Gordon: Previously on "masterchef junior"...
We're having the most amazing baby shower!
Cooking for pregnant ladies is no joke.
We gotta make sure that we communicate with each other.
Gordon: That is disgusting.
- I don't have an attitude. - Yes, you do!
Daphne: Pink team, congratulations!
The chicken that was given to me was completely raw.
- Oh, my god. - The person leaving "masterchef junior"
- is freddy. - Bye, guys!
- Tonight... - What?
...A mystery box that's truly nuts,
and an elimination challenge with a special guest...
- Winner of "masterchef junior," che! - ( cheers and applause )
...That sets the kitchen ablaze.
I love playing with fire.
- Fire! - Whoo!
This dish is stunning.
That screams panic, that doesn't scream top ten.
Unfortunately, tonight,
somebody's dream in this kitchen will be going up in flames.
Big day.
Top ten looming.
Amazing.
( cheering )
it feels really great to be in the top 11 today.
Last week was definitely the worst week so far,
and so I can't wait to see what the judges have in store.
- Oh. - Now, you are almost
into the top ten of the biggest culinary competition
anywhere on the planet.
You're that close.
But first, you all will have to face
your next mystery box challenge.
Right, are you guys ready
to find out what's under tonight's mystery box?
All: Yes, chef!
On the count of three.
One, two...
Three, lift.
- What? - Another box?
- We have to cook with this? - Come on.
Lift up that second box.
Thank you.
- What? - Gordon! Gordon!
- What is this? - Oh, my god.
I've never cooked anything with wood before.
Are we serving it to woodchucks?
'cause I don't know what else would eat wood like that.
Guys, lift up that last box.
- What is that? - It's a walnut.
That, my friends, under all that wood
is one beautiful california walnut.
Walnuts are one of the most versatile ingredients out there.
They're tasty and they're good for you,
and you can use them in tons of dishes.
Sweet, savory, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
And if you're vegan, you can even use them
as a tasty meat alternative.
If you've got gluten or dairy allergies,
they also make for a great thickener in soups and sauces.
And here's one more fun fact.
They taste best when they're stored
in the fridge or freezer.
This is one amazing little nut.
You will have one hour
to cook us an incredible walnut dish.
And the young cook tonight who impresses us the most
will be safe from elimination
and earn a coveted spot in the top ten.
I love walnuts.
My mom packs me walnuts for snack
and I have cooked with walnuts before.
But I've never actually made it the star,
so this is gonna be really hard.
Aarón: Give it your all tonight
'cause if you're not up on that balcony,
you might be going home.
All right, you guys ready?
- All: Yes, chef! - Remember,
let your imagination go nuts.
Your time starts now! Let's go!
Go, go, go. Whoa, yes. Look at those sprinters.
- Here they go. - Whoo!
- There's so many walnuts! - Whoa!
- Come on. - Whoo!
- Walnuts everywhere. It's walnut fest! - Come on.
Everywhere you step it's crunch, crunch, crunch. Aah!
The interesting thing about walnuts
is you can take it sweet or you can take it savory.
I'm definitely leaning towards sweet because I'm a baker.
So, I will be making a walnut peach crostata with candied walnuts
to give it a little crunch and a little sweetness.
- Where's cinnamon? - Where are the peaches?
Ow!
Flour. Where's the flour?
I've decided to make a walnut wedding cookie trifle
layered with banana custard.
I'm using walnuts in several different ways
and I know the flavor of the walnut will really pop through.
Ooh!
Ha ha! In your face, walnut shell.
Now to get yourselves in the top ten, walnuts need to be the hero this evening.
Absolutely. You can bread with them,
you can coat with them, you can use them to make a romesco sauce.
And there's so much delicious fat in walnuts.
- Sure. Right. - You don't need to add a lot of extra oil on top of that,
- which is nice. - Walnuts are not something I would normally use,
but I think I've got it figured out here.
I'm doing a walnut herb crusted halibut
and parsnip puree.
I'm trying to prove that I really have a good handle
on not just barbecue things, but other things as well.
I'm gonna be making carrot and walnut cupcakes
with walnut cream cheese frosting.
I really wanna show something that I have fun with
and I really, really know how to make.
I'm making a walnut graham s'mores
with a chocolate ganache.
I cook with walnuts at home.
I toast them most of the time.
And I do breadings for lamb, steak, chicken.
Gordon: Guys, 45 minutes remaining. Let's go.
Right, young lady, tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
I'm doing a walnut and carrot pancake
with a cream cheese glaze and candied walnuts.
- Why pancake? - Because I have to make pancakes on the weekend
'cause I have such a big family.
- How big is the family? - Four kids and then my mom and dad.
I'm sure you miss them, right?
- Mm-hmm. - Any pets at home?
I have two dogs and a fish.
- What's the fish's name? - Fat boy.
- His name used to be spongebob,
but then we fed him too much.
So now he's a fat fish.
- Mm-hmm. - Good luck.
- Grayson. Hey. - Hello.
- What's cooking? - So, I'm going to make a walnut herb crusted rack of lamb
with a walnut romesco.
Aarón: I think for sure that you're on to something.
I like how you're doubling up on the crust and in the romesco.
So let's just remind yourself
- you wanna have an immunity. - Yeah, you do.
'cause this is the window into the top ten.
- Yes. - Guys, 38 minutes to go.
Get my vanilla bean in there.
Cruz, you're a california kid, right?
So you must love these walnuts.
- I love walnuts. - You love walnuts.
- Tell me what you're doing. - A mixed walnut berry crumble
with a walnut pastry cream.
Love that. Now you're one of the youngest in the competition.
What sport do you play?
I play baseball and I do taekwondo.
Stop it. Do you think you could take down aarón sánchez?
- Yes. - Get that crumble in the oven
and make sure walnuts are the star, yes?
- It smells delicious already. - Okay.
- Good luck. Let's go. - Thank you.
Get my halibut started.
- Hi, liya. - Hi.
So how are you using beautiful
california walnuts today?
I'm basically going to be doing fried rice
with the walnuts mixed in,
and also a walnut shrimp.
And what's with this pineapple?
It's a pineapple shrimp bowl,
so I wanna put the fried rice down there
- and then have the shrimp piled up. - Nice. Brilliant.
What was the inspiration for this dish?
From my dad because, like,
he kind of showed me pineapple shrimp bowl, basically.
- Yes. All right, cool. - Yeah, I think you're there.
- Yes, chef. Thank you. - Thanks, liya.
I wanna win this mystery box for my dad,
since I'm doing a dish that we do together.
Also, like, getting onto the balcony.
That would be amazing.
Gordon: 23 minutes remaining, guys.
Ciara, tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
I am making a walnut cake
- with sauternes pears. - Wow.
Top ten around the corner. What's going through your mind?
I'm a really great chef.
- I'm gonna win this thing. - Right.
Ciara: I really wanna win "masterchef junior"
so I can open up my own bakery.
A few years ago, I hurt my back and I couldn't play sports,
and I had to wear a back brace for 23 hours a day.
But when I started baking and cooking,
it got my mind off that,
and I've been baking and cooking ever since.
And this is just gonna show 'em I'm really good at baking.
Gordon: Guys, we've 15 minutes left. You gotta speed up.
A'dan: Oh, no.
- No! - You okay, a'dan?
- A'dan, how you feeling? - No!
- Terrible. - Well, let's stop.
So, touch that. What is wrong with that?
- It's raw. - So you don't sit there and panic. What do you do?
I'll be mortified if you left this competition
because you're not thinking.
A'dan, I'll be mortified
if you left this competition because you're not thinking.
When you know that's undercooked what do you do?
- Put it back in the oven. - Put it back in the oven. There you go.
We don't panic, and we find a solution.
- Right? Good luck. - Yes, chef.
A'dan: I need to get back on track
'cause I have been in the bottom way too many times.
Gordon: Eight minutes remaining.
Remember what's at stake, guys.
The top ten just around the corner.
- Let's go. - Aarón: One stunning dish.
Turn this pancake over.
Yes.
Ciara: I wanna go up on that balcony
to prove to the judges, myself, and my family
that I'm a really great baker.
I am blown away by how ambitious these kids have been in this competition.
But a lot of them are making some really risky choices.
This is a battle for immunity,
but I think everyone's turning out
something really impressive.
- How's it going? - Pretty well.
Good.
Gordon: Speed up, guys.
- Yes. - Daphne: One minute, you guys.
One minute remaining.
That immunity, you can almost taste it.
Get us the best dish you could possibly imagine
on the plate right now.
Almost.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop. - Aarón: Hands in the air.
Gordon: Well done.
I feel great about my dish.
I feel like my pineapple bowl came out perfect,
and it just makes me feel so happy.
This just looks like a mess.
I'm a little upset 'cause I might not get on the balcony
and get an immunity next challenge.
It's time for us to take a much, much closer look
at all your dishes, and then select the very best.
Aarón: Grayson, lamb. Bold choice, young man.
You feel comfortable with the cook on it?
I think it could've been a little bit more cooked,
but I have had lamb close to this doneness and I do like it.
Thank you, grayson.
Aarón: Eva, how do you feel the pesto tastes?
Okay. I wish the consistency was a little smoother.
- Okay, thank you. - Andrew: It's very scary as the judges walk around
because when they come to you,
they could think your dish is amazing
or they could think it's absolute trash
and needs to be set on fire.
Damn, they're half full. What happened?
- I don't know. - You don't know.
They look sort of underdone, right? What a shame.
Okay.
Andrew, this looks really beautiful
- and this looks a little bit haphazard. - Yeah.
With this, I put the whipped cream on
and then it started to melt a little bit.
Damn.
- Man. - Thanks, andrew.
Wow.
- A'dan, this is, uh... - Messy.
...Messy. You feeling down right now?
- Yes, chef. - What do you think went wrong?
I just didn't get the task done in enough of time.
- Let's go. - Daphne: Cruz, you made a berry crumble...
- Yes. - ...With walnut topping.
- Really nice. - Yeah, smart.
- Abir, you look like you were a little frazzled. - Yes.
- What happened at the end right there? - So I guess I tried
to rewhip my cream because the first batch was overwhipped.
But I didn't have enough time,
so the plating, as you can see,
- got a little rushed. - Gordon: Yeah.
- Thank you. - Oh, man.
Abir: I am really disappointed in myself.
I know I could've done much better.
Gordon: That looks beautiful.
And you've got walnuts in the crust as well, yes?
- Yes. - Wow. So, you used them, what, three times?
Then I put a little bit of toasted walnuts
- in my whipped cream. - Not too sweet.
Gordon: Wow. Thank you.
So, molly, what's the puree there?
- What is that? - The puree is a parsnip puree.
- Oof. - You think that's the best looking presentation
- there with that? - No.
- Gordon: Thank you. - Daphne: Thanks, molly.
There were a lot of great dishes out there,
but we need to taste a few to decide who will be safe.
Tonight, we're gonna taste the top three dishes.
Please, make your way down here...
Mrs. Pineapple.
Daphne: Liya!
I want to win this so badly, because if I don't,
I'm gonna have to be in the elimination challenge.
Please describe your dish.
So you have a walnut shrimp and a pineapple fried rice.
I love the creativity. I think this belongs on, like, a polynesian feast,
- 'cause it really just has that vibe to it. - It looks beautiful.
- Can't wait to dive in. Amazing. - Looks so good.
- Are there any walnuts inside the rice as well? - Yes.
So, the shrimp are cooked beautifully.
But what you have done there is highlighted the walnuts.
The rice itself is also delicious.
I'm really glad you included walnuts in there as well.
I would've thrown a few shrimp pieces chopped up in there
just to carry the flavor throughout.
But, liya, this is a really delicious dish.
Everything that's there is truly delicious.
Thank you.
Good job, liya!
The next person that we'd like to call up here...
Cruz.
Whoo!
I want this immunity so badly
because it's my first time being called up.
Cruz, please describe your dish.
So, today I made a mixed berry and walnut crumble
with a whipped cream topped off with some walnuts.
Are you nervous, cruz?
- A little bit. - You shouldn't be,
'cause that looks like heaven.
- Thank you. - Gordon: Shall we?
Wow.
Aarón: The crumble with the walnuts is the real star.
- I love that. - Thank you.
I think you made a mistake with the kind of fruit
as far as the strawberry. More blueberry,
something a little bit more fleshy, but delicious.
The crumble is really pungently walnut.
It's a lot of walnuts.
I might've chopped them a little bit finer,
but you did a great job.
- Gordon: Delicious, young man. - Thank you.
It looks like it's just come out of a gastro pub.
I wanna see more of that.
- Well done. - Thank you.
Okay, the next person really did their home state of california proud.
Please step forward, ciara.
- Good job, ciara. - Thank you.
Ciara, tell us what you made.
Today, I made a walnut cake with sauternes pears,
a walnut oat crumble, and mascarpone whipped cream.
Just visually speaking, it is stunning.
- Thank you. - And there's walnut flour here? Is that how you did it?
Yeah, I grounded up some walnut
and made walnut flour.
Truly one of the most delicious cakes I've ever eaten.
The mascarpone is beautiful.
The only thing is that the pears,
if you'd sliced them a little bit thinner
would've caramelized a bit more.
A little bit more of that sweetness coming through.
- But really well done, ciara. - Thank you.
Ciara, this is just utterly delicious.
I can't even say anything negative about it,
it's that good.
- Thank you. - Young lady, it's incredible.
The cake is moist. I close my eyes,
I've got that nice bitterness of the walnut
with the sweet caramel flavor of those pears. Delicious.
I think this has been your best dish so far in this competition.
- Thank you. Well done. - Thank you.
Good job, ciara!
- Good job, ciara. - Good job, ciara.
Thank you.
This is gonna be very, very difficult.
Give us a moment, please.
Great dishes.
But there's one individual there tonight
that deserves to go straight to the top ten
because they used walnuts in abundance.
- Both: I agree. - Do you all think?
Aarón: Yes, we know who that is.
- Yeah? Happy? - Very happy.
Now tonight, there were some really great dishes out there,
but only one spot of immunity up for grabs.
The first person into the top ten...
Congratulations...
The first person into the top ten...
Congratulations...
Ciara. Well done.
- Good job, ciara. - Thank you.
I'm the first person into the top ten. Whoo!
Right, as for the rest of you,
it's time for your elimination challenge.
Please, head into the library and put on your black aprons.
Let's go.
I really didn't want to want to be in this.
- I am really scared to find out what it is. - Exactly.
I'm definitely nervous
because I'm one step away from the top ten.
It is an elimination challenge,
and if my dish does not make the cut...
Gordon: Line up. Thank you.
All of you are worthy of being in the top ten.
But unfortunately, for one of you,
your journey in this kitchen ends tonight.
I had hoped that I never have to put this black apron on again.
It definitely does bring your spirit down a little bit.
I feel like I'm at a funeral.
We have a very, very special guest
in the masterchef kitchen tonight.
Who is it?
Someone who knows how to handle the heat
in this competition.
- Che. - ( gasps ) che? It's che.
He is one tough, incredibly talented...
- Oh, my god. - ...Young man.
- Oh, it's che. - Oh, my god.
- Please, welcome the winner
of "masterchef junior" season seven...
- Che! - ( cheering )
che's here, and I can't believe he's here.
And he's just, like, so cute.
Hi. Oh, my god, hi.
I'm-- like, I can't speak.
- Oh, my god. - Now, welcome back.
- Thank you. - Congratulations on those fox breakfast live shows.
How exciting is it going live?
It's pretty cool. It's scary at first, but it's lots of fun.
Now, in tonight's elimination challenge
you're all gonna have to follow in the footsteps
of real champion.
You're gonna flambé like che.
- Whoa. - Flambé is a technique that sounds very, very simple.
Add alcohol, set it on fire, and let it burn.
It really does impart an amazing flavor to any dish.
But trust me,
it is not easy, let me tell you.
To help show you how it's done
and how to do it safely,
che and I will demonstrate.
Eva: This is so cool.
Gordon ramsay and che are gonna show us how to flambé.
It's gonna be awesome to see them both make some fire.
Please be careful. Hand is wrapped in a towel.
Cognac in and tilt the pan.
- Ooh! - Oh, jeez.
- Okay? - Wow.
Molly: Che's, like, the master of flambé.
- Turn our heat up a little bit. - Last season, che got a flambé
that was, like, ten feet high,
and I think that's some sort of world record.
Add it in your pan and tilt.
- Yes. - Wow.
Now, that's how two masterchefs flambé a dish.
I'm really excited to flambé
because it's a thing I've never done before.
I mean, it's really crazy, but also very dangerous,
'cause you get your face in that fire...You're dead.
Tonight, you'll have to make a delicious flambé dish.
- Yes. - You can do any dish that you want,
sweet or savory, but it has to be on fire.
You guys will have just 45 minutes
to make an incredible flambé dish.
Che, will you do the honors, please?
Your time starts...
- Now. - Let's go, guys.
- Let's go. Let's go. - Daphne: Good luck. Good luck, you guys.
Ivy: Even though it's safer on the balcony, I love being down cooking.
( grunts ) oh, my god, this is heavy!
So, I'm gonna make a shrimp scampi with pasta.
I need chili paste. Chili paste.
And I'm going to flambé the shrimp scampi with gin.
( grunts )
a'dan: The last challenge,
I didn't feel very great about my dish,
and I'm fighting for a spot in top ten.
I gotta put on my big boy pants and get flambéing.
Gordon: Now, 45 minutes, you know how quick that goes.
I mean, elimination challenges are all around so difficult,
and top ten is when you really have to step up.
The judging is so much harder
and the challenges are harder as well.
You really have to be on your a game.
Miss daphne, would you go savory or sweet tonight?
Savory. There's more dynamic there.
You're gonna hit those caramel notes either way,
but I think in a savory dish
you can have some acid, you can have some heat going on.
Do you think you could help me open this?
Liya: It's so cool to, like, cook in front of che.
Like, it's just really fun and cool and exciting.
Che's the reason I'm here,
so today I'm going to make duck à l'orange
with sautéed wax beans,
flambéed cherry tomatoes, and flambéed endives.
I've flambéed once or twice in my entire home cooking career.
So, right now I'm just trying to get all my components ready
'cause I wanna be halfway done by the 30 minute mark.
Seven minutes gone, 38 minutes to go.
Gordon: Now, andrew, tell me about this dish. What are you doing?
I'm doing a bananas foster rum cake
- with a caramelized pineapple glace. - Nice.
- What are you gonna flambé them in? - Rum.
Just make sure to get your cake in the oven asap.
Remember, the pineapples will take longer to caramelize
- than the bananas, so-- - bananas will be quick, yeah.
- Yes, chef. Thank you. - Good luck.
Andrew: I've tried to make bananas foster before.
"tried" being the key word.
I know it's go big or go home
in the masterchef junior kitchen,
so I have to go big.
What's going on, miss starla? Talk to us.
I am grilling my tomatillos and corn
for tequila flambéed new york strip.
Daphne: Nice. I like all these combos.
So, starla, you heard the word flambé, were you like,
"yeah, I do it every Saturday night, no big deal" or--
actually, I have never flambéed before.
- Really? - So this is gonna be really fun for me.
And while these cook, you can be doing some other stuff too, honey, okay?
So keep your eye on the prize, okay?
- All right. Good luck, starla. - Thank you.
- Liya. - Hi, chef.
Tell us about the dish. What are you doing?
I am making an almond financier
with an almond micro salt brittle
and a cherry flambé.
Your dish sounds amazing.
So really just follow through with it and you'll be fine.
Gordon: How excited were you this morning when you saw che
- walk out through that door? - I was so excited.
We had a few red cheeks. Come on!
- No, I don't. - Well, I do have some good news for you.
- What? - He is single.
Good luck.
( giggles )
- starla, could you get a spoon? - Yeah?
- Thank you, starla. - What are you making, eva?
I'm making an apricot and pistachio cannoli.
I'm going to stuff the cannoli with mascarpone,
my ricotta, and my flambéed apricots.
- Okay, hurry. - Don't worry, ciara, I got this.
I think I'm doing a very risky dish tonight--
scallops with mussels and clams.
But I'm taking it as just another chance to prove myself
to the judges and show them my skills.
A'dan, tell us about the dish. What are you doing?
Lamb loin with sautéed zucchini.
What are you flambéing?
My cheese and my lamb
- in sambuca. - Sambuca.
- Anything you're worried about? - No, chef.
The flambé, you're okay?
No, chef.
Che: Okay, a'dan, the trick with the flambé,
you just have to-- you can't be afraid.
If you're afraid, you're gonna mess it up.
You really just have to go with it.
And also, elimination challenge.
Okay, you do not want to lose this one, right?
- I'm not losing this, chef. - Right.
Just over 30 minutes to nail it, okay?
- Good luck. - Yes, chef.
Gin, gin, gin.
Ivy's about to flambé, look.
- Behind, behind. - Daphne: Okay.
I'm excited to flambé because I have never done it.
But I'm a little bit scared
because I don't want anything bad to happen
because that just means
that this show could be cancelled.
Flambé!
- Gordon: Oh, my lord. - Oh, no!
- Ivy's about to flambé, look. - Flambé!
This is stressful.
Oh, no!
Whoo! Fire in ivy's kitchen.
- Good girl. - That fire's bigger than her.
Flambé. Ooh!
- Amazing. - Abir: Flambé!
Ooh! Nice one, abir.
Gordon: Flambés going everywhere at the moment.
Andrew: It's like fire, fire, fire...
- Gordon: Wow. - Getting hot in here.
...Everywhere in this kitchen today.
Everyone is flambéing.
- Flambé! - Daphne: Watch it.
There you go. Hold on, it'll come. Just tilt a little bit more.
A little bit more. There you go.
- Daphne: That flame all the way up? - Aarón: It's on.
Whoo!
Light. Ooh.
Liya, turn the-- that's it. Good girl.
Tip, there you go.
- There we go. - Well done.
It was really fun. I love playing with fire.
Fire!
15 minutes remaining, guys.
Let's go.
- A lot of these dishes are risky. - Absolutely.
But look at ivy rolling that machine.
- I mean, incredible. How cool is that, che? - It's amazing.
I make fresh pasta myself, and it's a difficult task.
And to see that she's doing it in such a comfortable way,
- is really good. - So, starla is making a strip steak
with tequila flambé
to go with a char-grilled tomatillo salsa.
- Gordon: Sounds really good. - Aarón: Yeah, but is that too simple?
I'm a little bit nervous about where that's gonna stand
in this extremely competitive round.
- I agree. - Okay. Here we go.
Che: Andrew's cake is in the oven, which is good.
Got a little worried there for a second.
- Mm-hmm. - Behind.
That's a very ambitious thing to do in 45 minutes.
- We have to see if he can pull it off. - That's right.
Andrew: I'm worrying about my cake being underbaked.
A lot of cakes need 20 to 30 minutes to bake,
so I don't know if I will have time to pull it off.
Molly: I'm making a pan-seared veal
with creamy polenta,
but I really need more time to do this dish
'cause I don't cook with alcohol.
So, if I nail this dish
it will definitely get me to the top ten.
Gordon: Careful.
- Liya, what's in there? - Liya: It was butter.
- The pan was hot. - No, no, I'm worried about you.
- It was the pan, 'cause the pan was hot. - No, that's all burned.
You can't use that. Don't worry.
- What's it for? - The caramel.
Liya: I can't believe I messed up in front of che.
( groans ) it's like the worst nightmare I could ever have.
- Sorry. - No, don't be silly.
You'll be fine. Everyone makes mistakes.
Set the lid on the burner if you need more space.
Aarón: You feeling good about life right now?
- Don't touch. Everything is hot. - You fried capers?
- Yes. - I'm so proud of you. I love fried capers.
All right, so you got your lamb resting. Beautiful.
- Are you a fan of lamb? - Yes, chef.
That's the one thing I cook in georgia all the time.
You're at 8:30 right now, okay?
- You feel you can make it? - Oh, yes. I know I can make it.
All right. Love these capers.
Soon there's gonna be a spot up on the balcony for me.
I'm so confident about this dish
because miss daphne said she loves fried capers.
Starla, make sure your meat is cooked through.
...15, 16, 17, 18, 19.
Oh, I messed it up again.
Liya: The brittle got crystallized,
and having to redo it and redo it and redo it
just makes me feel a little worse.
For the caramel, it's not getting brown.
It's just a lot of work,
and time is running out. I don't know what to do.
As soon as you get that cold, then you whisk it in and you take it off right away.
You don't cook it after you add the butter.
- Understand what I'm saying? - Yeah. Yes, chef.
Now you gotta make a decision, liya.
'cause you're down on time, you know, honey?
Two minutes, guys. Elimination is on the line.
Oh, frick. Oh, dear.
This isn't gonna have time to reduce.
I'm so close to my goal of being in the top ten.
So, I want to make sure that my steak is not raw
or even overcooked.
I don't know have time for the circle mold.
- Ciara: Make 'em look beautiful. - Piping bags.
Hurry, andrew.
Piping bags. Star type piping bags.
- Other-- other side. - Hyperventilation.
45 seconds, guys. Here we go. You got this. Let's go.
- Aarón: Come on, starla. - Quick, quick, quick.
Gordon: Butter, molly.
20 seconds to go, guys. Quick, eva.
Oh, my gosh, down to the wire.
- Che: Ten seconds! - Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one.
- Aarón: That's it. Hands in the air. - Che: Time's up.
- Gordon: Well done. - Che: Good job, guys.
- Barely. - Great job.
Andrew: I'm worried 'cause I'm looking around
and seeing that other people are very happy
with how their dishes turned out,
and what I was going to do did not turn out.
I'm feeling really confident right now
because I'm pretty sure my cook on the steak is perfect.
( crying ) I ran out of time.
My caramel crystallized, so I'm really nervous
because my plating is not well
and I'm nervous about what's gonna happen.
What a challenge. Unfortunately, tonight,
somebody's dream in this kitchen will be going up in flames.
First, we wanna take a much closer look.
Let's go.
Molly, man, you had one, two, three, four, five pans working.
How's that taste?
- Che: Oh, that's great. Got a great flavor. - Thank you.
- Gordon: Good job. - Thank you.
Daphne: All right, eva, shells look nice and golden.
- Yeah. Thank you. - Really beautiful. Thank you.
Abir, seems like you have a lot of endive
versus actual duck.
Gordon: Cruz, your dish looks very minimalistic.
- You definitely flambéed it, right? - Yes.
Starla, are you happy with what you have on the plate there?
I am happy. I was gonna add something else,
- but I decided not to make it. - All right. Thank you, starla.
Very simple, isn't it?
I like the cook on the shrimp.
Gordon: Cook on the shrimp is delicious.
- Beautiful. - Impressive.
You got a lot of fried capers there, mijo.
- A lot. - Gordon: Yeah.
Grayson, the color on those scallops.
How do you get them so dark like that?
The key is to not be afraid of that heat.
Really good.
- ( sighs ) - gordon: Is that how you wanted it to look?
No. I started to rush a lot towards the end
and the bananas foster did not turn out very well.
Liya, what do we have here?
Are you happy with your financier?
Um, yes, but I'm not happy with how my plate went.
Is there anything missing here?
- Um, the caramel. - Thank you.
All right, everyone, as all of you know,
one of you is going home tonight.
There are some dishes that we need to taste further
to decide just who that person will be.
Now, the first person we'd like to call up...
The dish centered around a large cut of meat.
Please, step forward, starla.
- Good luck, starla. - Okay, starla.
- Okay, you got it. - This is really scary
because this is my first time being in the bottom.
So, I'm really scared about the cook on the steak
and also how my plate looks.
Right, young lady, describe the dish, please.
So, today I made for you
a tequila flambéed new york strip
with a tomatillo salsa and charred chipotle corn.
It just looks like there's something missing. No starch anywhere?
Starla: I didn't want to try to do something
I knew I wasn't gonna have time to do.
Sure, but, young lady, let me stop you there, okay?
Ivy, one of the youngest in this competition,
she made handmade pasta,
rolled it and cut it by hand, and then started
with the garnish and the cooking of the shrimp.
Here I see one slab of new york strip and salsa.
But more importantly,
who sliced a bit off the steak on the end?
I tried to make sure that it was cooked fully.
Now, when you tasted it, how was it?
Good enough for me.
It's a little heavy seared,
but you have got some pink left in the middle.
Next time, touch it properly without slicing it, okay?
Okay, chef.
Che: I like the acidity that the sauce brings.
The steak, you could've rendered the fat a little bit more.
It's a little chewy on the end.
The cook is okay,
but it does look like it's missing something.
Daphne: It needs a lot more salt,
and I don't really taste where you put that flambé in.
Aarón: Yeah, starla, I'm a little disappointed
in the sense that we have the world's best pantry
and it's a shame that you didn't exploit that.
Starla, the gloves are off and we are changing things up.
I expect you cooking a dish like that weeks ago,
not trying to get one foot into the top ten.
- Yes, chef. - Now we're gonna be super firm here because,
unfortunately, somebody's going home this evening.
- Yes, chef. - So, I want more,
and I know you can do better.
Aarón: Thank you, young lady.
Okay, the next person we want to call up...
This individual is a very talented ten-year-old.
They did not shine through their plating tonight.
- It's me. - Please, step forward, a'dan.
- Good job, a'dan. - Good job, a'dan.
A'dan: I'm really feeling nervous
because I put way too much capers.
I took it the wrong way when miss daphne said
she loved fried capers.
Describe the dish, please.
I made pan-seared lamb
with sautéed zucchini, and fried capers
and fried fingerling potatoes.
And what was the flambé?
My halloumi cheese and my lamb
- in sambuca. - Shall we?
The flambé on the cheese is beautiful, by the way.
I'm glad we got some acidity there with the tomatoes.
- That's the idea, right? Everything all in one. - Yes, chef.
- The capers on top for the saltiness, right?
Is that what you wanted?
Put it all together on the fork with the lamb
- and it actually tastes quite nice. - Thank you, chef.
But you know the lamb's overcooked, right?
Yes, chef, it's a little bit overcooked.
You want one bite to really signify your dish.
The capers are delicious, but there are too many of them.
The tapenade, I think, was also delicious,
but it's not clear how you're meant to eat it.
I think what we're seeing on this plate is a good idea,
but the editing process, it is the hardest part here
because you want to show us everything a'dan can do.
Unfortunately, showing us everything a'dan can do
means we don't actually get to see one thing that you do great.
You're just throwing things on the plate, which pains me
because I know how good you are.
Thank you, young man.
That screams panic. That doesn't scream top ten for me.
All right, the next person that we'd like to call up,
please step forward...
Andrew.
Andrew: I feel very nervous right now.
I know I didn't get my bananas foster on the plate,
but I know my pineapples are good.
So, it's make it or break it right now,
and I really want to be in the top ten.
Gordon: Describe the dish, please.
Today, I made a rum pecan cake
with caramelized pineapple and a caramel sauce.
So when we came around to see you, you were talking about the bananas foster.
- Where are they? - They were really mushy,
so I decided not to serve them.
- So you overcooked them? - Yes.
Did you taste those bananas?
- No, chef. - Well, we did.
The actual bananas taste delicious.
You've left the most exciting part of the dish off the plate.
What a shame.
Now my big worry here, young man, is it cooked?
Uh, hopefully.
Just by the knife cut, trust me, it felt under.
And it is. That's raw there, bud.
Here's the positive news.
The actual pineapple is delicious.
It's caramelized beautifully. It's not watery.
And that flambé in there is magical.
Now onto the not so good news.
Unfortunately, the actual cake in the center is undercooked.
That's the sorry part for me,
'cause I know baking is really important for you.
I mean, there's only two components on the plate.
There's not really any vibrant colors.
It's kind of just-- all looks kind of bland.
Yes.
I mean, we have a masterchef junior champion here.
We brought him here to inspire all of you,
and this just doesn't show that.
- Yes, chef. - Even though you might've known
that you were pulling out an underdone cake,
there was nothing you could do about it
- because you ran out of time. - Yes.
That planning component is critical, especially for baking.
There's a lot of promise here on this plate,
but the clock is always gonna be your enemy
when it comes to baking.
Thank you, andrew.
Andrew: This is not the best thing I've ever baked.
I can bake better than this
and that's why this is frustrating.
Now, as the reigning masterchef junior champ,
che is a very, very busy man,
and he has to literally get going.
What a joy to have you back here, young man.
We are so proud of you here, and good luck.
Thank you. This has been lots of fun judging and being here.
- Take care, bud. - Thank you.
- Thanks, che. - All: Bye.
Take care, che. Thank you, che.
A'dan, starla, and andrew,
give us a moment, please.
- Gordon: Tough challenge, that. - Aarón: Yeah.
Three underwhelming dishes, right?
Aarón: Top ten, guys. This is the window in.
Correct. If this was week one, we could've gotten around it.
Gordon: Andrew, that guy is an expert at cooking desserts.
- He knows how to do it better. - What happened there?
And there parts of it that were so promising.
And the worst of it was the best part, he left in his pan.
Gordon: A'dan's, way overcooked, and just almost thrown
- together at the end, right? - Yeah, too many components.
Gordon: And starla's was a little bit lacklust
'cause there was stuff missing there, right?
It was such a dull dish to eat, yeah.
I didn't get excited about anything on that plate.
- Are we confident? - Okay, yeah. Let's do it.
Tonight was a very, very difficult challenge.
And, let's get it right,
we have three very talented ten-year-olds.
But we have to say good-bye tonight to one of you.
A'dan, starla, and andrew...
We're sorry to say good-bye to...
Andrew.
A'dan, starla, please say good-bye to andrew
and make your way back to your bench. Thank you.
I'm sorry.
Andrew, we did not expect you of all people tonight
to fall short on the dessert.
You know the cake was, unfortunately, raw in the middle.
And then the bananas foster,
the bit that we got excited about,
didn't even make the plate.
But think how far you've come.
Think about all those individuals you beat to get here.
- You gonna continue baking? - Yes, chef.
Just remind me again of that amazing food dream.
- What is it? - I want to open up a bakery in paris.
And when that day comes, will you promise me you'll let me know?
- Yes, chef. - 'cause I'm gonna be first in line.
In fact, I may even camp out
the night before to make sure I get in.
Buddy, we're gonna miss you, you know that.
- Come up say good-bye, please. - Andrew: I feel really lucky
to have been part of this competition.
Okay. And stay strong. Well done, bud, yes?
- Yes, chef. - I definitely feel like
I also grew up a little bit in this competition.
I learned that you can, in fact, take a shower in sprinkles
and that unicorns are real.
- ( overlapping chatter ) - ( crying )
this competition means a lot to me
because I met so many good friends.
- You did a great job. - We're gonna miss you, andrew.
And even though I'm leaving the competition,
my food dreams are still the exact same.
I will always keep cooking,
but I'm never gonna make a cake
with pecans or rum in them again.
Gordon: Next time on "masterchef junior"...
( kids screaming )
- oh, no! - Hello!
A fast and furious monster team challenge...
Today you will have to cook for a crowd of off-road racers.
- Now! Let's go. - We got this, guys.
20 minutes. Is this the best we can do?
...That has the teams fighting...
- Abir, you're team captain! - Yes, I know that!
- ...To crush the competition. - Don't get overwhelmed.
Here they come.
Kid: This ain't gonna end well.