Gordon: Previously on "MasterChef Junior"...
- Kids: Whoa! - I'm sure you can guess
- why you're all here. - Kids: Restaurant takeover!
Daphne: You will be serving a packed house
at one of the top restaurants in the country.
- Molly: I got hot calamari. - I need scallops.
- Service. - Gordon: That looks beautiful.
Why'd you put the calamari on so quickly?
I wanted to put the calamari on quickly so--
But what about your team?
A'Dan, unfortunately tonight,
it's your last performance in this competition.
Bye, bud.
Tonight...
Are you guys ready to find out
what giant mystery you have to face?
...a super sized mystery box.
I've never seen a mystery box this big before.
- What is this? - And a familiar face returns...
First ever winner MasterChef Junior winner Alexander!
- Oh, my God! - ...for fishy immunity challenge...
You have to fillet and cook an incredible salmon.
- Oh, my God. - ...that has some out of their depth.
- Oh, Molly. - Ooh.
Daphne: Don't slow down, you guys, keep it up.
How do you get bouillabaisse flavorsome in 45 minutes?
Oh, man.
I don't think this fish is good.
You have confirmed you're nuts.
Tonight is elimination and I think you just put one foot out the door.
I'm going home.
( music playing )
- Ooh. - Ah-ha!
- What's in the box? - You know what?
( laughs )
Is it Christmas already?
Tonight is a big one.
Final four is looming.
- ( kids scream ) - Welcome back, guys.
Line up, please.
That is a giant mystery box.
I've never ever
seen a mystery box this big before.
I don't know what the heck is in there.
You know, I think it's probably a shark.
- Good to see you all. Are we good? - Kids: Yes, Chef.
Well, as you can see, it's time for your next huge challenge.
I have no idea what the judges put under there,
but we're in the top five
and the judges are not afraid to throw anything at us.
Some I'm, like, a little worried.
Listen closely all of you.
First up, you're gonna be fighting
- for immunity. - ( whispers ) Oh, my goodness.
If you don't get that,
you'll be facing a dreaded elimination.
You know you really want to fight to get up
on that balcony.
And there are just five of you left,
and after tonight, we will be down to four.
That's right. To be guaranteed one of those top four spots,
you have to make it through whatever
is waiting for you under... here.
- Oh, my gosh. - What's under there is historic,
legendary, unique.
- A lion! - A lion?
A lion could definitely fit under there.
It's taken nearly seven years to create.
Are you guys ready to find out
what giant mystery you have to face tonight?
- Kids: Yes, Chef. - Gordon: Oh, boy.
Oh, I'm so nervous for you.
I'm ready to jump on the counter.
Okay, lift that box.
Liya: What?
- Shoes? - Molly: What is this?
- Oh, my God. - It's salmon.
Liya: Wait, what? Alexander?
( gasps )
- ( kids scream ) - Oh, my God.
Welcome back our first ever MasterChef Junior winner Alexander!
- ( cheers and applause ) - Gordon: Well done!
Now, he's just finished
his first year of culinary school
and he's already worked
at some of the best restaurants anywhere in the world
alongside Dominique Ansel and Andrew Carmellini.
- Wow! - Wow.
Alexander is here and I don't know what to say.
When I first watched "MasterChef Junior"
he kept inspiring me to keep cooking.
It's just so cool to see
like how he was so young and all of a sudden...
- Alexander, good to see you, bud. - Good to see you, too.
Welcome back to the MasterChef Junior family.
You were 13 years of age. You were down there.
Give us an insight. What kind of doors opened when you became the first ever
- MasterChef Junior winner? - Oh, my gosh. Which doors didn't open.
Met so many chefs. It's an amazing experience
to be on this show. You learn so much.
Congratulations on all the success.
We're extremely proud of you
and honored to have you back here.
- Amazing to be back. - Right.
All of you, listen carefully,
to earn immunity from this next elimination challenge,
you'll have to fillet an incredible, beautiful,
- fresh, Scottish salmon. - Whoa.
This is no easy task, especially with a fish that size.
It's something that every great chef needs to know how to master.
And to show you all how it's done,
you'll get a lesson from not just one
but two master chefs. That's right.
Alexander and I will demonstrate tonight how to fillet a salmon.
- So let's do it. - Grab that fish, let's go.
Excellent.
- Right, you guys excited? - Kids: Yes, Chef.
Thanks, Alex. Now the most important thing about filleting a salmon
is let the knife do the work. Get comfortable with the fish, okay.
Don't be scared by it and feel how much muscle is in there, yes.
Solid. Don't forget they swim up the river before spawning.
Molly: I don't know how to fillet a fish.
So I'm super grateful that Alexander
and Gordon are gonna show us how to do it.
Okay, look at the gills.
Slice all the way through to that center bone.
Hold it at the eyes, down,
and across and then literally in.
Use the point of the knife
and come all the way down the backbone
and over. Watch where you're cutting.
Careful not to bend
and burst the salmon, okay.
- Alexand. - Thank you, Chef.
First one off.
Now, the second part, come in
all the way down,
and off, okay.
A nice clean carcass.
- Oh, my gosh. - Oh.
- That is very clean. - Yes.
So right now I'm just peeling off some of the fat
to clean up the salmon a little bit before I portion it.
Grayson: Gordon, he's awesome.
Alexander is awesome.
All their knife work, it's just so precise
and they left almost nothing on the carcass.
That dorsal fin there, come around that part,
cut through, get rid of that bone, okay.
Right, Alex, ready for the portion?
- Ready, Chef. - Remember how expensive these fish are.
So be super careful every time you make a slice.
Okay? And we'll slice off the tail first.
Let's go.
Portion number one.
Well done.
Number two.
- In one smooth motion as they slice. - Absolutely.
- You see that? - Yep.
- Notice that we're just moving up and back. - Gordon: Absolutely.
Gordon: Eight.
And the final portion
goes there.
Good job, bud. Amazing.
That is how two master chefs fillet salmon.
Great job, Alex.
Eva: Oh, my God!
It only took them like minutes
to fillet a whole salmon.
I have no idea how long it's gonna take me to fillet a fish.
All right, listen closely. In order to make it to the top four,
you'll get your own salmon back in the pantry
and you will have just 15 minutes...
- Fift-- - Daphne: Wow.
...to cut as many perfect portions as you can.
And the person with the most amount
of perfect fillets will earn immunity
from the upcoming elimination challenge.
- So that's big, guys. - And remember, one of you five
will be the next Alexander.
Right, you'll have 15 minutes
to grab a salmon and fillet it perfectly.
Your 15 minutes start now!
- Let's go. - Go! Go! Go!
- ( screams ) - Whoa!
Oh, gosh.
- Oh, my goodness. - Liya: I ran into the pantry
and it looks like the fish market in Seattle.
It's like tons of fish
and they're like huge!
- Grayson, can you like grab me one? - Yep, here, take this.
Oh.
The girls out the gate. We love that.
- It weighs more than me. - Well done, Molly.
- ( sighs ) - Wow, Ivy!
- Daphne: Ivy! - Ivy: The hardest thing about this challenge
is I have to carry it all the way back to my station.
It's like as big as my leg!
- ( chuckles ) - Oh, look at her arms.
That's a salmon shower.
- Let's go. - Oh, my God.
Gordon: Take your time. Get familiar with the fish.
Let the knife do the work, okay?
I got this. I got this. I got this.
This is a skill that is so important for every top chef to master.
Yeah, this is such a crucial step in our restaurants
that only our sous chefs actually cut the fish
- and the meat. It's that important. - Wow.
It's definitely not every day that you get to cut
- a whole salmon like this. - Gordon: No.
My and my dad cook salmon sometimes back in Austin,
but I've never had to actually fillet one before
and we only have 15 minutes.
( grunts) Oh, my gosh!
Gotta get this one done
then I can get the other.
I gotta cut this guy up like this.
( music playing )
- Aarón: There you go, guys. - I got this. I got this.
Molly: I don't really work with seafood a lot in Springfield, Missouri.
You just kinda go to Walmart and buy a couple packages.
Come on, Molly, you're almost done.
But I've never been in top three
or won an immunity challenge,
so I really hope that this is mine to win.
We're coming down to ten minutes remaining.
That's one side done.
- Ivy has her first side off. - Yeah.
Aarón: Liya is there as well.
I'm very impressed by this group so far.
We didn't have to butcher
anything like this at all on our season.
- No. - They're definitely stepping up the game.
Ah, one piece.
Daphne: So, Alexander, Grayson really loves to cook.
He's got great ideas,
but he is struggling on this fillet right now.
Aarón: And you can tell 'cause he's doing sawing motions,
which is a big indicator that he's having trouble.
Come on, Grayson,
you gotta pick up the speed, young man.
I gotta get this piece of fish off,
so that I can start portioning.
I'm actually gonna do this, so I actually have some portions.
Smart move by Ivy. As opposed to attempting to do the whole thing,
she's taking one side, breaking that down
then maybe go to the second side, but smart move.
I'll need you to come off.
Molly, let's start portioning, young lady.
- Yes, Chef. - Halfway, guys.
Seven and a half minutes remaining.
Remember what's at stake.
There's only one spot on the safety of the balcony.
( music playing )
I think that Liya's actually doing a very good job.
She might not be going the fastest,
but she's definitely taking her time.
- Aarón: Let's start portioning, Liya. - Yes, Chef.
So I have filleted fish before with my dad.
I've dealt with big fishes
and small fishes and mommy fishes
and daddy fishes.
But I haven't filleted with salmon before.
It's more challenging,
like a lot more challenging.
But I'm making sure that I get perfect, clean cuts,
so I can get that immunity.
Gordon: Five minutes to go, guys. Let's go.
Daphne: All right, Molly, get that other half off.
Ooh, Molly.
( sighs ) Can't get to the other side.
I really, really wanna get immunity,
but everybody else got their carcass off,
and if I don't get the second side,
I might be going to the elimination challenge.
( music playing )
Daphne: All right, Molly, get that other half off.
( sighs ) Can't get to the other side.
Molly, you gotta start portioning, young lady.
Yeah, I can't get-- I can't get the carcass off.
Aarón: Yes, you can.
Two minutes remaining.
Big push at the end, let's go. Grayson, let's go.
Feeling really good, almost done.
I just gotta get all my fish out because I really,
really, really wanna be in the top four.
Guys, look at Eva.
- Aarón: Wow! - Alexander: That's amazing.
- Gordon: That is amazing. - Daphne: Really impressive.
- That is extraordinary. - I'm done.
- Daphne: Look at Ivy. - Gordon: Here we go.
- Look at all the portions she has. - I'm on the second side.
So I'm feeling pretty confident.
Aarón: Nice, beautiful, clean cuts, Liya.
- Yes, Chef. - Last minute, guys.
- Here we go. 60 seconds to go, come on. - No.
Daphne: You got it, Molly. Come on, pull it out.
- Aarón: Portion what you can, young lady. - Okay.
Aarón: Come on, Grayson, let's get it done.
Can almost smell top four, guys.
( whispers ) Wow.
- Gordon: Ten seconds to go. - Daphne: Final ten.
Come on, guys. Seven, six...
Judges: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop. - Aarón: That's it, hands in the air.
Daphne: Great work, you guys.
The first one wasn't so equal 'cause I was rushing on it kind of,
but then the second one I kinda took my time.
Unfortunately, I only did one set of salmon.
It looks like everybody else did two.
I'm definitely a little... defeated.
Gordon: Well done, all of you.
Now, let's it clear, you're all fishing for a win,
but only one person can catch immunity.
Now it's time to take a much closer look at what you've done.
- Shall we? - Let's do it.
Indeed.
First of all...
is this salmon bigger than you?
- ( Alexander laughs ) - Daphne: Aww.
- Is it? It nearly is. - Oh, don't touch the hair,
- Gordon, come on. - Nearly is, right?
Nearly is, come on.
Huh?
So, it looks like at times you struggled.
I felt that you didn't let the knife do the work.
- Yeah. - If you'd taken a bit more time
and pulled the knife out,
stop, reposition yourself,
all of that salmon would be on that board.
How challenging was that for you to get through both sides?
It was a little bit because I don't have as much muscle
- as everybody else. - True.
So it was a little bit challenging to do that.
This is not an easy task. I do think
that maybe next time work on a little bit cleaner cuts,
taking your time.
Thank you.
Right, young lady,
do you know the big shock for me?
- What? - You finished with two minutes to go.
We're all just in absolute awe of how quickly you were working.
But there are a couple places here
where the knife slipped and went right into the skin.
A few over here as well.
There's some sawing motion
that happened there on the carcass.
- You left so much on there. - Eva: Yeah.
Don't be seduced by going quickly 'cause the most important part
is extracting the fillets clean.
Listen, strong effort, okay, but it wasn't the fastest filleter.
It was about the most precise fillets of salmon.
But, young lady, you should be very proud.
You are in the running for immunity.
- Thank you, Chef. - Good job. Well done.
- Thank you, Chef. - Very well done.
Molly, how do you feel you did?
I really did struggle to get the carcass off.
It was a lot harder than I thought.
What you have here for one side is there.
- So, feel good about that. - Okay.
So let's get one thing absolutely clear.
- You haven't ruined that, you just ran out of time. - Yeah.
This side is beautiful
- because we wanna cook them, right? - Absolutely.
Look how consistent. If they're cut evenly when happens to the cook?
It's gonna cook evenly. Really were so close...
- Yeah. - ...and I think that you really
- could have had the best tonight. - Sure.
- Head up. Good job. - Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, Molly. - Thanks, Molly.
( sighs )
All right, Grayson, tough challenge, huh?
Yes.
Let's get one thing clear,
you got one side right.
- Great portions. - Thank you.
- Unfortunately... - This side is not.
...that's not gonna wash as a portion...
- Oh, yeah. - ...but we know the first side
- is the easier side, right, Alexander? - Right.
How comfortable were you cutting the fish,
- would you say? - I just got a little shaken up
because we were running out of time in the second part.
Yeah, totally, pressure is gonna play a factor into this,
but one of the most important things is positioning the fish properly
and also having the confidence to slide right through.
'Cause the more stops and starts you do,
the more tremor the knife is gonna pick up.
- I think my angle was wrong. - Right.
Listen, it wasn't your best effort, right?
Thank you, young man.
And last but not least, Miss Liya.
What you did well is that by the way that you portioned this out,
we can determine how big the actual fish was
without even looking at the carcass.
I would prefer to see a bit more
- of that salmon. - Yeah.
You got length, but you haven't got the width.
It's a good effort. It's strong, it's not perfect.
- I know. - However, you cut with confidence.
Really gorgeous even cuts. I can even see
at the cross section it's smooth, simple.
- Incredible job, Liya. - Thank you.
You came across as very comfortable doing this
and you definitely made a good use of your time.
- Well done. - Thank you.
Tough call because you're certainly in the running,
- but it's not perfect. - Yes, Chef.
( music playing )
- First off, Eva's, great yield... - Yep.
...excellent and rushed. She's got a gash.
- Yeah. - Liya, I would prefer
to see a touch more salmon off that carcass.
- Still the portions are so consistent. - Very consistent.
She was very comfortable doing it.
But where do we put more stock into?
The idea of having perfect portions
or getting a lot accomplished, you know?
- Right. - And the quality of the cuts you're looking for
are a really smooth finish on the surface
- of the salmon, not a lot of-- - No gouges.
- Exactly. - Exactly that.
Eva: Looking at my salmon,
I mean, it looks pretty good.
So I'm just hoping that the judges saw how hard I worked
because I really wanna get in the top four.
So, I definitely wanna be able to be safe up on that balcony.
- We're in agreeance? Yeah? - Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
There are five of you in front of us tonight,
but unfortunately, there's only one ticket
to the safety of the balcony.
There are two girls tonight
that literally raised the bar
and nailed filleting their salmon beautifully.
But we felt that one was a little bit more precise
than the other, and that person is going straight
in to the top four.
That person is...
Liya. Congratulations.
- Molly: Good job, Liya. - Good job, Liya.
I finally get immunity and I am so,
so, so, so, so happy,
'cause this is the first elimination challenge
that I don't have to do and I don't have to put on
that scary black apron.
This is like... amazing!
Eva, the only thing that's standing between you and the balcony
- was your time management. - Yes, Chef.
- But well done. - Thank you.
I was so close to being on that balcony,
but here I am, I'm in an elimination challenge
and this is the time to prove to them
that I should at the top four.
Gordon: You know what's in store.
It's an elimination challenge.
And for one of you, it'll be your last time cooking
inside the most famous kitchen in America.
It's an elimination challenge for all of you.
For one of you, it'll be your last time cooking
inside the most famous kitchen in America.
All four of you, please, put on your black aprons. Thank you.
We just had all of you fillet
that beautiful, Scottish salmon.
So in order to save yourselves from elimination,
you will have to cook all of us a beautiful salmon dish
worthy of earning your spot in the top four.
Daphne: You will just have 45 minutes to make your dish.
All you need to do is channel your inner Alexander.
What would a champion make?
Let's have 45 minutes on the clock.
And your time...
starts... now!
- Come on, everybody, you got this. - Come on, Molly.
- Come on, Ivy. Come on, Grayson. - Wow!
- Come on, Eva. - Look at that speed.
Ivy: It's hard to run in heels.
I'm making a salmon seafood bouillabaisse.
Which is like a tomato soup with like nice vegetables,
prawns, clams, and mussels.
I've made this for my family before and they loved it.
( grunts ) This salmon dish has to be perfect.
Daphne: Wow, fully basket, Ivy.
- Seafood stock, seafood stock. - Come on, everyone.
Come on.
Salmon is such a beautiful ingredient.
It's like chicken. There's so many different directions
- that you can take with it. - You don't wanna overcook it, right?
- No. - You know, it doesn't give you much feedback.
Medium well, well done.
It happens to be one of the best
foods for pregnant women to eat
- because of all those healthy fats. - Oh, really?
Absolutely for a growing baby,
but for home cooks, I think they're always shocked to find
that the more you cook a fatty fish like salmon the fishier it becomes.
Also what's really important at this point
since they've been competing for a while, hopefully,
they try to branch out and do something a little
- a little bit different. I feel for them. - Yeah.
It's not easy to cook a dish while under time,
while being judged, and knowing that it's an elimination round.
This is a perfect opportunity, too, for them to utilize
all the lessons and the little nuances
and techniques that they picked up
along this tremendous journey.
Liya: Eva, what are you making?
- A salmon en croute with wilted spinach... - Ooh.
...fingerling potatoes, and a chive crème fraîche.
Nice!
( music playing )
Man, that's tough.
So I am making a pan-seared crispy salmon
with a chorizo tomato sauce with sweet corn.
I cook salmon a little bit at home,
but, you know, not a whole lot.
The salmon fillets didn't go as I planned,
so I'm trying to redeem myself, make a comeback,
which I think I can absolutely do with this dish.
Gordon: Guys, 32 minutes remaining.
Shall we?
Indeed.
Right, Miss Ivy. Tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
I'm making a salmon and seafood bouillabaisse.
- Both: Wow. - A bouillabaisse in 45 minutes?
- Really? - That's impressive.
I know bouillabaisse takes a long time.
- Are you crazy, madam? - A little bit maybe.
Why go for such a hard dish to get done in 45 minutes?
Because I wanna show you that this is a top four worthy dish.
How about turning the gas on?
Um... I'm gonna do it after I have everything,
- so nothing burns. - Well, it's not gonna burn,
but it's not gonna cook either. I'd get that gas on, young lady.
I agree, you don't wanna burn anything, but remember,
you're not cooking at home. There's a clock up there. Keep an eye on it.
- Yeah. - That's right. Good luck.
- Taste everything, Ivy. Good luck. - Exactly, right.
- Daphne: Okay. Hi, Grayson. - Hello.
So talk us through a little bit of what you're making today.
So I'm gonna be making an olive oil poached salmon
with summer vegetables and a fennel puree.
Have you olive oil poached before?
'cause there's a lot of potential pitfalls there.
I know that it's a big risk,
but I really wanna do it because if I get it correct
- it's gonna really pay off. - What else are you gonna do
to this dish to really kind of elevate it
and give it a lot of substance and meaning?
I'm gonna do the fennel puree,
shaved beets, and then I'm gonna do like
- a red wine vinegar vinaigrette... - Both: Okay.
...as well as some fennel fronds and salmon row.
Where are we gonna get the crispness
that you might get from a crispy skin say
that we're not gonna have from this preparation?
So I'm thinking about doing some fried salmon skins...
- Nice. - ...for a little bit of texture
on top if I have time.
So when you saw Alexander pop out of that portrait of himself at 13,
how exciting is it to meet him today?
Alexander is such a great chef
and definitely a huge inspiration
because he was the original MasterChef Junior.
And he always took a lot of risks
when he was here.
So I would like to take a big risk tonight like he did.
All right, good stuff.
- Keep it up, Grayson. - Thank you.
It's down to the top four and I know
that I feel confident in this dish.
Even if there's a few mistakes,
I know that my flavors are the thing that'll pull me through.
( music playing )
I'm taking a huge risk here.
Salmon en croute, it just means I'm wrapping my salmon
in pastry and it needs to be in the oven for a really good time.
And I have no idea what my salmon's gonna look like when it's done.
It could be good on the outside and raw on the inside,
but this is elimination challenge.
Someone is going home and I can't play it safe.
Oven open.
Guys, 25 minutes remaining.
Let's go. What a night.
So, Ivy, she's attempting to do a bouillabaisse.
We're just wondering about the timing of it.
How do you get bouillabaisse anywhere near
flavorsome in 45 minutes? That takes hours.
Yes, I mean, there's a lot of potential pitfalls
that can go wrong there.
This dish is a complicated dish.
Usually making a bouillabaisse takes at least three hours.
But I'm gonna show these judges that I can do it in 45 minutes.
If she doesn't nail that salmon piece,
it's all over.
Gordon: Here we go, guys. 22 minutes to go.
- Let's go. - Everything's going good.
- Pinch of this. - Keep it going, everyone.
- Eva, talk to us about your dish. - Yes.
- What are you making? - Today I'm making you
a salmon en croute with wilted spinach,
fingerling potatoes and a chive crème fraîche.
Ooh, lovely and French. How fancy we're getting today.
So salmon en croute. How'd you come up with that?
I've been to France a bunch of times.
- Well, twice. - That's fun. Twice is enough.
And I kinda wanna incorporate my travels into my food.
Anything en croute, there's a lot
that could potentially go wrong, okay?
- Yeah. - You can undercook the pastry,
you can overcook the actual protein
that you're wrapping.
Are you concerned about anything?
I'm a little concerned
that my pastry won't have enough time to cook.
But I have to go big or I have to go home.
I gotta really step it up, so.
All right, good stuff. It smells good.
Lots of luck.
- Keep it going, Molly. - Perfect.
- Miss Molly. - Yes, Chef?
Tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
Today I'm gonna be making for you
a chorizo tomato sauce with pan-seared crispy salmon.
I'm doing like a street corn.
And the idea, where did this dish come from?
Me and my dad, we like to explore different types of foods.
So I do cook a lot of Mexican food at home.
I like to do tacos a lot.
Are you adding any other elements to your dish, by any chance?
I was thinking of adding something,
but I couldn't-- I was trying to think.
I mean, you have the corn...
- Yes. - ...which is sort of a starch,
but you don't really have something
to bring the dish together yet, do you?
Yeah, I was really trying to think of something
- like that. - Maybe something green.
- All right, I can do that. - Yeah?
- Any tips, Alexander? - Pay attention to the different flavor profiles.
You wanna make sure that each element has its place.
- Yes. - Make sure it's seasoned well.
- Good luck. Come on. - Yes, Chef.
( music playing )
- Come on, everyone. - Gordon: Guys, we're down to 12 minutes to go.
- Let's go. - Grayson is olive oil poaching.
- Wow. - Now, olive oil poaching
can either be the most magical thing
or it could be very disastrous.
- It can be saturated in oil. None of the aromatics... - Daphne: Yeah.
...impart their flavor into the actual salmon.
So, I hope he can nail it, 'cause there's a lot of things
- that can go desperately wrong. - I think of olive oil poaching mostly for foods
that don't have a lot of their own fat.
So your vegetables, your garlic.
I would never think to do it with a piece of fish
so rich and fatty like salmon.
That's an ambitious task. Oh, my Lord.
- Especially on a night like tonight. - Grayson likes to be ambitious.
- We've seen that here a lot before. - Yeah.
- That's not a bad thing. - No, it's not,
but you have to pull it off.
And then Molly's going down the Mexican route.
- Huh. - Yep.
She's doing a tomato and chorizo inspired sauce,
some toasted corn, and pan-searing that salmon.
Wow! This is a new Molly.
Ooh.
Gordon: So my big worry tonight is Eva.
That's salmon en croute, so she's wrapping it and baking it.
So, two minutes under, soggy pastry, undercooked salmon.
Two minutes over, and you're in trouble.
Keep it going, Eva. Ooh, that looks really good.
- Gordon: It's just come out the oven now. - Does it look golden brown
to you or does it look a little pale?
It looks a little bit pale to me.
It could not be cooked right now,
and I really need it to. So I really hope it's done
because I really want to be in the top four so bad.
Gordon: Guys, we're down to five minutes.
- Oh. - I'm concerned about Grayson, also.
I'm concerned that if he didn't cook that fennel enough...
- Yeah. - ...the puree won't be rich and creamy.
- It'll be watery and seeping. - Gordon: That's right.
Grayson: I wanna show the judges
that I can cook with different techniques.
I didn't want to just make a plain, crispy skinned salmon.
I wanted to take the risk
because that's how you progress in this competition.
Last minute. Here we go.
Plate with finesse, guys.
Start making sure those plates are looking stunning.
- Let's go. - Come on, everyone. Come on.
Hurry up, Ivy. You've got to speed up.
Aarón: There's a lot of them that are not finished.
- Not even close. - Not even close.
Aarón: There's so much left to do.
- Gordon: 30 seconds to go. - Oh, man.
- One stunning portion, guys. - Daphne: Don't slow down,
you guys, keep it up.
Any final herbs,
any final salt, any final oil.
Gordon: Make it look stunning, Molly.
Get everything on the plate, guys.
Judges: Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop. - Aarón: That's it, hands in the air.
Gordon: Wow. Well done.
I'm feeling pretty good.
The only thing I forgot was the olives
and the capers, but the soup tastes great.
I'm pretty sure that the salmon's cooked perfectly.
So I'll be really surprised if I'm not in the top four.
I'm a little bit nervous
because I think the texture of my fennel puree might be a little bit off,
and I know poaching it in olive oil
is a huge risk because it could get more fatty
or it could be overcooked or undercooked.
But I'm really hoping it paid off.
Right, now for the most important part of the evening.
We'll be tasting all of your dishes
and then deciding which one of you
has cooked for your last time inside this incredible kitchen.
The first dish we'd like to take a much deeper look at,
please, make your way down...
- Ivy. - Good job, Ivy.
- Looks amazing.
I decided to do such a risky dish
because I wanted the judges to know
that I deserve my spot in the top four.
Ivy, describe the dish, please.
It is a salmon seafood bouillabaisse
with clams and mussels
- and some shrimp. - Gordon: Love the colors.
I'm intrigued to whether or not you got the flavor
of a true bouillabaisse, especially in 45 minutes.
That's virtually impossible, but from here
salmon's a hero and that saffron and white wine
I can smell from here.
Shall we?
I'm dying to see how that salmon is cooked.
Lovely.
Ivy, the salmon's cooked beautifully.
The skin is nice and crisp.
It's got the essence of a bouillabaisse,
but it hasn't got that strength of a bouillabaisse
because you can't get that done in 45 minutes.
The shellfish needs to be inside that stock.
You can't just dangle them on top,
- because a bouillabaisse is all cooked within. - Yeah, Ivy,
look, this is unlike any bouillabaisse I've ever tried.
As I'm eating it, part of me wishes it was more
like a puttanesca, that it had olives in it
or capers, something to add to the overall flavor.
Yeah, Ivy, I think you made a mistake by pureeing everything.
Had you left everything whole,
we would've been able to taste it more profoundly.
But you know what you did do well?
The fact that you cooked the salmon perfectly
'cause that was the star.
- So I love that about it. - Thank you.
I think that the salmon can always take a little bit
extra seasoning,
but this is a great dish and I think
that the saffron flavor is really strong.
- Good job. - Thank you.
It's a really good effort,
but you are slightly crazy to attempt to do a bouillabaisse
in 45 minutes.
- So, tonight you have confirmed you're nuts. - ( giggles )
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
- Good job, Ivy. - Good job, Ivy.
All right, Molly, will you please bring down your dish.
Yes, Chef.
Good job, Molly.
I feel like I nailed the star of the dish,
so I'm feeling really, really excited.
It's not only gonna come down to the flavor of the salmon, though.
It's gonna come down to the flavor of my whole entire dish.
Okay, Molly, tell us what you made tonight.
I made pan-seared crispy salmon with a chorizo tomato sauce,
- charred broccolini, and a street corn. - I love watching you grill
- because I think that's you in your comfort zone. - Yes, Chef.
But when you've got salmon cooked beautifully like that,
don't go and dump a forest of broccolini on there.
- Yes, Chef. - Daphne: Hey, let's dig in.
( music playing )
- Looks good. - Wow.
Gordon: Really beautiful.
- Super crispy skin. - Thank you.
- What did you season with on top? - Just salt really.
Molly, there are some clear wins on this plate.
That salmon is cooked beautifully.
- You should be so proud of what we see tonight. - Thank you, Chef.
Molly, I wanted more of that sauce
'cause I thought it was fantastic.
And I just think the flavor combinations were very smart.
- Thank you, Chef. - The dish was delicious.
The salmon was seasoned well, cooked well.
I loved that you added the broccoli and it goes well
with the street corn that you're playing off of.
- Thank you, Chef. - Well done.
- Good job, Molly. - Grayson: Good job, Molly.
- Ivy: Good job, Molly. - Yay.
Next up, please, Eva. Let's go.
- Gordon: Thank you. - Kids: Good job, Eva.
Ivy: Good job, Eva. It looks amazing.
Eva: Looking at my salmon,
it's not as cooked as it should be.
It's kind of being the downer of the dish.
So I'm just hoping
that it goes better than it looks.
Eva, describe the dish, please.
Today, I made for you a salmon en croute
with wilted spinach, fingerling potatoes,
and a chive crème fraîche.
Super ambitious salmon en croute.
- Mm-hmm. - I hope that pastry is cooked
because it doesn't look cooked from here.
How long was that in the oven for?
Like 20 minutes,
but I wish I would've rolled it a little thinner.
Shall we?
Gordon: Okay.
There, young lady.
- Yeah. - You literally folded it over.
You wrapped it twice,
and so therefore the pastry is raw.
Yeah.
Spinach is burnt with the garlic.
That's the first thing that comes into this dish.
Unfortunately, the pastry is too thick
and the salmon is too thin.
So the salmon is overcooked.
The saving grace there is that the pistou is delicious,
- but there's not enough of it. - Okay.
- I don't think this dish is good. - Mm-mm.
And I think you could've done way better.
I do think that the salmon was a little bit short...
- Yes. - ...in terms of flavor and how we would want it executed.
And I personally also wouldn't have added the potatoes
just 'cause you have the pastry.
The salmon had to be our star tonight.
That had to be the thing that really just wowed us.
The pastry, it didn't have enough cook time.
Unevenly rolled, 'cause there's that double layer.
This lacked a lot of creativity.
But where there's a lot of promise,
for me, is in pistou.
Had you found a way to integrate it better
I think that would've saved some of missteps on this dish.
- Thank you, Eva. - It's okay, Eva.
Eva: This is my worst dish ever.
It's okay.
- Hug. - I'm fine.
But I'm hoping the judges know
that I can do so much better than this.
Grayson.
Kids: Good job, Grayson.
It looks beautiful.
Grayson: The big worry for me is the cook
on that salmon and the fat.
Those are the two things that could send me home today.
But I just love the different pops of flavor.
So, if they can recognize that, I think I might be safe.
Grayson, can you please describe your dish?
So I have olive oil poached salmon
with fennel puree and summer vegetables.
It looks uncompleted.
It doesn't look finished.
You were gonna serve some crispy skin.
Where?
Yeah, I was gonna garnish it
with some crispy skin salmon for a little bit of crispiness
- if I had time. - Gotcha.
I'm just hoping that it tastes better than it looks
because I'm not a big fan of how it looks.
I'm sorry. I gotta be honest, bud,
- because I've been with you every step of the way, right? - Yes.
And I tell you the truth because I want you to do well, okay?
Shall we dig in?
So, Grayson,
when I cut this in half, what are you hoping to see?
It should be pink and not overcooked.
Okay.
It's a tad over. I think you can tell...
- Yes. - ...'cause when you see that white substance coming out...
- Yeah. Mm-hmm. - ...that's called albumin,
and that's an indicator that it's been overcooked just a tad.
Yes.
How long did you poach the salmon for
and what did you put in the oil to season it?
I poached it for about 12 minutes.
and I had peppercorn, lemon peel.
- I had the bay leaf. - Although it doesn't look beautiful
because of the fat that's coming around the edges,
it's very juicy.
You went an extremely ambitious,
very outside the box way,
which is so signature Grayson.
Don't get too down on yourself.
Taking a risk is the only way you're gonna excel here
and the only way you're gonna learn from your mistakes
- at the same time. - Here's what I appreciate the most about this dish
is that I can really taste the aromatics in the poaching liquid.
Which is very challenging to do in such an abbreviated
amount of time.
The good news is that the apple, the fennel,
and the beetroot actually taste delicious.
But you know the hero is the salmon,
- Yes, Chef. - Sadly that's overcooked.
Tonight, it's elimination.
- Yes, Chef. - And I think you just put one foot out the door, young man.
Thanks, bud.
Liya: It's okay, Grayson.
This dish is not good enough in my eyes.
- I mean, I could've done way better. - It's okay.
- No one's gonna do-- You're not going home. - ( crying ) I'm going home.
Grayson: Yes, I am.
( music playing )
Right, this has been a tough night.
Now, before we make a very tough decision,
it's time to say good night to this incredible,
our first ever MasterChef Junior winner Alexander.
- Well done, man. Take care, bud. - Kids: Bye, Alexander!
- Thank you for coming. Bye! - Thanks, Alexander.
Gordon: Right, you four,
please make your way down to the front.
- Thank you. - I'm extremely disappointed.
My salmon was a little bit overcooked,
but I'm not ready to go.
Right, this is a huge decision.
Please, give us a moment.
Excuse us.
- ( sighs ) - Boy.
- That was rough. - That's tough.
Okay. Wow.
- Ivy and Molly were the two outstanding dishes. - Daphne: I agree.
- But bottom two are definitely Grayson and... - Eva.
Eva: I don't even know how to feel right now, but I know
that I could've done so much better.
I don't know what's gonna happen, but I'm hoping
that they give me one more chance.
You don't want that raw dough flavor...
- Yeah. - ...'cause she double folded it.
This is my worst dish yet.
And thank about how lackluster all the other elements were.
- It's Grayson's first big mistake. - I know.
- Aarón: Yes. - Gordon: I'm gonna be honest.
- The salmon was overcooked. - It was my worst dish.
The person going home, I think we know who it is.
- Yeah. Shocker. - Yeah. Absolutely.
It is a shock.
Tonight was difficult.
But there were two dishes that really stood out
in a way that they clearly deserve their spots
in the top four.
And those dishes belong to...
Molly and Ivy.
- Good job! - Gordon: Congratulations!
You guys all did great.
It feels almost like a dream.
Just to think I never imagined getting past top ten
and here I am heading into the top four.
( whispering ) Finally, I got up here.
- Good job, guys. - Grayson, Eva,
we're in shock because we cannot believe
that one of you two are about to go home.
Grayson, tonight's dish was a step too far
in terms of ambition
and I think you just overcomplicated it.
Eva, tonight the salmon was lackluster
and the pastry was way undercooked.
Now, only one of you is moving on,
and sadly, one of you is going home.
The individual that is heading up to the balcony,
that person is...
Grayson.
( crying ) Eva.
- ( gasps ) - Please say good-bye to Eva
- and head upstairs, young man. - It's okay. It's okay.
Grayson: I'm very relieved
and to know that they believe in me enough
to go into the top four
is just so awesome.
From now on, I have to do the judges justice.
Eva, young lady, unfortunately,
the dish fell short of the MasterChef Junior standard.
The pastry at the end was an inch thick...
- ( crying ) Yeah. - ...and was incredibly raw.
We were wowed from day one with your sophisticated flavors.
I love that French flair.
You have been amazing
across this competition.
Thank you.
So, Gordon told us tonight that it's okay to show emotion,
in the kitchen, especially.
And that's why we fall in love with cooking
'cause you can pour yourself into it
and you are incredible talented.
- Thank you. - You have excelled here in this kitchen.
And I know watching your teammates have breakdowns
that you're so well loved and that speaks volumes
of who you are as a beautiful, young woman.
- Thank you. - Eva, as the son of a female chef,
it gives me a lot of hope that you're in the world
and that the future is bright for female chefs out there.
Can we have a hug, please? I don't want you to go.
I don't want you to leave.
Okay? I'm gonna hug you.
This has definitely been the best experience
in my whole life so far.
- Ooh! - I've done so many amazing things.
- I cooked a huge crab. - I'm super impressed.
This dish looks restaurant quality, young lady.
- Thank you. - And I made donuts
and I cooked an emu egg.
It's beautifully balanced. Such a delicious bite.
And I made amazing friends.
You've been a credit to your family,
to your school, to us, to this kitchen.
There's not a dry eye in the house.
- Have a safe trip home, my darling. - Thank you.
- Lots of love. Take care. - Great job.
- Bye, Eva. - Good night.
- Kids: Bye. - Bye, guys.
I'm so excited to show my dad what I've learned.
My mom what I've learned.
Cook amazing food with my friends.
Don't stop cooking.
- I won't. - This isn't the end for me.
My food dream is to open a three-star Michelin restaurant.
And this is just gonna make me work even harder
to make that dream come true.
- Bye. - Grayson: Bye.
- Bye, Eva. - Bye, Eva.
( music playing )
Gordon: Next time on "MasterChef Junior"...
it's a tag team smackdown
with some special guests.
Gordon: All of you are gonna be paired with WWE superstars.
- Go, Liya. - Grabbing the lobster.
You're gonna have to break down the lobster.
I'm breaking down right now. Look at that.
- Boom. - Gordon: And then the hardest
elimination challenge of the season.
You'll have to recreate one of my signature dishes
at the same time I do.
Keep it straight, don't cross it over.
I don't know why you're not listening, Ivy. And look at me.
Look. Take your eggs.
- Mine popped. - Start again.
The person that will not be moving on is...