Gordon: Previously on the "MasterChef Junior" grand finale...
Tonight we'll see which one of these talented kids
will be America's next MasterChef Junior.
You three have got one hour to create four stunning appetizers.
Here comes the flambé!
How do you get a bisque done in 60 minutes
when these things normally take three or four hours?
I'm gonna do it fast, but make it taste amazing.
All three of them are taking such big risks tonight.
Aarón: What you have here is a beautiful expression of crab.
The finesse is just out of this world.
Remy, visually it's stunning.
- It is elegance beyond belief. - Thank you.
Your flavors are powerful. This is summer on a plate.
I think you did a really good job of balancing everything on this dish.
- It's time for the entrée. - You got it, Michael!
This is gonna be a real fight to the finish.
This is undoubtedly the most pressure these three cooks have ever felt.
Gordon: Tonight, the grand finale continues
with the entrée and the dessert round...
- Three challenging proteins. - I'm a little shaky right now
because I've cooked a lot of steaks, but not a $100,000 steak!
- No, that's mine, Remy! - Come on! I can't hear anything!
- Come on! - The pressure's on.
It is so close. No one's pulled ahead yet.
Those cakes are not cooking.
Michael's cakes are still raw. Damn.
Oh, no. This is not good.
- Oh, no! - Oh, dang it! It broke.
...as we find out who will be crowned
the "MasterChef Junior" champion.
The more you dig in, the more you get to see
all the ways that you've thoughtfully put this together.
I'm just shocked that you're balancing on a high wire with no safety net.
Everything is so spot-on and so thought-provoking. Good job.
The winner of "MasterChef Junior" is...
( exhales )
- ( music playing ) - ( cheering )
We're down to our final ten minutes, ladies and gentlemen.
Ten minutes to go in this entrée round.
Okay, guys, this is the time to focus!
Man. Come on, guys, round number two, entrées,
and let's be honest, these kids are incredible, right?
Daphne: Absolutely. The competition has never been stiffer.
They are up for the $100,000 prize.
They are up for that grand trophy.
And you can just see how focused and dedicated they are.
Yeah, and three challenging proteins--
filet, head-on shrimp, and halibut. Come on!
Daphne: Pressure's on. It is so close.
It is so neck and neck. No one's pulled ahead yet,
- so no one can afford to make a mistake here. - Yep.
Remy, what are you blending over there?
- My sauce for the shrimp. - Nice.
Gordon: That color on Michael's halibut looks extraordinary.
You know that I'm just hoping they're cooked in the center.
Remy's shrimp and grits, everything's cooked beautifully,
but what she's not doing is tasting and editing and adjusting.
Yeah.
- All righty. - I'm worried about Bryson.
He's got to get that sauce thickened.
I feel like he's got a lot to do.
I think the steaks have great color.
They look great. If he leaves them now to rest,
they're gonna rise up to the correct temperature,
and he can focus on the rest of his dish and then plating.
- Go, bud. - Remy, are you ready to start plating or not yet?
- Yes, and I'm excited about it. - Get it going on, girl.
Start plating, everyone.
We're down to our final four minutes, guys!
- Here we go! - Last four minutes to go.
- Looking good, Michael! - You can do this, Michael!
- Go, Michael! - Look how good Bryson's doing.
- Remy, where are you gonna put the head? - In the middle.
- Ooh, wow. - Guys, we're coming down to our final 60 seconds.
- Wow. - Oh, my gosh. You gotta move!
- There you go, Bryson! - Whoo! Looking good!
- ( sighs ) - Come on.
- Come on, Michael! - Very good, very nice.
Well done, Remy! Finishing touches, Bryson. Let's go.
- Come on, come on. - Aarón: Come on, Remy!
All: Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four,
- three, two, one! - And stop!
( cheering )
- We did it! - Yeah!
- Let's go! - That was down to the last second.
- That was so cool! - So proud of these kids.
- Well done. - I felt really comfortable with doing this
because I stuck to my roots.
I'm pretty sure I rocked it,
and I'm just that much closer to that trophy.
All the women in my family inspired me,
like my aunt, my cousin, my grandma,
my great grandma, and my mom.
I hope the judges can taste the girl power.
Michael: The plating on Remy's looks so good.
The plating on Bryson's looks so good.
And my halibut is cooked really good.
So this is gonna be tough for the judges and us.
- Come on, guys! - You got this, you guys!
- Come on! - Wow. Well done.
Right, the first entrée we would like to taste tonight,
please step forward, Michael.
- ( cheering, shouting ) - Michael!
Let's go! Let's go, Michael!
I made a pan-seared halibut with sautéed purple kale,
ginger glazed Thumbelina carrots, and a spicy herb sauce.
Young man, visually it's elegant.
I just love the colors because it's got that sort of rainbow effect,
but I think you took a massive risk tonight.
Halibut is not a fish that is easy to pull off
because it just goes dry.
To cook this tonight for the first time, hats off, young man.
Thank you.
Explain how you cooked this fish, please.
- You seared it in the pan? - Yes.
Butter basted it for four more minutes.
Finished it off in the oven for five minutes.
Let's have a look, shall we?
Michael, it's beautiful. Really beautiful.
- Thank you. - All right.
- Michael, halibut's cooked beautifully. - Thank you.
But my carrots, sadly,
are a little bit undercooked.
It's obtrusive
because you've got such a beautifully cooked
piece of fish.
And then that herb sauce, just be careful.
It's a little bit too acidic.
However, you absolutely nailed the fish.
- So, well done, young man. - Thank you.
Michael, I love the ginger in the carrots.
I think that was really smart. But they were a bit crunchy.
- Right. - But on the whole,
I'm super impressed with the halibut.
I think it's so hard to cook, and mine was delicious.
- Thank you. - Aarón: Yeah, Michael.
I just appreciate that vegetables are king here,
and I like the lightness of the sauce.
It's super assertive and very herbaceous.
You really honored the ingredients here.
Michael, this dish was stunningly beautiful,
and it paid off in flavor.
- Nice job. - Thank you.
Good job.
- Good job, my boy! - So good!
- You did so well. - Good job, Michael!
The next dish we'd like to taste, Bryson.
Let's go, Bryson!
Bryson: I'm a little shaky right now
because I've cooked a lot of steaks,
but not a $100,000 steak!
- Thank you. - Thanks, Chef.
I'm a barbeque and grill master,
and I just wanna make the South really, really proud.
It's Japanese wagyu filet mignon
with a red wine reduction,
a squash purée, and confit turnips.
Looks simple, but it's down to the quality of the cooking and the execution.
- Now, there's a double-edged sword in cooking wagyu, right? - Yes, sir.
Because this needs to be kept at rare.
I'm hoping for a little bit lower than a medium rare.
- Did you cut one open? - No, Chef.
- No. So you're cooking blind? - Mm-hmm. Yes, Chef.
( music playing )
Gordon: Young man, the filet is...
( music continues )
( crowd cheering )
Gordon: Now, there's a double-edged sword in cooking wagyu, right?
- Yes, sir. - Because this needs to be kept at rare.
- Mm-hmm. Yes, Chef. - Did you cut one open?
- No, Chef. - No. So you're cooking blind?
Mm-hmm. Yes, Chef.
Absolute perfection right there.
That is rare.
- Thank you, Chef. - Well done.
Young man, the filet is cooked to utter perfection.
- Honestly. Congratulations. - Thank you.
I love slicing through that
and then diving into the purée.
It does need a touch more seasoning
- because it's creamy and it's rich. - Okay. Yes, Chef.
But you took risk, young man, and it definitely paid off.
Thank you, Chef.
I think your purées are the perfect consistency.
I was happy to see you thickening up that red wine sauce.
Watching you grow and being able to produce food like this is pretty amazing.
- I really enjoyed it. - Thank you.
I think the magic in this dish lies in you didn't scorch the outside of the filet.
Everything is rocking and rolling. Great job.
Thank you.
Honestly, Bryson, you're the meat guy, sure, but, like, this?
This is the meat king, okay? We're branding here.
- This is really good. - Thank you, Chefs.
- Gordon: Really well done. - You did amazing, Bryson!
- Nice job, Bryson. - Thank you.
All right, please come forward, Remy.
This is the most important entrée I've ever made in my life.
So I'm really hoping that my shrimp is cooked perfectly...
Tilly: Thank you, Remy.
...and my grits are creamy and delicious.
All right, Remy, can you please describe your dish?
Remy: I've made a girl power filled shrimp and grits
with collard greens in a perfect pool of vegetable sauce.
Remy, as the resident New Orleanian here,
I have to say that traditionally you would not purée
the trinity of peppers, onions, and celery mixture. You would leave it all whole.
You did that, and it rendered a beautiful sauce
that's vibrant and looks very velvety.
- That's so smart and so cool. - Thank you so much.
Yeah!
Let's dig in!
How long did you cook the shrimp for, darling?
Like, two minutes on one side
and then a minute of the other.
Remy, uh, honestly,
this dish is...
phenomenal.
( cheers and applause )
The cook of the shrimp for me is the best part.
The depth of flavor within 60 minutes is extraordinary.
- Well done. - Thank you.
What I love is that you've taken something that can be so basic
like shrimp and grits, and you've elevated it so much.
The sauce had so much flavor. It was just so tasty.
- Thank you. - Daphne: Remy, what women in your family
were you paying homage to with this dish?
My grandma, because she's-- her family's from New Orleans
and she taught me how to make the shrimp and grits.
Well, I'm sure she's very proud of you,
and I think it's a testament to how far you've come in this competition
that understood how to give that homage
while making it really your own.
- It's a perfect plate. Really nice job. - Thank you.
Yeah, I mean, Remy, the idea of being able to harness New Orleans,
which is steeped in tradition and the traditions kind of never get messed with,
and you messed with them in a great way.
But just one little small note.
Put a little cumin in the sauce.
And cumin is very assertive.
Other than that, I think everything else
is on point and spot-on.
Thank you.
- That was an incredible job. - Good job.
- Nice job. - So, come on.
Two rounds in, cracking appetizer, amazing entrée.
Who nailed that entrée round in your mind?
- Remy's dish was delicious. - I agree.
Tilly: I agree.
I think Remy won the entrée round, I'd say.
You know who I think won this one?
I think Michael, hands down,
for the courage and the boldness of flavor.
Gordon: But also Bryson's filet mignon,
the cook was spot-on, right?
- Absolutely. - Guys, so it's all coming down
- to the dessert. - Yeah.
Bryson and Remy are amazing cooks,
but every dish I put out is really good.
The judges like my flavor.
I just gotta kick it into gear
for this dessert and bring it home.
Gordon: Right, two down, one to go.
We're one cook away.
It's time for your final course in this epic battle tonight.
Your desserts.
Based on what we've tasted so far,
it's all gonna come down to these desserts,
and you'll have just one hour to make them.
Gordon: Right, Michael, how you feeling?
Really excited. I'm gonna nail this dessert.
Love that. Tell us what it is, please.
- It is an orange olive oil pound cake... - Wow.
...with an orange sauce and crème fraiche ice cream.
I'm making this dish because we have a lot
of these flavors in Florida, like the citrus.
Gordon: Sounds delicious!
- Bryson? - I'm doing a peanut butter mousse crunch cake
with a chocolate ganache on top
with a chocolate crust at the bottom.
Love it! Remy!
So I'm making a brownie bar with a chocolate mousse,
raspberry coulis, and a hazelnut brittle.
- Wow. Come on. - Mmm.
Right, one more dish stands between you and victory,
and to get your hands on that incredible trophy.
Now the very best of luck to all three of you.
Last course.
Your 60 minutes start now!
Let's go!
Go, go, go, go, go!
Okay! Grab a basket.
Operation Get Ready. Blood orange...
No, that's mine, Remy!
Oh, wait. There's two. Aah!
Michael and Bryson are both great cooks,
and it's gonna be really hard to beat them.
Cocoa powder, cocoa powder, cocoa powder.
And I feel like we're all neck and neck here.
- ( crowd cheering ) - Come on, guys!
( cheering, shouting continues )
Remy: As long as my brownie is cooked perfectly,
this dish is gonna be the winning dish.
Remy!
Go, Michael!
I think this final round,
these judges are gonna be tough.
I'm so glad I'm not down there.
The amount of pressure they're under right now? That's crazy.
Go get 'em, Bryson. Go get 'em, bud. Yeah!
I'm really nervous because I really wanna win that trophy,
and my entrée and appetizer, they said it was just okay.
Now I'm really going over the top,
over the moon with my whole dessert,
And honestly, I feel like it's a high risk, high reward.
Let's go!
- Whoo! - Yeah, go, Michael!
- Whoo! - You got this, Remy!
Right, final round, the most technical course.
I mean, let's be honest, desserts are all about timing,
- and you need to be precise. - Tilly: Yeah, you make a mistake in dessert,
it is quite hard to come back from it.
It needs to be perfect every step of the way.
Michael, what are you doing?
I'm making my pound cake right now.
Both: Ooh!
With Michael, I mean, he's got a tough one there,
'cause these cakes, you've gotta bake, you've gotta set.
Come on, I can't anything! Come on!
( cheering )
It takes at least 20, 25 minutes in the oven,
and depending on the size of the mold as well.
And also he's gonna be hand-making ice cream.
There's a lot of jeopardy for Michael tonight.
- He's pulling out all the stops. - Let's go!
- Mix that up, Bryson! - Bryson!
Whoo!
Bryson's jeopardy with that peanut butter mousse,
- that thing has to set perfectly. - Absolutely.
Let me hear you say, "Girl power!"
- All: Girl power! - Remy: Girl power!
- Whoo! - Yeah, so the jeopardy behind Remy's dessert
first of all, that chocolate brownie needs to be exceptional.
Crisp of the outside and nice and gooey in the middle.
Aarón: And the question is, is a brownie too safe?
- I mean how do you elevate that? - Good point.
- Ooh, gosh. - The reality is,
every round, their execution's been beautiful.
The themes are coming through strong.
It is such a toss-up at this point
who's gonna just clinch that win.
Michael: Perfect.
We're 15 minutes down. We have 45 minutes remaining.
Come on! Let's go!
Go, Michael!
- Both: Remy. - Hi!
Final course, chocolate brownie, I love this idea.
Tell me about the different textures and layers.
- So it's gonna be a brownie base. - Love that.
And then the hazelnut brittle on top
with a chocolate mousse, and then raspberry coulis.
Right. Sounds good.
Now, how are you gonna make that mousse
that sits on top of that chocolate brownie?
So I'm going to boil some cream and some milk and some sugar,
and then chocolate and then praline paste.
Okay, sounds amazing. The very best of luck.
- Thank you! - Tilly: You got this, Remy.
- Yeah, Remy! - ( cheering )
What are you guys doing right now?
I'm making my ice cream base.
- Ah! - Yum!
- Liquid nitrogen, my boy? - Yes.
- Oh, yeah! - Go, Michael!
All right. Whisk it up, Michael! Whisk it up!
Wow.
- Go, Michael! - Michael!
Obviously your appetizer was delicious. Your main course was delicious.
Would you say dessert's the hardest challenge so far tonight?
Uh, probably. Because I'm making ice cream,
- and ice cream is pretty hard to make. - Yeah.
And then orange olive oil pound cake.
And I just have to make sure the cook time
- on both of those are really good. - That's true.
Because you have to make sure the cakes are nice and moist.
- Yes. - And then once the cakes come out,
- what happens after that? - After they rest,
I'm gonna brush them so that the sauce
can be basically infused inside the cake.
Amazing. Very cool. All right, very nice.
You look like you're in good shape, Michael.
- Thank you. - Keep an eye on those cakes.
- All right. - Good job, Michael!
- Whoo! - Keep it going.
- Bryson, I can smell that peanut butter. - Good job, Bryson.
- Bryson: Thank you! - All right, Big B. How we feeling, buddy?
I'm feeling really good right now.
- I'm getting my peanut butter filling in. - Cool.
And how are you gonna use that ganache?
So it's gonna be dipped in the ganache pretty much.
So where is your giggity ganache? Have you made it yet or no?
- I'm about to start to make it. - Okay, cool.
Because I need the peanut filling to set.
So there's a lot of setting with your dessert, right?
- So it's a lot of timing, right? - Yes, Chef.
So you kind of have to really be on that, okay, amigo?
- All righty. Yes. - Good luck, okay? All right, cool.
Good job, Bryson!
- Come on, Bryson. - Gordon: We're down to
the final 20 minutes, guys!
- 20 minutes! - Yeah!
( cheering continues )
Miles: Liquid nitrogen time!
Who knew cooking could involve science?
Michael the mad scientist!
Michael is now making the ice cream,
as you can see now with that liquid nitrogen.
It sets the cream, and it becomes ice cream.
And if don't you have a lot of experience using liquid nitrogen,
- you can either go overboard or not have enough. - Yeah.
- I see you guys drooling over here. - ( laughter )
Gordon: So, Remy's dessert, she's gonna be piping chocolate mousse,
which she's gonna pipe on top of that brownie.
Aarón: Wow, it sounds elevated. Hopefully it's not too rich.
That's gonna be a big part of it as well.
Tilly: The layers of textures, this is gonna be really
interesting if she manages to pull them all off.
- Remy: Come on. Melt. - Aarón: The deal with Bryson
is his success of his dessert really relies on timing.
All right, let's do this.
He's gonna have to get that ganache right to its proper consistency
and then let that kind of cascade over,
but it's all depending when his peanut butter mousse sets.
Bryson: Okay, perfect. Let's go.
Go, Bryson!
Nice and chunky.
That's good.
45 minutes gone.
We're down to the final 15 minutes to go.
Wow, guys. It's all down to this.
- Perfect. - How's that brownie looking?
- It's done. - Yeah!
Good job, Remy.
Ooey-gooey.
Michael, check those cakes.
Gordon: Less than 15 minutes to go,
and his cakes aren't even out of the oven yet.
I know. He's really given himself
two places where he can really miss the mark.
And, you know, this really was our concern with Michael all along.
Will his tremendous sense of ambition and confidence
ultimately get the better of him if he bites off more than he can chew?
I'm worried about these cakes. Oh, my God.
I'm about to have a heart attack.
This is really the moment of truth.
I'm really hoping these cakes are fully cooked
so they have time to cool and plate.
Man, this is very stressful to watch.
- They're out. Look, they're out. - ( applause )
Look at the size of them though. They almost look too big.
Oh, I can't watch this. I can't watch this.
( sighs ) Those cakes are not cooking.
- No! - No.
Michael's cakes are still raw.
Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
Michael: Dang it.
( muttering ) Oh, no. I can't. I can't even.
( sighs ) Those cakes are not cooking.
Michael's cakes are still raw. Damn.
- You got it, Michael. - Bryson: You good, Michael?
- Uh, not really. - What's wrong?
- Cakes. - Michael's overfilled his cakes.
Because they're so full, it's stopping the center of that cake cooking.
- ( groans ) - He's just wasting time now.
He's gotta get them back in the oven.
- Man. - Oh, no. That's not good.
- Hey, bud. You're a king. - Right.
You have done incredible work in this kitchen.
- We're so proud of you. - Michael: All right.
- Just breathe, okay? - All right.
You're doing great. Just keep it orderly, keep it clean,
and keep an eye on those cakes.
You got this in the bag. Here you go.
- All right. - You got this, Michael!
- Let's go, Michael! - Let's go!
- Go, Michael! - Go!
Ten minutes remaining! Let's go! Ten minutes!
- Go, Michael! - Let's go!
( cheering continues )
Remy, you should try the excess.
- Is it good? - It's amazing.
- It's 1,000 out of 10. - Can I try some?
- Save some for us! - ( laughs )
- Bryson: Oh, no, this is not good. - Uh-oh.
When Bryson puts that ganache on,
he has to make sure he puts enough
equal amounts of ganache on each one.
You got this, Michael. Come on now.
- Michael, check those cakes! - ( cheering continues )
Michael still hasn't got his cakes out.
He needs time to get them out of the pans and onto the plates.
- They've got to come out. - Come on, come on, come on.
Are they done? Perfect, perfect.
- Wow! Nice! - ( overlapping chatter )
Daphne: Look at those cakes.
- You good, Michael? - Yep, those cakes are finally done.
- Yes, good! Yeah! - Way to go, Michael!
We're coming down to the last nail-biting five minutes to go, ladies and gentlemen.
- Aarón: Yes! - Five minutes to go. Come on!
- Use that sauce, Michael. - All right.
- You got this, Michael. - Let's go, Bryson!
- Remy: Oh, no! - So Remy started piping
that mousse on top of that and it started melting.
It's because the brownie is still warm,
and she's piping the hot mousse onto it, so it's running off.
Bryson: Come on, Bryson.
- Remy: Perfect. Okay. - It's so stressful.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm really nervous because I want Michael to win,
but Bryson and Remy are doing really good.
I feel like it's gonna be really hard for the judges to decide
who is gonna win.
We are coming down to our final minute!
- Let's go! - Let's do it!
Go, Michael! Go, Michael!
So Michael's cut the tops off those cakes, but only off a few of them.
- So some are big, some are small, some are medium. Man. - Daphne: I see that.
Michael, I wanna eat that so bad, dude.
Is that gold?
That is really expensive. Really.
Finish with the gold, bud.
- Ooh! - Be gentle! Be gentle!
Bryson is pulling out the gold leaf and the tweezers!
- Gordon: Amazing. Honestly. - Who is this Bryson?
- Who is this guy? - Man!
- Go! - Come on!
Remy: Oh, dang it.
- Oh, no! - Oh, no.
It broke. She needs to put some chocolate on it.
- Got it. - Whoo!
- You got this, Remy. It's okay. - She fixed it.
- Remy: Oh, gosh.
Come on, Remy!
All: Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one!
And stop!
( cheering )
- We just did that! - ( overlapping chatter )
- I can't believe we just did that! - It looks amazing!
- ( cheering continues ) - Oh, my gosh!
- That's a lot. - That's amazing, guys.
I messed up my timing a lot,
but I was still able to get everything on the plate,
and everything looks really good.
Hopefully my cakes are cooked absolutely perfect
and they're really moist inside.
I'm proud of everything on my dish because it's what I wanted.
So I'm proud of myself and the flavors of this dish.
I hope the judges think it's amazing, and that they like it enough
to make me the next MasterChef Junior.
Wow. What an incredible 60 minutes.
And the final course. The hard work's done. Come on.
- Come on. - ( cheering )
Right, you three talented individuals,
please make your way around to the front.
Whoo!
- Both: Good job. - Whatever happens, good job.
Okay, first up, Remy.
It looks so good!
Crowd: Remy, Remy, Remy!
Remy: I made a chocolate hazelnut brownie bar
with hazelnut brittle, chocolate mousse,
and a raspberry coulis.
Visually, Remy, it looks elegant.
Listen, everybody loves chocolate for dessert, right?
- Yes, Chef. - Really good, indeed.
Yeah, I love that the idea that you paired raspberry and chocolate.
I think it also adds freshness,
and it kind of stands up to the density of the chocolate.
And I love the fact that the brittle is kind of very rustic.
A nice combination of elegant and rustic at the same time.
- Good job. - Thank you.
Shall we?
Is that the center you wanted, Remy?
Yes, Chef. I wanted it kind of ooey-gooey.
But also not underdone.
Remy, the brownie is delicious.
It's everything a chocolate brownie should be.
Indulgence, decadent. I love the chocolate and raspberry together.
Really well done. Good job.
- Thank you. - The cook on it was perfect.
You had that nice fudgy texture, and it wasn't overdone.
- Yeah, it was a really delicious dessert. - Thank you.
Remy, the placement of that brittle on top
was one of the best texture combinations.
I just loved how crisp it was.
But I think that the mousse was a miss for me
because it tastes a little more like fudge.
And because the brownie's already so chocolatey,
it buries that a little bit.
But I have to say, it's definitely a dessert I would order
- and be very happy with. - Thank you.
- Remy! - Whoo!
Good job, Remy!
Okay, Bryson,
please bring up your dessert.
Thank you, young man.
- Go, buddy! - Go, Bryson!
I'm feeling really, really nervous,
but at the same time excited because I've proven myself
since that first challenge to right now
how much I've improved.
And I want to make my dad proud,
and I also want to make my hometown really proud.
I made a peanut butter mousse crunch cake
that has a milk chocolate crust
and chocolate ganache on top
and a peanut brittle.
Bryson, I'm just wrestling to believe that the same young man
who showed up in this kitchen
cooking humongous pieces of meat
and now tonight is here using tweezers
to delicately lay edible flowers and gold leaf onto a homemade
glossy ganache covered peanut butter pie.
Who are you? What are you doing?
- Whoo! - Miles?
- Yes? - Can you see that dessert from up there?
How would you describe that?
It looks rich and creamy
and golden.
It looks divine. Seriously, well done.
Thank you, Chef.
Shall we? Oh, man!
So the textures in the center, describe.
So the bottom, the base, should be crispy.
It should have a good chocolate flavor,
and the middle should be creamy,
and the top should be kind of gooey.
Gordon: So let's see.
- ( whistles ) - ( no audible dialogue )
Bryson, it's delicious.
The ganache is super rich and it's just a really nice coating over that peanut butter.
I was nervous about that peanut butter mousse
being slightly liquid, but it's set beautifully.
I've gotta take you to task on your layering of that chocolate crust.
Make sure that's pushed down so you have an even layer.
Some of the corners it's up, some's thin.
- But apart from that, well done. - Thank you, Chef.
Bryson, I'm just super impressed that you finished with that little bit of sea salt.
I felt like it did add a lot to your dish.
I think you had some risky moves tonight,
but you really pulled it off.
Thank you, Chef.
Bryson, this is the most adult, sophisticated,
melt in your mouth peanut butter cup I think I've ever had.
The mousse is really balanced. It's silky, it's smooth.
- Beautiful. - Thank you, Chef.
Bryson, you brought bling to the dessert, my brother, and it tastes fantastic.
And you didn't fall prey to putting too many things on top of it.
You wanted the ganache to really be sort of the star of this dessert.
- So really good job, young man. - Thank you, Chef.
- Wow. - Amazing job.
- Thank you, man. - Day one, I don't think
I'd have expected Bryson to make this.
- No. - But he's grown as a person
and a chef, and it's really amazing.
Okay, Michael, next up.
Let's go, Michael. You got this.
- Go, Michael! - Michael!
Michael: I made an orange olive pound cake with a citrus sauce
and a crème fraiche ice cream.
Michael, I think that you did a really good job
to get all these elements on the plate
because they're really tricky things to do.
It is a finale. You took a big risk.
- I'm excited to try it. - Thank you.
The concept of the dessert is beautiful.
The gloss on top is nice and shiny.
But you can look down the line
and just see each of our cakes is slightly different size.
That's problematic probably because it indicates
that they cooked a little bit differently also.
I know you left them in the oven
to get the centers fully cooked,
but we won't know how that turned out
- until we cut them open. - All right.
Gordon: Shall we?
The texture inside, what are you looking for, Michael?
- A nice moist cake. - Mm-hmm.
So, Michael, the texture inside, what are you looking for?
- A nice moist cake. - Mm-hmm.
Uh...
Oh, dear.
You can see that's just a little dry there, right?
All right.
When did you put the crème fraiche in the ice cream?
Michael: When it was cooled.
Ice cream is delicious.
The slight problem I've got, Michael,
is that it's just slightly crispy, biscuity,
and a little dry.
I'm just shocked that you'd take so many risks,
and you're sort of almost balancing on a high wire with no safety net.
But the ice cream and the glaze is delicious.
Thank you.
Michael, even though the outside of the cake
is maybe a little bit biscuity,
the flavor is 100% there in the cake.
It's delicious. The olive oil isn't overpowering.
- So good job. - Thank you.
- Woohoo! - You're doing great!
The flavor of this cake is tremendous.
You did a beautiful amount of zest and juice,
and you really fought to the bitter end here,
and there is so much to be proud of on this plate.
- Really nice job. - Thank you.
Good job, Michael.
Yeah, I mean, Michael, that crème fraiche gives you richness and salt.
It gives you that savoriness that desserts often miss.
But I'll tell you what I really appreciate is that you're from Florida,
and citrus is so key there, and you chose to focus on that
and connect where you're from to your dessert.
- So good job. - Thank you.
- Go, Michael! - You did so good.
That's my boy. Hey, you did amazing.
Wow.
Michael, Bryson, and Remy,
honestly, congratulations, all three of you.
What an exceptional performance.
The judges now need to judge all of you on the entire meal.
Every course, every detail.
Then, very soon, one of you three
will be crowned the next "MasterChef Junior" winner.
Excuse us. Thank you.
( music playing )
Good job, Remy! Good job!
This wait is literally going to be the most stressful ever.
Oh, what a night. Absolutely incredible.
- Seriously. - Their journey has been epic.
I can't believe that these young kids came in there
and showed us this kind of performance tonight.
Remy, her menu was a celebration of New Orleans
and of female ancestors, which I think is pretty cool.
Yeah, she came out of the gate really strong starting off
with that pan-seared striped seabass
- with a little crab salad underneath. - Aarón: Mmm.
- Her striped bass was delicious. - Yeah.
But I felt it didn't need the salad.
It was sort of added garnish that didn't really work for me.
- Yes. I agree, Chef. - And then flowing into that
traditional shrimp and grits, but she elevated.
I've never seen a shrimp and grits look so beautiful.
Traditionally, you do not purée the sauce,
but that was her way of elevating it.
But the spice and the flavor and the cook on her shrimp...
- Absolutely right. - ...was hands down.
- Texture all day long. - And then, of course,
that chocolate brownie, it looked beautiful, right?
But that chocolate mousse was just too much.
- It was. I agree, it was heavy. - Mm.
So, Michael's, his menu was a nod to Florida and Caribbean influences.
Came out the gate strong with that beautiful crab bisque
topped with caviar, finished with croutons.
- Flavor-wise, it was fragrant. - It was delicious.
I think what was impressive with that
is he was using some expensive baking ingredients
- and he managed to make it all work cohesively. - Sure.
So there was some flaws in that, and the croutons we all had some issues with.
- Gordon: The kind of croutons you put on a Caesar salad. - Yes!
Gordon: Then you had Michael cooking that halibut.
- A lot of risks there. - Daphne: Being able to nail
that really difficult cut of fish
and present us a plate that was so elevated
and elegant-- incredible.
And then that olive oil citrus cake...
Daphne: He ran up against the clock especially in that dessert round.
- Gordon: Sure. Was it overambitious? - Probably.
When you cut into the cake, Chef, I'm sorry, and you hear a crunch,
- that's not a good thing. No bueno. - No, you're absolutely right.
The ice cream on Michael's dessert was exceptional.
- Ah, exceptional. - Perfect ice cream.
Bryson, he really did bring the Southern roots with him.
From the get-go, the hushpuppies and that beautiful shrimp,
that was a great example of humble ingredients really elevated.
It was definitely the best dish I tasted all night.
And then on to that wagyu.
I didn't expect that wagyu to taste the way it did.
I think his sauces could've been slightly more seasoned.
- Gordon: Yeah. - At first I was a little bit nervous,
because it was not his finest work plating-wise,
- but the flavor on these pieces were so delicious. - Sure.
And then this peanut butter beautiful chocolate dessert.
Exceptional.
It was decadent, but it wasn't too heavy.
Daphne: No, exactly right. It was this perfect balance.
You know these menus need to be cohesive.
So which menu from those three amazing finalists delivered?
What I was impressed by and what I thought
was really cool from Remy tonight was she's an executer.
She makes beautiful food consistently.
Michael really highlighted his family's cultural roots,
and I have to commend him because he didn't play it safe.
Aarón: If you look at Bryson, you're thinking, you know,
he's a Southern barbeque, meat carnivore.
And then coming here and showing his elegance and his refinement,
I thought, wow, what an evolution. Very impressive.
We all did an amazing job. It just comes down to the last little things.
- How do you feel? - Scared.
- Dude. Remy, give you a hug. - Oh, my God. I'm gonna cry.
I'm gonna miss you two.
Right, are we all in agreement?
Shall we? Excellent.
Oh, boy. What's gonna happen?
- Wow. - Aarón: What a tough decision.
( cheers and applause )
( music playing )
( cheering continues )
Wow.
Michael, Bryson, and Remy,
those were three incredible meals.
I would be happy to serve any of those dishes in any of my restaurants tonight.
- Well done, all three of you. - Bravo.
- We all did great. - Yeah.
I'm just this much closer to winning "MasterChef Junior."
It just feels amazing because I've always watched "MasterChef,"
and I really never thought I'd get this far.
And it's just a dream, honestly.
Now we've never had a closer finale
in the history of this show.
Michael, a talented Florida fisherman.
Tonight you've mastered those incredible Caribbean flavors.
Bryson, do you know what, young man?
There's one word that will define your time here
in the MasterChef kitchen.
It's "respect"-- for your cooking
and the respect you show everyone
in this entire competition.
Remy, every time you walked in this kitchen,
you were a burst of energy packed with sunshine.
- Well done. - Thank you.
- This side. - I've worked so hard on my menu,
and winning "MasterChef" would mean so much to me
because my grandma taught me how to cook.
And if I win, I feel like my grandmother would be so proud of me.
You guys are three incredibly talented home cooks,
but only one of you can win it all.
Only one of you will walk out of here with this in your pocket.
A check for $100,000.
- ( cheering ) - Whoa!
And this "MasterChef Junior" trophy. Come on.
- Yeah! - Yeah!
This is a big deal. Starting off on day one,
I really had that go-getter spirit,
and so I just really wanna win "MasterChef"
really incredibly badly.
Right, the winner
of "MasterChef Junior" season nine,
congratulations goes to...
( music playing )
Bryson!
- Nice job, Bryson. - Good job!
Good job, Bryson!
- I'm so proud of you. - ( screaming )
Goodness. You did it, man! Well done.
- Thank you. Come on! - Well done.
Bryson, you're making me cry. I'm so proud of you!
- Thank you. - So proud!
- You did amazing. You really did. - We got you.
- Honestly. So proud of you. - My man!
Give it up for our "MasterChef Junior" champion,
Bryson, everybody! Bryson!
Oh, my goodness, me. Yes!
Ladies and gentlemen,
please give it up for two amazing runners-up,
Remy and Michael, ladies and gentlemen!
You did amazing, Remy. You did amazing.
- Good job! - You made it this far, girl!
( shouting, squealing )
- Bryson! - Wow!
- Give it up! - My goodness, me. Yes!
I feel amazing. This is honestly a dream come true.
- I'm so excited right now. - We can't be more proud of Bryson.
- Bryson, great job, bud. - Thank you.
( cheering, chattering )
I'm the next "MasterChef Junior" champion!
( cheering )
- Well done, Bryson. - Thank you.