. How are you? - Joe: Nice job.

Gordon: Great color on there. Who taught you how to cook?

Mostly my grandparents. I come from a big Italian family.

I make a lot of chicken parmesan.

- Great technique. - You have very good pan skills.

- You must cook a lot. - Probably make three meals a week.

- Wow. - That's pretty good.

- Yeah, I make the best chicken. - Good luck, young man.

- Thank you. - Whoo.

- Gordon: Last ten minutes. - Okay.

Remember, no raw chicken tonight.

Oh, uh, excuse me! The napkin's on fire.

- Uh-oh. - Oh, my God.

- Wait, what? - His napkin's on fire.

- Blow it out! - I look back behind me and Felix's pan's burning.

- ( gasps ) No! - Oh, my God.

I think he's trying to send smoke signals to us. I hope it's not an SOS.

Gosh.

Gordon: Last ten minutes.

- Okay. - Remember, no raw chicken tonight.

Oh, uh, excuse me! The napkin's on fire.

- Uh-oh. - Oh, my God.

- Wait, what? - His napkin's on fire.

- Blow it out! - Gordon: I've got it.

Don't worry, step back.

Don't worry, good man. Don't worry.

Straight under water. Up, up, up, up, and away.

You did the right thing by stepping back. Well done.

Fire is out. You good?

- ( sighs ) - Yeah?

- Yeah. - Good man.

To accidentally set a napkin on fire

bothers me a little bit,

and I hope I don't make the same mistake

cooking a chicken breast.

- Ooh. - Kolby, how are we doing?

Good. I've been doing what you were doing so far.

- Good man. Where's home? - New Orleans, Louisiana.

- New Orleans? - Mm-hmm.

That's, like, the home of American food.

- Gordon: Who taught you how to cook? - My dad.

- How good is Dad's food? - Not better than mine.

- You're better than your dad? - Yep.

Okay, young man, you've got just under eight minutes

to get your hands on that apron.

- Joe: Let's go. - Okay.

- Sammy. - Hi.

- Where's your chicken? - I put it in the oven.

All right, very smart. You're one of the oldest, right?

- Yes. - Do you think your maturity as a 12-year-old

- gives you the competitive advantage? - I believe it does.

There's a lot of tough competition,

but I have more experience than some of the other people.

I just really hope that I get a white apron.

- Gotta make Michigan proud. - Good luck.

Thank you.

Hey, Grayson, what's going on?

So what's your technique? What you got?

I'm basting my chicken breast.

You cook like this at home?

Yes, sir. I cook a lot of meat.

I hunt deer, duck. I do a lot of fishing, too.

- Wow. He's a hunter. - And why cast iron?

Hunters cook in cast iron. That's just the way it is.

- Now, what are you going to do with the Brussels? - I'm gonna pan saut�e them.

Okay, great. Get it on now. Get it nice and hot so you got great control there.

- Joe: Good luck with those sprouts. - Thank you.

It's not cooked. It's not cooked.

Some great looking chicken breasts out there.

Yeah. I'm also very impressed by the wide array of sides.

These guys are really putting

their personality onto this plate.

I'm blown away by the instinct or the knowledge of Sammy,

taking the chicken breast and putting it in the oven

even though Gordon didn't do it.

- Yes. - He's willing to take risks.

Absolutely. Guys, we're down to one minute to go.

- 60 seconds remaining. - Oh, no.

Do it now, guys. Plate now, plate now.

- Aah... - Taste, salt and pepper,

maybe a drop of acidity, a little lemon.

Think about what your dish tastes like.

- Boy: Go, go, go, go, go! - Christina: Come on, guys!

Start plating those chicken if you haven't already. It's go time.

You can do this, Kolby. You can do this.

- Kolby, you can do it. - Kolby, chicken on the plate.

- Keep going. - Plate! Put the chicken on the plate!

Gordon: Come on, let's go.

- Ten, nine... - You got it, Kolby.

Gordon and Christina: Eight, seven, six, five...

- Kolby, come on! - Four, three, two, one!

- Gordon: And stop! - Hands in the air!

- ( groans ) - It's okay, Kolby.

Now, it's time to find out how each of you did.

Oh, my God, the judging.

My chicken definitely has that beautiful golden brown sear on it,

but I just hope my chicken breast is cooked.

- Sammy. - Yes.

How long did you cook this chicken breast for?

So I cooked the chicken in a non-stick.

And then I put it in the oven for about 12 minutes.

- Why the oven? - It wasn't cooked all the way in the pan.

I didn't want to serve you raw chicken,

so I put it in the oven to cook it for a little longer.

- Joe: Courageous. - What are these vegetable sides?

These are lemon pea pods.

I saut�ed them in a little bit of salt,

pepper, and lemon juice.

- Thank you. - Camson, presentation.

Who taught you to put food on a plate like that?

I would say presentation is probably one of my skills,

so it kind just comes naturally to me.

How would you rate that out of ten?

Ten.

Thank you.

- Kolby, how you doing? - I'm doing well.

I seasoned the chicken with a rub I made.

You see when the chicken's, like, super rubbery

and moves a lot like that,

do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing?

Bad?

Thank you, Kolby.

All right, Henry,

this presentation, it caught my eye there.

- Do you eat out a lot in Texas? - Nah, not really.

So these visual nuances you just come up with in your head.

Yep.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

So you got some carrots. Did they get cooked?

Um, I left two raw.

- Oh, you served them raw? - Yeah.

Okay, give them back to the rabbit.

Looks like you chose to serve

your chicken breast skin side down.

Is that because you were worried about some of this color here?

- Yes, Chef. - Thank you.

- What's Dad's name? - Nick.

Nick. What does Dad do for a living?

My dad is a newsman.

I got some breaking news for him later. Thank you.

Now when you look at a piece of chicken cooked like this, what goes through your mind?

- It looks really good. - That was the right answer.

I made lemon-glazed chicken.

Christina: So you took a little side-step from what Gordon showed.

I wanted to show that I can do it different than everybody else.

Thank you.

- Hi, Felix. - Hi, how are you?

What are you thinking about this chicken breast?

- It's pretty good. - Tell me, how did you cook the chicken?

- I kind of eyeballed it. - Do you see it?

It's like super rubbery like that.

Thank you.

Pierce, pretty stunning presentation here.

Where did you come up with this plating?

I eat out a lot. I go to the grown-up's menu.

I see what I want, and then I see how it plates,

and I take that idea home

and maybe use it in one of my dishes.

How do you think Gordon's chicken breast looked earlier?

- Really good. - Better than yours, or does yours look better?

I think we're about the same.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.

All right, Mikey, it's a straight, no-nonsense presentation

like I'd like to see in a restaurant.

What would you expect to pay for this in a restaurant?

- 15 to 20 maybe. - Is it worth an apron?

- Some great dishes out there, guys. - Some great potential.

- Joe: Yeah. - Christina: You really get the sense of the diverse

- cooking styles out there. - Gordon: Interesting.

Joe: The level of skill that we saw in this kitchen tonight

was truly exceptional.

Eight of you have earned yourself a crisp, white MasterChef apron.

The first recipient of an apron this evening,

congratulations goes to...

- Sammy. - Yeah, Sammy! Whoo!

- Well done. - Thank you, sir.

Yes! I'm so happy!

I'm the first one to get a white apron.

I'm just excited to go up to the beautiful balcony.

"MasterChef." There it is.

The second-best dish of the night,

this was equally as good, Juelz.

- Well done. - Good job!

The next home cook to take their place

in the "MasterChef Junior" competition,

- Grayson. - Whoo!

- Nice job. - Good job, Grayson.

- Camson. - The next home cook that showed us

they have some serious skills...

- Henry. Good job. - Gordon: Great job.

- Cade. - Congratulations.

- Thank you. - Congratulations, Mikey.

Mikey: I'm going up to the balcony with all of my friends

and I got a white apron.

( blows raspberry )

I just feel like I just won the lottery.

A million dollars coming my way.

Gordon: Great job.

One more apron up for grabs...

and that apron belongs to...

One more apron up for grabs.

The last apron in this challenge

belongs to...

- Pierce! - ( cheering )

Yeah! Good job, Pierce!

- Good job. - Gordon: Good job.

I am so proud of myself

that I have this on me right now.

- Congrats. - You want to look good while you're cooking,

and finally, like, my wardrobe is complete.

Joe: Eight young men upon the balcony.

That leaves 12 still standing in the kitchen.

But unfortunately, we have to say good-bye

to some really talented young home cooks.

If I say your name, please come down to the front.

Kolby.

Elliot.

Jadon.

And Felix.

Tonight, unfortunately, we do have to say good-bye to all four of you.

And like I said many times to my son, Jack,

it's not always about winning.

It's about the journey bouncing back.

There's no limit to what you can accomplish, okay?

- Promise me we'll keep cooking. - Yes, Chef.

Well done. Thank you and good night.

- Good job, guys. - Good job, guys.

Boy: You guys did amazing.

I didn't get a white apron,

but I feel good about myself that I got this far.

Good job, guys.

I just cooked for some of the best chefs in the world.

It was so much fun to have an experience like that.

- Good job. - You did amazing.

Leaving the MasterChef kitchen...

disappointing for sure,

but I will definitely keep cooking.

My food dream is to become an international food writer.

I'm going to make that dream come true.

So, we have eight of you still standing in the kitchen.

You're here because even though

your chicken was not quite perfect,

we think you've still got more to show us.

And there are still four more aprons up for the taking.

Please come down to the front.

I'm excited for my second chance.

I'm gonna have to use my superpowers even more to get that white apron.

Earlier, you had a very specific challenge.

We asked you to prepare a chicken breast with a perfect cook

along with a MasterChef-worthy side.

But for this next challenge, we're going to give you

a little bit more creative freedom.

Tonight, we want to see your signature dish,

a dish that shows us who you are

and where you come from.

You'll all have 60 minutes to make us your incredible signature dish

and get your hands on those final aprons.

Now, is everybody ready?

All: Yes, Chef!

Your 60 minutes starts...

now.

Go!

The stakes are really high. This is my last shot...

Oh, my gosh.

...to get a white apron.

Dond� esta bananas?

I'm part Costa Rican.

I want to show the judges

my heritage and put it on a plate.

Now, we've got eight young gentlemen shopping

in the pantry right now.

Only four aprons on offer.

Now, these gentlemen are shopping for ingredients

to create their signature dish

in hopes of grabbing one of those white aprons.

Yeah, it's a tough one.

I mean, I think there's a lot of choice in there

- that could throw them off. - There's Mexican chocolate?

They have to create a signature dish,

a dish that tells us their story,

who they are, where they come from.

Does Drew go Southern? Does he play to those strengths?

I'm gonna add some Cajun seasoning

because I'm from the "ca-jon."

Does Anthony go New Jersey, East Coast?

Basil, basil, basil, basil.

I'd love to see one of these guys bake.

Sugar? Where's the sugar?

Do you think, honestly, a signature dish for the boys is going to be cupcakes?

I think it's bold.

- No. - I'm coming!

- Move out of my way! - This is heavy.

Drew, you got enough in there?

- Yes. - Good boy.

Tonight, I'm making peach cobbler with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

That is just amazing.

I'm very confident with this peach cobbler.

I've made it more than I can count.

This is my second chance of getting a white apron,

so I really need to show my skills.

More milk.

My signature dish is spicy tomato-herb pasta with some garlic bread.

I think it kinda represents me 'cause I'm Italian.

And I've learned how to make pasta from scratch with my dad.

It really stuck, and it's fun.

- Oh! - Now let's put those carrots in.

Gordon: Guys, 20 minutes gone with 40 minutes to go.

Make sure you give us your best shot, okay?

- Time's going down fast. - Oh, boy.

Ooh!

He just got that entire thing of salt in there.

That's a lot of spices.

Drew is, like, putting so much spice in his burger.

Cooking up something hot. Even too hot for me.

It's gonna be a ball of spice, that burger's going to be.

It's crazy. This is not good.

Tone it down on the spices, Drew.

Gordon: Guys, concentrate.

Make sure you give us your best shot, okay?

Ooh!

That's a lot of spices.

Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Cooking up something hot.

Even too hot for me.

Christina: Gentlemen, 36 minutes to go.

- Drew, what's up? - It's going fine.

Now what's going on with this burger patty?

I see a lot of spices on your station.

- You can never have too much spice. - Okay.

What are you making?

I am making an Arab fusion burger.

- Wow. I've never had an Arab fusion burger. - You ever have an Arab fus...

- Joe: Enlighten us. - I'm making this because my dad is Arab.

He's from the Middle East, and I love burgers.

How important is that Arabic culture in your life as a person?

Like, what does it mean to you?

It means that I unlock a cool new arsenal of flavors.

An arsenal of flavors? That's true.

Level with me now. Did you put every one of these 10 spices in here?

- Nope. - No?

Put it one at a time.

Take a tablespoon of this. Cook it and taste it.

- Yes, Chef. - Word to the wise.

- Good luck. - You're doing good, guys.

Thank you very much, people up there.

You got this, Quani.

No. No, no, no, no, no. Cupcakes?

Quani, stop it.

I just told Joe and Christina

no boy's gonna be making cupcakes.

I made cupcakes because I have a bakery.

- You've got a bakery? - Yes, Chef.

- What's it called? - Quani's Baked Goods.

I'm gonna decorate it with chocolate and strawberries.

Right. Quani, are you crazy?

Cupcakes for Christina Tosi? Seriously?

- Yeah, I'm crazy. - You are crazy. Good luck.

- Thank you. - Good luck, good luck, good luck.

- Ben, what's that in the pan? - Caramel sauce.

Aww, yeah!

- Big Evan, what's going on, man? - Hello.

You're 28, from San Diego, and you're a bookie.

I'm not 28, I'm 11.

My bookie has a shirt just like that.

- Really? - I'm into him for 20 large.

You better watch yourself.

- Evan, what are you making? - What are you making?

- Are these crepes? - Yes, they are.

- Wow. - What are you doing with this straw, bro?

Oh, I'm making little holes through bananas

because I'm gonna stuff them with dulce de leche.

- No way. - Stop it.

Now, see, you haven't even thought of that, have you?

I love this. Where did you come up with this?

I'm part Costa Rican, and bananas are the biggest produce in Costa Rica.

And also, who doesn't love dulce de leche,

which is pure Latin American.

- So what is the dish? - Banana Fosters crepes

with dulce de leche stuffed fried banana churros.

Listen. Own it, make it your own,

and I'll take 10,000 on the Patriots giving seven.

Okay!

Don't dry out on me. Don't dry out.

- Chuk. - What are you making?

- I'm making Nigerian shrimp stew. - Joe: Shrimp stew?

And then I'm making a chimichurri dipping sauce for the shrimps.

Wow. Why Nigerian shrimp stew as your signature dish?

- Where does that come from? - My dad's actually Nigerian.

He taught me how to make this.

Sometimes I'll make it for, like, a special occasion like a family reunion.

And sometimes I'll just make it for dinner

and then the whole family will eat.

- All right. Good luck, Chuk. - Thank you.

40 minutes gone, 20 minutes to go.

- Yes! - Oh, my gosh.

Yes.

- Anthony, how are you doing? - I'm doing good. How are you?

Now there's a lot going on here.

We got one, two, three, four, five pans on.

Yes, I'm doing a chicken hoagie with broccolini.

- Something from home? - Yes.

- Back in New Jersey, yes. - New Jersey, yeah. Brilliant.

- Do you have a girlfriend? - Uh, no.

No? There must be someone at school you like.

- Mm. - Whisper it.

- Um, Julia. - Julia.

- Yeah. - Do you want me to come

to school one day and be your wingman?

Yes, because I would like to show, like, you off to everyone.

Next spring break, I'll be there, okay?

- Get you two to the prom. - Okay.

Good luck, young man.

Look at Tyler. He's eating his food.

Tyler, what's the dish?

I am making glazed carrots and chicken nuggets.

Is it good? Can I try it?

Come on, man.

- Well, it's my germs. - Please?

You may want to eat this part.

I'm okay. I'll take that risk.

- Okay. - All right, so, Tyler,

you just cooked chicken breast.

Pretty gutsy to go back and say,

"I'm gonna cook you another chicken dish."

Well, it is my signature dish.

You didn't try these carrots. These carrots are money.

- You seem pretty chill. - Dude, I love this guy.

The MasterChef kitchen is full of a ton of stress and pressure.

What's your strategy? How are you coping?

Well, I actually don't have any stress or pressure.

( laughing )

- I love him. - All right, Tyler,

show us what you got.

Good luck.

How you doing, peach cobbler?

Come on, heat up, heat up, heat up.

Boy, I tasted some pretty delicious things out there.

- Brilliant. - Both sweet and savory.

Luca is making fresh pasta. Okay? Yeah.

- Joe: Wow. - Christina: Okay.

- Gordon: No, seriously. - Christina: From scratch?

Gordon: From scratch. Pretty incredible.

Evan is doing an interesting little twist

on bananas and crepes.

Gordon, he's stuffing bananas with dulce de leche.

- How do you stuff a banana? There's no such thing. - He's got the technique down.

- With a straw. - You can't stuff a banana.

- Joe: Banana stuffing is the future of desserts. - Gordon: Oh, please.

- It's the next cronut. - No chance.

Guys, we're down to one minute to go.

60 seconds remaining.

Christina: Let's go, guys, come on. Get it on the plate.

Gordon: Four aprons are up for grabs!

Come on, Quani. Finishing touches, let's go.

Gordon: Ten...

Judges: Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

- Stop. Hands in the air. - Hands in air!

Christina: Nice job.

- Nice job, guys. - Gordon: Well done.

- You guys did great. - Well done.

All right, let's start the tasting

- with Quani. - Go, Quani.

- Yeah, Quani! - Quani!

Quani: Baking's my money maker.

I think Christina's gonna be impressed by my baking skills.

I'm hoping these cupcakes are good enough

to get me that white apron.

Someone tells me you have a little cupcake business on the side, is that right?

- Yes, Chef. - What's that all about?

- I like to make money. - ( laughs )

People are tired of buying the food

from the concession stand at the soccer field,

so I decided to have my own business.

What kind of stuff do you sell at the soccer field, then?

I sell brownies, cookies, and, um, soft pretzels.

What do you gross during a busy game? More than 100 bucks?

- Sometimes. - Do you have employees?

My brother helps me out a little bit

and so does some of my friends.

- Are they on payroll? - Um, they get a dollar.

- A dollar? - Sounds like you, Joe.

Yeah. Over-deliver, underpay.

Now listen, Quani, what did you make for us?

Quani: I made blue cupcakes

with chocolate swirls and strawberries on top.

This could be a make-or-break moment for you.

- You ready? - Mm-hmm.

- Beautifully baked. - Thank you.

Now, what's the story with this frosting?

It's just a simple buttercream frosting

so I could focus more on my toppings.

The sponge is well-mixed. It's well-baked.

The frosting is nice and light.

I think for me, the only thing that I would change about it

is the color of that cupcake,

because we eat with our eyes first.

When I see the color blue,

my mind rifles through a blueberry-flavored cupcake.

- But overall, nice job. - Thank you.

Okay, tell me about this little business then.

So you got a cupcake concession

that's run by your little brother and your buddy.

And you got them on the payroll,

and you're paying them a buck,

and you're grossing $100 during a game.

Your food cost is nothing on this.

- What do you do with all the cash? - Stop.

The money I'm saving.

Do you have an investment advisor?

I don't know what that is, so I guess not.

Is your money working for you? Does it get interest?

- I don't think so. - Wow, we need to talk, dude,

because you can't have that kind of cash lying around.

Now I could present you with some investment opportunities

in various ventures that I'm running in,

and we could, you know... we could see.

It's really good. Executed well, full-flavored.

- Good balance of sweetness. - Thank you.

I love a kid who can not only bake,

but has got the courage to bake for Christina.

You're an enterprising young man.

- Thank you. - I'm gonna keep my eye on you.

- ( cheering ) - Go Quani!

Next up, Anthony.

- Yay, Anthony! - Let's go, Anthony!

I know that I took a risk making this sandwich to get an apron.

But for my signature dish,

this is my Italian heritage on a plate.

Anthony, describe the dish, please.

I made a chicken cutlet hoagie

with hot peppers and provolone

with a side of broccolini.

Right. Why a sandwich?

I mean, that's pretty ballsy.

- Oh, no. - Um...

Seriously, do you think a sandwich is good enough

to get your hands on an apron?

- Yes. - But I mean, it's "MasterChef Junior."

You know, we're not in a take-out sandwich shop.

- Can you cook anything else? - Um...

Do you think a sandwich is good enough to get your hands on an apron?

- Oh, no. - Yes.

But I mean, it's "MasterChef Junior".

You know, we're not in a take-out sandwich shop.

- Um... - It's not just a sandwich.

This is part of our communal cultural heritage as New Yorkers.

So don't degrade it to a simple sandwich.

I'm not degrading anything. I'm just saying it's a sandwich.

Joe: It's significant for us.

It's stuck between a baguette, Joe.

Greater things have been put in a baguette than chicken cutlets.

Yeah, I'm gonna put you in between two loaves of bread, Joe.

( laughter )

Describe the layers. At the bottom, we've got what?

The bottom, we've got spicy mayo.

Then we have provolone and spicy peppers.

- And then? - The chicken cutlets.

And then arugula and basil mixed together with salt and pepper.

Wow, right.

Anthony: Thank you, Chef.

Listen, the sandwich is delicious.

It's like a gourmet sandwich.

I'd prefer to see some of the broccolini inside the layers,

'cause it's not the kind of thing, you bite,

and then go back and pop it on the plate.

- You want to stick that in there. - Okay.

But that is a bloody delicious good sandwich.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.

( kids cheering )

Next up, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana,

Drew, come on up.

Drew: I love burgers,

and one day I want to eat a burger from all 50 states,

then every country, then every other world.

If I impress the judges with my signature burger today,

I get to have a white apron.

- All right. - Joe, this is for your face.

( Gordon laughs )

( laughter )

What do you call this sandwich?

All: Idiot sandwich.

( laughter )

All right, what do we got?

We got an Arab fusion burger,

with some pita chips and sauce on the side.

How many spices are in? I saw you had a lot of spices up there.

A lot of spices. I didn't even count.

I also added a little hot sauce in there, too.

Just a little bit.

What else is in the ground beef?

- It's also ground lamb. - Oh, lamb and beef.

What's the percentages?

49 beef...

35 lamb...

and then spices.

The rest is just passion. 17% love.

Yeah.

And these white things in here? What's that all about? What's that?

I also added onions inside the burger.

It has... it has a kick to it.

It's very spicy. What is this?

- It's pita chips. - And do I dip it in here?

Yes. That's olive oil, vinegar and za'atar.

Mmm.

This is a very interesting burger.

It definitely is what it delivers.

It's a fusion burger. It has a Middle Eastern flavor to it,

but your hand on spicing is very, very aggressive.

This is aggressively seasoned, for me.

Yes, Joe.

Thank you very much.

( cheers, applause )

Next up, Tyler.

My chicken looks good and I hope it tastes good.

Gordon Ramsay is a tough judge

because...

he's sort of picky.

Thank you very much.

Hello down there.

Is this what it's like, every day for you?

- Yeah. - How hard is that?

Not very hard when you're always this small.

Right, now I can see it. Wow.

I feel like I want to go back down on my knees now.

- What is that? - It's glazed carrots and chicken nuggets.

- Why chicken again, Tyler? - This one's different.

It gots seasoned bread crumbs.

Okay. What did you glaze the carrots with?

I glazed them with honey, butter...

- Right. - ...and that's all.

How many times a week do you eat nuggets?

- Many times. - Many times.

Actually your carrots taste quite nice.

They're glazed, roasted beautifully.

Unfortunately your chicken's a little bit too dry.

If you're gonna serve some tenders like that,

okay, maybe a little sauce, like a spicy ketchup?

I'd probably go with honey for it.

Okay. It's a strong effort,

but you've got some tough competition behind you.

Thank you.

- ( cheers, applause ) - Good job, Tyler!

( sighs ) - Next up, Chuk.

- What did you make? - I made Nigerian shrimp stew,

with a chimichurri dipping sauce for the shrimp.

The herbs I used were thyme, fresh oregano,

basil, mint, and then a bunch of other herbs.

I think that the stew itself has got a bold flavor to it that I like.

It's a little heavy-handed on that salt.

The shrimp, they're cooked well, but that chimichurri,

it just needs a little bit more oil in it to thin it out.

- Yeah. - Thank you.

Luca.

- What do you got? - I have a spicy tomato-herb pasta,

with some garlic bread on the side.

Pasta. It's a little overcooked, buddy.

The sauce, the overall flavor is pretty good, you know.

My issue is, on a dish like this,

why wouldn't you mix in the sauce with the pasta?

Sometimes I have trouble with the pasta.

In the pan it's kind of hard to mix it.

You didn't want to take that risk today, huh?

- Yeah. - Today might have been the day

- that it was worth risking for, though. - Oh.

- Thank you. - Please come up, Ben.

Ben: I made peach cobbler with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

I like to bake a lot, because I like math and science.

Ooh, look at those juices.

I have some peach sauce here coming out.

Why this caramel sauce as well?

Because the peach sauce really tastes like peaches and citrus,

and I feel like it should have something else to go with it.

I think that your caramel sauce with that orange zest

pairs well with the peach without overwhelming it.

I like the whipped cream but I think you've overwhipped the cream a little bit

to the point that it's just a little bit dense and heavy.

- Thank you. - ( cheers, applause )

The final dish. Evan, please, let's go.

I hope I make my Costa Rican family

and the whole country of Costa Rica very proud.

I feel like I took bananas to a whole new level,

from here to here.

That's, like, a big jump for bananas.

Evan, now, describe the dish.

- Bananas Foster crepes... - Gordon: Wow.

and dulce de leche-stuffed fried banana churros.

Come on, stop it. You did not stuff a banana.

Yes, I did.

- Gordon: Seriously. - Evan: Yeah.

Listen, I love your confidence, okay?

You're quite edgy and you're quick in the kitchen.

- Thank you. - But, stuffed banana.

You've gone bananas.

Come on, stop it. You did not stuff a banana.

Yes, I did.

- Gordon: Seriously. - Evan: Yeah.

You've gone bananas.

What's on the outside? It's coated in what?

That is coated with cinnamon and sugar,

- to make it like a churro. - Wow.

- What's it dusted in? - Flour, egg wash,

and then unseasoned bread crumbs.

It's actually quite delicious.

- Thank you. - Now, what's inside these little envelopes?

Um, banana flambee sauce, and caramelized bananas.

I saw you on fire back there. You were flambeeing?

- Yes, I was flambeeing dark rum. - In what?

- Dark rum. - You shouldn't be drinking at your age.

- I'm not... - Somebody should have told you, 21.

- Did you taste it? - I did taste it,

but I burned off the alcohol and then I tasted it.

Here's the thing. I think what you've done with your stuffed bananas

actually is quite a cool idea.

- Yeah. - Crepes need a bit more color, bit bland.

But the actual bananas inside those crepes are delicious.

- Thank you. - Good job.

( cheers, applause )

Evan: I just can't believe that Gordon Ramsay hasn't seen a stuffed banana.

It blows my mind.

If the judges give me an apron,

I promise them I've got some more tricks up my sleeve.

Like, I got something, like, in there,

and then in there and up there.

Like, way up there.

Please, all eight of you, come down to the front.

Drew: I would not want to be the judges right now.

I mean, so stressful to be a kid,

but it's even more stressful to be a judge.

Well done, to all of you.

Some of you showed us some serious skills,

some great personality, great flair,

great instinct across those plates.

But we only have four aprons remaining.

The first recipient of the apron tonight,

this individual blew us away with a dish that was creative,

it was packed with flavor, and it really stood out.

Congratulations...

Anthony.

- Gordon: Amazing. - ( cheers, applause )

Apron on. Put it on. Head upstairs.

Yeah!

I'm in the top 24 and finally have a spot

in the MasterChef kitchen.

This right here represents the Italian in me.

Boy: I knew you would do it.

Christina: The next apron...

this apron right here,

is going to one home cook that displayed

some serious baking skills in the kitchen tonight.

Congratulations...

Quani.

- ( cheers, applause ) - Those cupcakes were out of control!

- Congratulations! - Good job.

Quani is in the top 24.

You are one to watch. Good job.

Thank you, Chef.

The third white apron...

goes to...

Evan.

( cheers, applause )

- Young man, great job. - Thank you, Chef.

Okay, one, two, three, four, five of you.

You can see there's one apron left.

The final young home cook

joining the top 12 most talented boys

and the top 12 most talented girls.

Last apron goes to...

Ben!

( cheers, applause )

- Good job. Well done. - Thanks.

- Good job, Ben. - Good job, Ben.

( sighs ) Gentlemen.

Remember why you should be so proud of yourselves.

Top 40 home cooks in all of America.

That's a massive accomplishment.

When Joe, Christina, and myself were your age,

we were nowhere near as good as you guys.

Joe: Be proud of what you did tonight,

'cause we know that you have the determination, talent, and skills

to make all of your dreams come true.

- Good night, guys. - ( applause )

- Good job! - You guys did awesome!

Yeah, it's sad I'm leaving here today,

but the people I met, I'm never gonna forget.

I got to cook in front of Gordon Ramsay.

Now I get to go back to Louisiana

and go see my other friends.

- Good job, Luca! - Good luck!

I'm kinda sad,

but I'm not 13,

so I'm gonna train a bit harder for next year.

( cheers, applause )

I'm a little disappointed not to get an apron,

but I was able to make my own signature dish

in the MasterChef kitchen. Like, that's just an honor itself.

Tyler: I may not have got my MasterChef apron,

but at least I'm still a superhero!

- Announcer: Next week... - Lift!

- Ooh! - Bacon, chocolate?

- Dates! - Zucchini, soy sauce.

Everything from A to Z.

the boys join the girls

as the top 24 learn their culinary ABCs.

- Aah. - And then,

- the junior home cooks... - Christina: Tonight,

you'll all be making a fruit tart.

...face a French classic.

- And while some... - Argh!

crumble under the pressure...

- I'm done, I'm done. - for others...

Gordon: Really beautifully done.

- ...success is sweet. - Amazing.

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