Gordon: Previously on "masterchef junior"...
- Whoa! - Each team will have to make
- As many pancakes as they can. - Help. Help, michael.
We have to move faster, alfred.
The winning team is the red team!
- Next up, ice cream desserts. - Run!
- Let's go! - All I need is one banana.
- Bryson, those peaches look good. - Thank you.
Asher, you have absolutely knocked it out of the park.
It is frickin' delicious.
I don't think you need the ganache.
The bananas don't do anything for me.
It doesn't need the whipped cream.
The young cook heading home
Tonight is alfred.
I'm really gonna miss you, bud, and I'm really proud of you.
- All: Bye! - Tonight...
- It's a time machine! - Bye, guys.
- Bye! - ...We're taking a trip through time.
- ( buzzing ) - ( yelps )
( whirring )
( squealing, laughing )
I told you this was a bad idea.
You have to take these dishes from your past
And turn them into dishes from your future.
- Shoot, shoot, shoot. - Pressure's on.
- A little bit. - But on the journey
- To the semifinals... - Stop!
...One young home cook will be left behind.
- I'm crunching a little bit of a dirt. - There's nothing worse.
What a shame.
( music playing )
( whirring, beeping )
( ticking )
Daphne: Come on, guys. Check this out.
( growling )
Come on, gordon. Get in the time machine.
I don't think it's a good idea.
Dad, don't be a chicken. Come on.
But why me? Why can't you go in, aarón?
Come on. What could possibly go wrong?
- Yeah, a lot. - ( laughs )
- Whoa! - Whoa!
- This is awesome! - What? What?
- Whoa! - Yo, it's a dinosaur!
- It's so fun! - It's a time machine!
A time machine!
Being the top five best home cook in america feels so good,
But this puts a little bit of pressure on me 'cause I'm a little bit nervous
That the judges are gonna be a little bit more harder, but I think I got this.
Why is there smoke? What's going on?
- I'm scared. - Hi, guys! Feeling good?
- All: Yes, chef! - Gordon: All right, listen.
You guys, you'll never believe this.
Miss daphne made this time machine.
- What? - But she wants me to try it out.
- Right? - Yes!
- Yeah! - I've never been in a time machine,
But I have been in my mom's car,
And she's singing songs from the 1800s
When she was born, the olden days.
So that's kind of like a time machine.
But, I mean, daphne's time machine is so cool.
It's, like, I don't know how she built that.
I need you to be brave about this, gordon.
Get in the machine. Come on.
- Yeah! - Get in the machine!
- Fine. - Get in the machine.
Step right up, gordon. Right inside.
- Bye, guys. - Say goodbye.
- Bye! - Oh, man!
- Bye! - Bye, gordon!
- Hasta la vista! - Bye, chef gordon.
( cheering )
Hey!
Okay, now wait. Let me just remember.
I think it's this.
Um, right. Up and down twice,
- And then this side and this side. - ( alarm blaring )
- Uh, wait, wait. - I think that's right. Maybe this one also.
Daphne, hold on. What does this button do right here?
- No, no, don't push that one. Do not-- - ( yelps )
Aah! Aah!
- Oh, my gosh! - Oh!
I see smoke coming out, sparks are flying everywhere.
Is chef gordon just gonna evaporate in it?
- Oh, my goodness. - ( imitates explosion )
- ( powering down ) - gordon?
- Chef gordon! - Gordon!
- Whoa! - Oh, no!
- Come on, you donuts! - ( squealing )
- Aarón: What? - Tilly: Dad!
- Gordon! - I told you this was a bad idea.
- Oh, my gosh. - Was he this angry when he was that young?
I love this. Dad, eat your vegetables and clean your room.
Don't talk to your father that way.
- ( laughing ) - I love it.
- Wow. - Wait. Guys, I think I know what happened.
Gordon, I'm just gonna have to ask you to go back inside that machine
One little second, okay, buddy?
- No, don't go back in there! - Go eat your brussels sprouts!
Hasta la vista, baby!
( laughing )
He's scary as a four-year-old. Okay.
- Turn him back into chef gordon. - Okay.
Middle, right. Yes. Okay, good.
- Ooh! - Aah!
- Ooh, please. - Is he back?
- Daphne: Come on, gordon! - Dad!
- What did it-- what? What? - Thank goodness.
- Yeah! - I told you. Seriously?
- Daphne: You were scary. - Man!
You were scary as a four-year-old.
Your time machine is too unpredictable.
Dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.
But honestly, while I was in there,
I did have a great idea for tonight's challenge.
Let's send all of you on a time travel adventure.
- Oh, no. - Excuse me.
- No! - We're not going in there.
- What? - Wow.
- There you go. - What is that?
Right, I've just returned from the past,
And I've brought with me the very first dishes
You ever cooked when you stepped inside the "masterchef junior" kitchen.
- What? - What?
Gordon: Right, listen carefully, because your challenge tonight
Is to take these dishes from your past
And turn them into dishes from your future.
- What? - So, week one, bryson,
The moment you stepped into the masterchef kitchen
You made a rib eye cap with compound butter.
- Remember that one? - Mm-hmm. Yes, chef.
Gordon: Well done.
Michael, you made flipping shrimp pasta pesto.
Remy, you made chicken roasted over those carrots and mashed potatoes.
Jordyn, seven weeks ago, you made a delicious pan-seared pork chop
With homemade barbeque sauce, right? Beautiful.
Asher, you made the delicious surf and turf
With that beautiful butter-poached lobster. Oh, man.
Kids, I can see five amazing young home cooks here
Who might become five michelin star winning chefs when they grow up.
So tonight think about your future self
And how they would elevate these dishes from your past.
This should be your signature dish at your future restaurant.
We want refined, elegant dishes that reflect all you've learnt here.
And whoever cooks the best dish tonight
Will not only head into the top four
And head straight into the semifinals,
But they'll win an extra special prize.
The cook with the best dish gets an all-inclusive family trip to mexico
At the paradisus playa del carmen resort
In the beautiful riviera maya.
- Whoa! - Pretty cool.
- So cool! Amazing! - That just sounds fancy.
I really wanna win this trip to mexico
Because mama cheesecake and papa cheese,
We need to get out of alabama
And go over to mexico and get on a vacation.
Okay, guys, you will have one hour to cook us food from a future you.
We cannot wait to see what you little time travelers cook up.
Right, you five, are you ready?
- All: Yes, chef. - Good.
- Your 60 minutes starts now! - Come on, guys!
Well done!
Whoo!
Get a basket! Get a basket!
- Basket. - Okay, turnips.
Turnips, okay. Found 'em.
Where are the chanterelle mushrooms?
I'm so excited to show the judges
That I've learned from then.
Let's go!
This dish is gonna be so good
That gordon's gonna want to serve it in his restaurant.
But I won't let him, because it's my dish, not his.
Okay?
Sauce.
Gordon: Speed up! Let's go!
My grandma taught me how to cook the first dish,
But now I have to elevate it.
This is gonna be hard,
But I think the masterchef kitchen
Taught me how to make things I don't like, like kale.
So I'm putting a mashed pea
And some more vegetables like roasted turnips and greens.
- I think I got it. - This is it.
Tonight's challenge, it's about what they've learned
In this competition so far and how do they make
These dishes stand out like restaurant quality?
Right. We're obviously gonna hopefully see the same flavors,
But now it has to be elevated, it has to be elegant, and something interesting.
It's a good barometer to see how much they've taken in
And absorbed throughout this whole process.
But the pressure to really demonstrate
What they've learned in one dish, it's a tall order.
Tilly: I know, I mean, jordyn made that pan-seared pork chop.
It'll be interesting to see what other flavors she adds to it
And how she adapts it to show us
What she's learned in the seven weeks here.
So, remy, she gave us that beautiful cooked chicken thigh.
But where does she go now? Does she stuff a chicken breast?
How do you elevate your chicken thigh?
- Yeah. - Ooh, beautiful.
Michael, he's made a delicious shrimp pesto pasta.
- Yes. - But he used just the pasta from the pantry.
He could do something like changing the way he made his pasta.
Absolutely. Look at asher. He brought us that surf and turf.
So how do you elevate that already when you've got two amazing proteins?
- So it's a tricky one. - I think there's a lot of pressure on bryson actually,
- Because he won that challenge off a rib cap. - Yes.
Yeah, that rib cap is cooked beautifully.
You're cooking with confidence, aren't you?
- Yes, sir. - You really came to show us
Some beautiful cooking, and I am very excited
To see you expand that palate even more.
- So he has to elevate it twice. - ( muttering )
- The pressure is on. - Cheese graters.
This is gonna be really hard because the first challenge I actually won,
So the judges are gonna have insanely high expectations.
Oh, no, this is not good.
This is the most stressed I've ever felt.
- Ooh! - My nerves are getting the best of me.
There's so much pressure.
It's gonna be really hard to elevate my dish.
Oh, my goodness.
Gordon: 15 minutes gone. We've got 45 minutes to go.
- Okay. - Let's get those dishes looking delicious
And into the future.
- Let's get this going. - Let's go.
- Perfect, okay. - Daphne: Hey, michael.
You're always in the zone, young man.
Daphne: Michael, last time made a shrimp pesto pasta.
How do you take that and take it to that next level?
By making a shrimp tortellini from scratch,
Which I've never made before, with a white cream sauce and basil oil.
- And the shrimp is gonna go where now? - In the tortellini.
Oh, so you're making a little-- or a little stuffing with the shrimp
- That's gonna go inside? - Yes.
- Daphne: Delicious. - I love that.
Now, michael, you are top five.
How are you feeling?
I'm feeling pretty excited and a little nervous
Because I've never made tortellinis.
But I've made fresh pasta, so I know how to treat it and do it.
Aarón: Gotcha. The construction of the pasta is key.
- All right, well, good luck. - Thank you.
Jordyn: And now I have to start sautéing my greens.
Dang it.
Bryson, first time around, you won with your rib cap.
How are you going to change and elevate it for us?
I'm making a new york strip with gruyère mashed potatoes,
Sautéed mustard greens,
With an urban pepper salt spinach sauce.
So you feeling the pressure of being the winner in the first challenge?
I'm definitely feeling the pressure because I'm kind of wondering
How I'm supposed to elevate the dish.
Just think of everything you've learned, and also just stay calm, bryson,
- Because you know how to cook. - Absolutely.
If you think about it all, taste it all,
- It's gonna be delicious. - Thank you.
Gordon: Absolutely right. Listen, make sure that new york strip
Goes on a really strong sear,
And we got that really nice medium rare.
- Yes, chef. - Hey, young man. You got this.
And if you win that trip to mexico, can I come?
- All right. - Seriously. Come on, man.
Get yourself in the semifinal. Hey. Boom! Good luck.
- Thank you, chef. - Oven open!
- What's up with that? - Wow, a little turnip kingdom over here.
- How about mrs. I don't like greens? - I see not just one,
- But two greens going on your plate now. - Yes.
- Does that mean jordyn likes greens? - A little bit.
- Very cool. - Look how far you've come!
The first time you made this dish, you used a pork chop
And a homemade barbeque sauce.
And how are you updating it tonight,
Giving us a taste of jordyn of the future?
Well, I'm making pork tenderloin
With, like, a apple cider barbeque sauce.
- Ooh. - And also peas, baby turnips, and greens.
Your peas, what are you gonna do with those?
I'm gonna blend these up and I'm gonna make a pea purée.
Wow. So you kind of wanna cook them all the way through, you know what I mean?
All right, remember, someone's going home, so make sure it's not you, okay?
Daphne: All right, keep going, jordyn. Nice job.
- Hey, remy. - Hi.
Okay, so you had that delicious sunshine on a plate.
How do you elevate that and make it shine even more?
So instead of sunshine on a plate,
Which was roasted chicken thigh and joel robuchon potatoes,
- Now I'm making a multiverse on a plate. - Wow.
Because it brightens everybody's day,
- Not just the people from florida. - Love that.
It's roulade chicken breast, mushroom stuffing,
Joel robuchon potatoes, with crispy chicken skin as a garnish.
I love the idea of this roulade, by the way. It's a great idea.
- Thank you. - Very technical to roll that, stuff it,
Cook it beautifully. Now, are you using the chicken breast
Or are you gonna go for the thigh again?
- Chicken breast because it's easier to roll up. - Smart.
- Nice. - In terms of the competition, who do you fear the most here?
- Bryson and michael. - Mm-hmm, why?
Remy: Well, michael's really good with plating and seafood,
- And then bryson's really good with, like, protein. - Meat, yeah.
I feel like those two are gonna stand in my way the most.
Gordon: Wow. Right, listen, dishes sounding amazing.
- Make sure that chicken's cooked, okay? - Yes, chef.
- Good girl. - You've got this, remy.
Everybody knows that I'm not here to play, I'm here to slay,
And I'm really sticking to my motto.
And all the other kids are like, "oh, okay.
I'm so sorry, remy. Let me just move out of your way."
I'm like, "okay! Thanks!"
I'm gonna make it all the way up to the top.
I'm feeling really good.
Okay, top five, we are halfway!
30 minutes gone. 30 minutes remaining.
Taste everything and really elevate those dishes. Let's go!
Bryson: What you doing, jordyn?
Making my pea purée. What are you doing?
I'm doing my mashed potatoes right now.
- Tilly: Hey, asher. - Now you already came in with that beautiful surf and turf,
But are you going down that route again?
Yeah, I'm making a filet mignon this time
And a chanterelle cream sauce.
- Wow, okay. - With a celery root purée
And butter poached lobster tail.
Wow, so last time you went for the barbeque sauce.
This time you're doing a chanterelle cream sauce.
- That's a tough one. - Yeah.
- The dish sounds very complex. - Yeah.
You got enough time to get it done?
- Deep breath. - It's very stressful.
Stay calm, and that's the best thing that you can do.
- Right, young man, you've got this. Good luck. - Yeah. Thank you!
Bryson: Let's get this going.
All right, so, michael, his original dish was flipping shrimp.
- Yes. - He's taking that concept and making shrimp tortellinis.
Making homemade pasta. He's gonna roll that out and use the shrimp as a filling.
But he did tell us he's never made tortellini from scratch before.
There is a jeopardy moment in there of getting the stuffing in sealing it properly,
Making sure it doesn't leak out while it's cooking.
Remy: It looks so good!
So remy did that delicious sunshine on a plate for us first time round.
Gordon: But this time she's doing-- it's a roulade, right?
- Tilly: Yeah. - Daphne: Oh, that's fun.
So very technical. She's gotta make sure
She rolls it and that filling and stuffing doesn't come out.
Hopefully she cooks that chicken well, and it's not over,
Because if it's dry, there's nothing worse.
So for jordyn, she started off the competition
Making a seared pork chop and her homemade barbeque sauce.
For tonight, she's elevating it.
She's doing a beautifully seared pork tenderloin.
Also, guys, including not one, but two greens on this dish,
And that is a tremendous growth trajectory, which I love to see.
Gordon: But pork tenderloin, it's unforgiving, right?
- There's no fat in there. - At least with a pork chop
You have a layer of fat that can protect it.
There's nowhere to hide on a pork tenderloin.
- Bryson: Sizzling. - Tilly: So bryson did that delicious rib cap,
And this time he's changing it up and he's doing a delicious new york strip steak.
- Yeah. - I just don't want him to get flustered with it.
But, again, this guy's in his element when he's cooking meat, right?
I mean, it really is in his wheelhouse.
So fingers crossed, he'll nail that steak.
I need a...
So, asher last time round came with that surf and turf.
This time he's doing a butter poached lobster
- With filet mignon. - Aarón: Oh, man.
Gordon: So we're elevating the sauce as well.
- He's gonna do a chanterelle cream sauce. - Oh, wow.
I'm just worried that asher's taking on too much.
Multitasking is where you really run into issues
Because you have to keep track of everything going all at the same time.
And this time there's not as much room for mistakes.
It's not the first cook anymore.
Gordon: Guys, we're 45 minutes gone.
We're down to the last 15 minutes.
- You good, asher? - It's really stressful.
I feel so much stress,
And I'm so behind.
( groans )
This is so hard,
Juggling four pans,
And I haven't started my lobster.
Ugh. And I'm worried that my dish isn't gonna be done in time.
I feel so much stress.
I'm worried I took on too much,
But my dish needs to be 100% perfect.
Gordon: 45 minutes gone.
We're down to the last 15 minutes.
I need to hurry up and prove to the judges
That even though I'm eight, I can do it.
I got this.
Michael: Perfect.
Wow, look at that with michael.
He's putting those beautiful tortellinis together.
Tilly: He knows how to roll pasta.
- That's looking good. - Absolutely amazing.
Nelly!
Okay.
- Ooh! - Let's go. Right.
- Hey, michael. - Have you blanched those tortellinis already?
- I'm letting them rest, and then I'm gonna boil them. - Show me. Show me.
- Aww, yes, yes! - Oh, wow. Michael, I love that.
- I love the fact you've made your own pasta... - Yes!
...After using the one from the pantry last time.
How are we gonna serve these tortellini? What are we doing?
I'm gonna do five of them in the middle of the plate,
And then I'm gonna do my white cream sauce that I'm working on right now.
Always plate with an odd number. And...
Yes! Excuse me.
- What chef taught that that? - Nick digiovanni.
- ( laughing ) - man!
He's gonna cry, michael. Look.
Gordon: Nick? From season ten?
- He thought that you were about to say him. - I taught him that.
We always go three, five, seven, nine, right?
- Yes. - Did he teach you that?
- I have his cookbook. - Aww, man!
He's big on social media as well, right?
Very big. I watch his videos.
He's got five million followers on tiktok.
- He's coming for you. - Hold on a minute.
He's got a long way to go. I've got 40 million.
Michael, it's all he talks about. "my followers, my followers."
- Right, young man, please focus, yeah? - Yes, chef. Yes.
- Let's go. - All right.
Oven open!
It smells like cheetos.
Bryson, why does the oven smell like cheetos?
- Cheetos? What? - It smells like cheetos.
- Jordyn: Looks good. Good. - So, jordyn, how's it going?
- I love the idea of the pork loin by the way. - Thank you.
You cooked that pork chop last time round beautifully.
How are you gonna elevate it this time round? Where are we going?
I made an apple cider barbeque sauce with greens,
And I call this the "binner" because I when I grow up
I wanna open up my own gourmet breakfast restaurant.
So it's dinner, but breakfast. So "binner."
- Binner. - Gotcha. Well, shall I tell you something?
Miss tilly comes home late at night sometimes,
And she has breakfast with her friends, and she wakes me up.
No, I do not, gordon. Sometimes I have some toast when I get home.
There's nothing wrong with that.
Sometimes she's coming home at 1 am in the morning.
He's snoring by that point. The house is shaking.
Right. Now focus on that pork tenderloin, okay?
Because this tenderloin is full of jeopardy.
Because this pork's got no fat in there, okay?
So make sure it's pink, not dry.
- Jordyn: Okay. - Okay, girl, you got this, yes?
- Thank you. - Good girl. Let's go.
I'm juggling a lot in this cook.
Pan, pan. Dang!
Like, my turnips, my pea purée.
I'm just all over the place and I have a lot of things to do.
Ugh! Oh, these are not done yet.
- That looks done. - Strainer.
We're down to the last ten minutes. Come on, guys.
Tilly: So, asher, he looks a little bit stressed over there.
Daphne: Oh, no.
I need a towel.
Come on, bryson. Let's go! Please, let's go!
- Hot, hot, hot! - Oven open!
Are jordyn's turnips out of the oven yet?
No. They're not out of there yet, no.
Guys, we're down to the last five minutes!
I want to see you start plating. Let's go, asher!
Wow, look at the finesse michael's showing there with those tortellinis.
The tweezers as well.
Tilly: Just watch michael plate right now.
You can tell it's gonna be an elevated, elegant dish.
Amazing.
Jordyn: Oh, my-- oh, my gosh.
Gordon: Come on, bryson. Let's go.
Last two minutes. Come on.
Tighten up those plates. Elevated dishes.
Dishes for the future. Come on, guys.
Tilly: Look at the concentration on these kids' faces.
Daphne: Seeing kids this young and plating like this
- Is really extraordinary. - It's so impressive.
Gordon: We're coming down to 60 seconds to go, guys.
Last minute! Come on! Finishing touches, guys.
- Aarón: You guys can do it. - Taste everything!
- You worked hard for this. - Aarón: There you go, asher.
- Daphne: Make it look great. - Oh, my gosh.
- Aarón: There you go, jordyn. - Gordon: Come on, remy.
We are down to the last ten seconds.
Judges: Nine, eight, seven,
Six, five, four,
Three, two, one.
- And stop! Hands in the air! - Daphne: Very nice.
I was running out of time, and I didn't know
If I was gonna be able to make my dish how I wanted it.
Now I hope my dish is elevated enough for the judges.
I'm hoping that the judges won't see how everything's kind of sloppy.
I was kind of rushing with the plating, so it was all over the place.
I wish I could go back in the past so I could fix my plating.
( sighs ) I don't know what they're gonna think.
Tonight all of you had to do some time traveling.
Now it's time to taste all of your dishes.
Now remember, whoever makes the best dish tonight
Wins that incredible all-inclusive mexico vacation
And goes straight in to the semifinals.
But whoever cooks the worst dish will be eliminated.
Now let's start with...
Michael, please step forward, thank you.
This is a better version of my signature dish
Because I made my own pasta, and it looks really good.
It's just so much better than the original.
Okay, remind us what you made before seven weeks ago
And what is the future-facing dish that you have cooked?
Michael: Before I made blackened shrimp and pesto linguini.
And now I made shrimp tortellinis with a white wine cream sauce,
Blanched tomatoes, and a basil oil.
Visually, it's stunning.
When you came to plating, you grabbed the tweezers.
It was like you were performing surgery on a plate.
Tilly: Michael, I have to say, this looks better
Than half the dishes that come out of my dad's restaurant.
- Ooh! - Well--
Personally. Sorry, I just had to say it.
- Burn! - Ouch. Okay.
Shall we dig in? So what's in the filling?
- Shrimp, garlic, and I put ricotta in them. - Mm-hmm.
Right, young man, the tortellinis are beautiful.
They just burst full of flavor.
I love the sauce. I love the basil oil.
Just be careful with that garlic
'cause it's just a little bit overpowering.
- But it's so good. Well done. - Thank you.
Michael, what I love is that in this dish I can taste everything
That I tasted seven weeks ago in a very creative and more inventive way.
Seven weeks ago, you were using store-bought pasta,
And here you are making it yourself.
So I was pretty amazed when I saw your dish come up here.
- Thank you. - Daphne: I agree.
I think that the tortellini gave us
All the wonderful flavors of your first dish
In a much more elevated format.
And the cream sauce is out of control
With the beautiful green droplets of your basil oil.
I'm really excited for you that you were able to create something like this today.
- Thank you. - Aarón: Here's the deal, michael.
What you did was transformative.
You have all the attributes of a great chef.
You should feel very good about yourself.
- Thank you. - Thanks, michael.
Technically beautiful, but the garlic was so pungent.
It is very strong. You're right.
- I mean, but to look at the transition. Seven weeks. - That's what I'm saying.
- It's just unreal. - Yeah.
Okay, the next home cook whose dish we'd like to taste is...
Remy, please bring us your dish.
I'm feeling really good about my new version of the first dish
Because the roulade looks so juicy and so good.
I wish I could literally just jump in that time machine, go into the future,
And see if I win this challenge or not
Because I wanna win that trip to mexico.
Please remind us what you made before
And then what we'll be eating today.
Remy: The first dish was a roasted chicken thigh,
Creamy mashed potatoes with roasted carrots and roasted mushrooms.
This time I made a chicken breast roulade with mashed potatoes,
Crispy chicken skin, roasted carrots, and a pan sauce.
So, visually, this chicken roulade looks beautiful.
I love the colors, and it does look elevated.
- Thank you. - Let's dig in. And what's the sauce?
The sauce is a white wine truffle sauce.
Right, remy, the roulade is delicious, okay?
The technical ability to roll that, stuff it, cook it beautifully,
That's a tall order, let me tell you.
Always remember to wash those mushrooms.
I'm crunching a little bit of dirt, and it's not salt.
It's a little bit of soil.
But it's a really good elevated effort.
Remy, one of the things I really love about this dish is that you did a pan sauce.
So you got all those delicious chicken flavors
And then used that onto your dish.
For me, that was just delicious
And really brought it all together.
Daphne: I can't get over that this is the same cook
Preparing these two dishes seven weeks apart.
The elevation on this plate,
Even the artful way that you turned the chicken skin
Up on its side so it had height to the plate,
That makes the plate so much more enjoyable.
And the only thing I'm missing on this plate,
Gimme some of that lime juice
Or some of the pickled chili heat,
But such a beautiful dish. Amazing. Amazing.
- Thank you. - Yeah, remy, for me,
I think the carrots and root vegetables were a tad underdone.
It's kind of misleading because they're caramelized on the outside
And you think they're all good, but you should taste them a little bit more, okay?
'cause that's a big part of your dish.
- But the dish is great. - Thank you.
Thank you, remy. Listen, technically, I mean, a big elevation there.
- I love that. - Beyond.
Yeah.
All right, next up,
We'd like to taste jordyn's dish.
Jordyn: I'm really worried about my dish
Because it doesn't look like a restaurant quality,
And I do not wanna be in the bottom.
Before I made a pork chop with a homemade barbeque sauce,
Asparagus and cherry tomatoes.
And this time I made a roasted pork tenderloin
With apple-cider barbeque sauce, peas in a pea purée,
Roasted baby turnips, and a side of greens.
I'm just gonna say one thing with the presentation, jordyn.
You really embraced the whole idea of peas, but it's everywhere.
It's kind of off-putting, to be honest.
But let's see how it tastes, and we'll go from there.
Right, jordyn, the cook on the pork chop first time round
Was beautiful done. What's the cook on here now?
Probably, like, a medium rare, I think.
Because it's a tenderloin, we can get away with pink pork.
So mid-rare is a good thing, okay? Let's have a look.
Because it's a tenderloin, we can get away with pink pork.
So mid-rare is a good thing, okay? Let's have a look.
Oh, dear.
The pork is overcooked.
- Did you put this in the oven? - Yes, for about five minutes.
Right, let's start with the positives.
You've got the makings of a really good dish,
But the hero with the pork, sadly, is overcooked.
It's dry. But your seasoning, young lady, is on point.
And so that's the redeeming factor for me, that you know when food tastes good
- And when it tastes under-seasoned. - Thank you.
Tilly: Jordyn, the thing I really like is the apple cider barbeque sauce.
I feel like that's a big step up from your first barbeque sauce,
And it's quite hard to balance it so it's not too acidic.
But it went really well with the pork.
Definitely a shame that the pork is over,
But I don't think the other elements that you've done are really good.
Thank you.
I think you have all the components to make a great dish.
But that purée? It doesn't do anything for the dish.
You didn't kind of think about how you were gonna portion it out.
You just kind of put it everywhere.
The presentation was a real letdown, and, of course,
This was a challenge to see a restaurant quality dish.
However, I think the taste of it really came close.
It is so delicious, especially that sauce.
- Thanks, jordyn. - Thank you.
Thank you, darling. Yeah, such a shame.
I mean, listen, seasoning on point, right?
Yeah, I just would've roasted that whole thing,
- Let it rest and slice it. - Right. No, of course.
- It would've been the safer play. - Yeah.
The next home cook we would like to taste, please step forward, bryson.
It's really hard to upgrade a rib eye cap
Since I won with it in the first challenge,
So I'm worried that the judges are gonna say,
"you did not upgrade your dish, and it looks the exact same."
So, bryson, please remind us what you made before
And you've made this second time round.
Bryson: My first dish was a rib eye cap,
White truffled potatoes and broccolinis.
And today I made a new york strip
With gruyère mashed potatoes,
Sautéed mustard greens, with a bourbon peppercorn sauce.
Visually, I think your new plate is lovely.
I think the meat looks delicious and is front and center.
It's the gold of the plate. I also love that you chose to put the potatoes under the steak
So it's really drinking up that delicious
- Bourbon peppercorn sauce. - Thank you.
What's the cook supposed to be on your steak?
- Medium rare to medium. - Let's see.
That is a lovely medium rare.
Beautiful. What's in the greens?
Vinegar, a little bit of salt, and anchovies.
- Ooh! - Gordon: Right.
Okay, bryson, I mean, if you don't open
A steak restaurant at some point in your life, it's game over for everybody.
But blowing my own mind, the potatoes and steak are not the best part of this dish.
Those greens are out of control.
They have shallots, they have the anchovies,
They have a beautiful hint of vinegar that's balanced.
It is a really satisfying bite
When you get a taste of all three.
- I liked it a lot. - Thank you.
Man, this is delicioso. For me, the peppercorn coating
Could've been easily overwhelming and you could've put too much.
You crusted it so perfectly that it's seasoning the rest of the dish.
And that right there shows a lot of technique
- And a lot of growth from what that is to this. - Thank you.
Bryson, the first thing that I think of with this is I love the fact
You've done a mashed potato and you've incorporated the cheese inside it.
- They are delicious. - Young man, seven weeks ago, you raised the bar, right?
You came in super strong. And so I'm gonna be honest.
Visually, I don't think the dish looks better, but it does taste better.
The steak is cooked perfectly, and the greens, exceptional.
Mashed, delicious.
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, seven days a week,
Is there dish that doesn't have cheese in?
Do you even put cheese on your cheerios?
- Uh, that I do not do. - Good.
- Maybe on a bagel or something. - Okay-- on a bagel.
Oh, okay. Listen, good job.
Yeah, it's so good. Those greens, and they have anchovy.
These greens are out of control. I know.
- Who knew? Who knew? - He's nailed the cook. The cook's beautiful.
- Really nice. - Really beautiful.
Right, the final dish we would like to taste tonight,
Asher, please step forward. Thank you.
Asher: I was worried my dish wasn't gonna be done in time,
But now I feel great about my dish.
It actually turned out really good.
Gordon: So please remind us what you made before
And what is the future-facing dish that you have cooked?
Asher: On the first day, I made a rib eye and lobster surf and turf
With a brown butter barbeque vinaigrette.
But today I made a pan-seared filet
With a butter-poached lobster tail,
A chanterelle cream sauce, and asparagus tips
With a celery root purée.
Visually, this seems like a much more cohesive dish,
And it all goes together really well.
I'm also really excited about your sauce.
So, asher, how did you cook your steak?
- I cooked it medium rare. - Medium rare?
- And your confident it's medium rare? - Mm-hmm.
Listen, young man, when you say surf and turf,
You're making a big promise
Because you have two proteins to perfect on one dish.
So, okay. Cut through.
It is mid-rare. Beautiful.
- You see that? - Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
The lobster is so undercooked.
Damn.
The lobster is so undercooked. Damn.
Asher, step forward, please. Can you see that?
Yeah. It's translucent and way undercooked.
Such a shame. Step back, please.
Asher, you said surf and turf,
But unfortunately we can only eat the turf.
What a shame. But the steak is cooked beautifully.
I love the chanterelle sauce. It's really delicious,
Earthy, everything you want with a filet mignon.
Asparagus, beautifully grilled. Nice.
You did the hard part by cooking the steak beautifully.
The easy part with the lobster,
Sadly we can't eat, 'cause it's raw.
Asher, my favorite thing about this is your chanterelle sauce.
I think it's really delicious. That part is seasoned perfectly.
My only miss is the lack of seasoning in your purée,
And obviously just the undercooked lobster.
But I think the other elements you did,
- You did very, very well. - Thank you.
Asher, let's get one thing very clear.
This was a gorgeous dish. Absolutely restaurant quality.
When I come to chez asher in 20 years,
I plan on having this dish, and I plan on
Eating the lobster then because you will have nailed it.
The filet is cooked beautifully.
A lot to be very proud of on this plate.
Yeah, asher, I think when I look at it aesthetically,
It really does have an ode to a michelin star restaurant.
But when it came to execution, I agree with my colleagues.
The lobster, it kind of detracts
From all that beautiful work that you did with the steak.
The celery root was under-seasoned.
But the steak is beyond reproach.
- It was that good. - Thank you.
Thank you, asher. Ah, what a shame.
- Listen, he did the hardest part beautifully done. - Yeah.
- But you can see that, right? - I was excited about that lobster.
Yeah, same here. But it's translucent, right?
Okay, honestly, what an amazing challenge.
You guys did great tonight.
All of you, please make your way down to the front
And excuse us for a moment.
Thank you. Shall we?
So tonight they had to evolve their first ever dish
They cooked for us seven weeks ago.
- Right. - I mean, honestly, michael's,
The transformation was incredible.
Rolling his own pasta dough, making his tortellini,
- Beautiful cream sauce. - Was the filling as good
As the last time round with the shrimp and the pasta?
I think it was more exciting.
He really, really succeeded in the challenge tonight.
- Remy? - Aarón: Yeah, I mean, remy, I think what she did
As far as her presentation was beautiful.
Perfect little cylinders, and then having that little filling,
- Little duxelle of mushroom really front and center. - Yeah, delicious.
- Talk about that pan sauce. It was delicious. Yeah, yeah. - It was delicious.
She really gave us something beautiful visually this time.
Bryson, tough because he won seven weeks ago.
The dish was incredible, that rib cap.
But this time round, new york strip, the crust was delicious.
- Yeah. - And cooked beautifully.
We were all amazed by the greens. I was just beyond.
Really beautiful. Um, jordyn, what a shame.
Tried to slice that pork tenderloin
And no juice, nothing. Just hammered.
That purée was very off-putting.
Um, asher, filet, just nailed, right?
I thought asher was the most ambitious of all the young home cooks.
I mean, he did give us two proteins with his dish,
But one of them was inedible.
Gordon: Yeah, it's a tough one.
We have a combination here.
We have jordyn with her perfect seasoning,
Problem on the cook, problem on the plate.
Then we have asher.
Nice things on the plate, but problem with the cook
- And real problem with the seasoning. - True.
- Are we all in agreeance? - Yeah.
Let's go.
Right, let's start with the good news first.
After a long discussion, we are all in agreeance
That the best dish tonight was cooked by...
- Michael. - Yes.
Well done. Congratulations.
Not only are you safe from elimination,
But you and your entire family
Are headed for an unbelievable vacation
At paradisus playa del carmen resort in mexico.
You'll get plenty of time on the beach
- And at the waterpark. - Aarón: Yeah!
- Yes! - Right, make your way up
To the balcony, please. Well done.
I'm moving on to the semifinals.
I'm feeling really good about that.
I definitely feel like I got this
And I can definitely win "masterchef junior."
- Semifinal, my man. Well done. - Thank you.
Right, there were two more young home cooks
Who we felt have definitely earned their spot
Into the semifinal.
And they are
Bryson and remy.
Head up to the safety of the balcony.
Congratulations. You've earned your spot into the semifinal.
Now, jordyn and asher, all the judges have spoken,
And there's been a lot of back and forth.
But we did come to an agreement, and it wasn't easy.
The young home cook going home tonight is...
Jordyn.
Asher, please say goodbye to jordyn...
- Bye. - ...And head up to the balcony.
Oh, jordyn, first of all,
Tonight's dish wasn't your best plating, right?
And the pork sadly was overcooked.
And so your time has run out in the masterchef kitchen.
But the confidence you have,
And only being eight years of age, is incredible.
Jordyn, I can't tell you how many times the judges and I
Have stood up here and reminded ourselves,
"she's eight, but she's acts like she's 10 and 12."
I have such confidence for all that is to come in your life.
- I'm really proud of you. - Thank you.
Come and say goodbye, darling. Come on.
I'm really disappointed that I'm eliminated...
- Oh, man! Gonna miss you. - ...But I'm really proud that I got to top five.
- Gordon: Amazing. - It's been a really good journey
- In the masterchef kitchen. - ( laughing )
- Oh, my gosh! No way! - Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!
This has been the most best experience I've been in in my life.
When I'm in the kitchen, I'm kind of messy and having fun and stuff.
( laughter, chatter )
( laughing )
- I've grown so much as a cook. - Okay.
And I got to make so many amazing things.
The seaweed that I used was ogo, sea lettuce, and dulse.
- Wow, that is very impressive. - Impressive.
- Thank you. - Aarón: I think it's just gorgeous.
- Really well done, young lady. - Jordyn, first of all,
I love the fact that you did kale two ways.
Really embracing an ingredient that you don't like. Delicious.
All: Bye, jordyn!
I know my mom and my grandma are gonna be so proud of me,
And I'm really proud of myself.
- Nice job, jordyn! - Good-bye, jordyn!
- Bye, jordyn! - Bye, darling.
One, two, three, four.
Congratulations. Our semifinalists.
We are almost at the finish line,
But do not let up, all of you.
You've got to keep up. Good night.
Wait, what?
What?
- Gordon: Next time... - Welcome, everyone,
- To the semifinal of "masterchef junior." - yes!
You're all fighting for a spot in the finale,
But there's still one thing standing in your way.
- It's me! - Oh!
But if they can't keep up with the master...
- And turn! Let's go! - Oh, no!
- Put it down and work two hands! - I can't watch.
- ...They could be headed... - Remy: Oh, gosh!
- Whoa. - ...For disaster.
Quit messing around and focus on your job.
- It just looks terrible. - Oh, no.
- You're good. You're good, dude. - ( crying )