"Announcer:" "Previously on "MasterChef Junior"... ( cheering )" "The 40 best young home cooks in America..." " Oh, this thing is so heavy." " Announcer:" "Faced off..." "Four home cooks." "Just two aprons." "Announcer:" "In the culinary challenge of their lives." " Christina Tosi should be worried." " ( laughs )" " Announcer:" "In the end..." " This apron belongs to..." "Announcer:" "Only the 20 best claim the coveted white apron and a spot in the competition." " ( thunder crackles )" " Tonight..." " Boy:" "Umbrella?" "Oh, no." " Announcer:" "The top 20..." " Oh, God." " ( all scream )" "Announcer:" "Face their first mystery box challenge..." " Gordon:" "Rice!" " Announcer:" "Of the season." " It's in my shirt!" " It's in my shoes!" " It's in my pants." " Announcer:" "And then..." " Watch carefully." " Announcer:" "A Gordon Ramsay master class..." " Beautiful." " Announcer:" "Heats up the competition..." " Whoa!" " Someone's gonna get hurt." " Announcer:" "Like never before." " ( boy yells )" "Sam." "Let me see." " I burnt myself." " Jeez." "Really hurts." "( whimpers )" "( all cheering )" "There's no words to explain how, like, it feels to be in the top 20 out of thousands." "This is definitely the biggest thing I've ever done in my entire life." "Let's do this!" "I'm so excited!" " Whoo!" " Come on down." "Girl:" "I'm 10 years old, and the MasterChef kitchen is probably, like, the biggest kitchen in the whole world." "My kitchen in Brooklyn is definitely not the size of this kitchen." "It's, like, the possibilities are pretty much endless." " Hi, Gordon!" " Hi, guys." "Girl #2:" "I'm eight years old, and I was six when I started cooking." "Even though I'm the youngest in the competition," "I can cook Indian food, American food," "Italian food, Japanese food, Chinese food." "Gordon:" "Line up, please." "Girl #2:" "I don't think age matters." "I think it's just how good of a cook you are." "Boy #2:" "Being in the MasterChef kitchen," "I feel like I can accomplish my dream of having a restaurant." "I'm only 10 years old, but I want to inspire kids to cook and show them they have as much potential in the culinary world as adults do." "Welcome to "MasterChef Junior."" "Christina:" "You are the 20 most talented home cooks between the ages of eight and 13 from all across America." "Now one of you is gonna walk away with the title of "America's MasterChef Junior."" "Wow." "One of you will win $100,000." "Boy:" "Yes!" "But there's one more truly incredible prize." "The MasterChef trophy." " Oh...!" " What?" " Uh..." " What?" "Don't worry." "It hasn't been stolen." " Okay." " Oh, okay, good." "We asked somebody very special to take care of it." " What?" " This year, we'll be welcoming some very exciting guest judges to the MasterChef kitchen." "And tonight, we're welcoming one of the brightest names in our industry." "His passion, his skill, his flair in the kitchen, have placed him in amongst the world's best Latin chefs." "Hopefully he's brought that trophy with him." "All of you please welcome..." " ( door whirrs )" " Chef Aarón Sánchez." "( cheers, applause )" " Aarón Sánchez." " Yes!" "Aarón Sánchez, he is definitely one of my biggest inspirations because we're both Latino." "And I cook Latin food a lot for my family." "Amazing." "And that's why he's one of my biggest inspirations." "It is a true honor to be here in the MasterChef kitchen." "Christina:" "Now it's time for the real fun to begin." "It's the iconic Mystery Box Challenge." "( Cooks cheer )" "Gordon:" "At each of your stations is the most amazing mystery box." "Gordon:" "And under that mystery box are your ingredients for tonight's first big challenge." " But..." " Oh, no." "There's one extra ingredient." "That ingredient is not under your mystery box." " Boy:" "Umbrella?" " Boy #2:" "What?" "Oh, no." " ( All scream )" " Gordon:" "Rice!" "( Christina laughing )" "( screaming continues )" "What the heck?" " It's in my shirt." " It's in my shoes." "It's in my..." "it's in my pants." "The most commonly eaten crop in the entire world... rice." "And tonight all of you are gonna put your "MasterChef Junior" spin on it." "Now head to your stations where you'll find what else you have to work with this evening." "( Girl yelps )" "I live in Jonesboro, Georgia, but my family is actually from Bangladesh." "Rice is a big part of Bengali culture." "I can make a lot of traditional dishes, but if I can show the judges that I can cook more than Bengali food," "I will definitely impress them." "Christina:" "Now alongside your choice of rice, you'll have to use whatever you find under those boxes to make us one amazing," "MasterChef Junior, restaurant-quality dish." "Whoever has the best dish tonight will get a huge advantage in the upcoming challenge." "Aarón:" "On the count of three, lift those boxes, okay?" "One, two, three!" "Lift those boxes!" " Boy:" "Yes!" " Whoo!" " Chicken!" " Chocolate!" "Oh..." "Yes, you got me!" "Whoo!" "Christina:" "Under your mystery boxes, there's an amazing selection of popular ingredients you all know and love." "Ah, I know what to make." "We wanna see you on a plate." "Alongside the ingredients you're gonna have your staple pantry box." "Remember, those ingredients are essential to enhancing any dish, so use them wisely." "Gordon:" "Tonight, you'll all have just one hour to make us your very first mystery box dish." " Now, is everybody ready?" " Cooks:" "Yes, Chef!" "Your 60 minutes starts..." " now!" " ( ticks )" "Go, go, go!" "Oh, what kind of rice am I doing?" " Basmati, basmati." " Arborio." "Arborio." "Ugh, ugh..." "Eddie:" "Where's sushi rice?" "Sushi!" "Season five, our fifth year," " and look at the talent." " Here we go." "The most diverse group of talent we've ever had." "They hail from nine different states across America." "Uh, shake it." "Yeah, and I think rice is the perfect vehicle." "We can honestly see 20 different rice dishes." "All different flavor profiles." "I'm excited." "Today I'm making jasmine rice, stuffed bell peppers, and Portobello mushrooms." "I really wanted to do the jasmine rice because I know that it's a very, very popular rice in Jamaica." "I thought that that would definitely show my culture, and the name "jasmine," I love the name of that rice." "Today I'm making a chicken risotto with pan-seared mushrooms, onions, and I seasoned my chicken with a little bit of spice, 'cause in Texas we love spice." " Whoo!" " ( whirrs )" "I've been cooking since I was about five years old, and I'm making a chicken mole with a dirty rice." "Back home in New Jersey, my dad really likes mole, so I wanna make him really proud of me." "Gordon:" "Jump to halfway, guys." " 30 minutes remaining." " ( ticks )" "( groans )" "Cydney, remind me again... your age and where you're from." "Brooklyn, New York, and I'm 10 years old." " What are you making?" " I'm making a rice pudding..." " I love rice pudding." " with a pistachio crumble and caramelized peaches." "Everyone's going the savory route, so I decided to do something sweet." "I can't wait to taste this rice pudding." " Okay." "Thank you." " Good luck." " Gonzalo." " Hey, Chef." "( Speaking Spanish )" "a all-vegetarian risotto." "So I have some peas that I'm gonna blanch, carrots, and broccoli." "Where did you learn how to do this?" "I was self-taught, then my grandma came in, and my mom to teach me some Peruvian flavors." " Good luck, Gonzalo." " Thank you, Chef." " Aarón:" "Buena suerte." " Gracias." " Here we go." " Come on, steak." " Right, Mashu, how you feeling?" " Pretty good, sir." "Looks like you are in the zone." "What are you doing?" "Uh, I'm making a risotto with mushrooms, Parmesan and shrimp." "Back in Thousand Oaks, California," "I make a lot of, uh, Italian and Japanese dishes, so I'm making a dish to show my love for Italian food, and share my Japanese culture and background." "Top 20." "Come on." "How desperate are you for the advantage?" "Oh, I want this advantage as bad as anyone else." "Good luck." "Go, go, go..." "This is so much fun." " Afnan." " Hi." "What are you making with rice tonight?" "I'm making an Asian paella." "Paella's usually a Spanish dish, right?" "Yes." "My family loves to travel a lot, so I like fusing different cuisines together." "What are you doing to it to make it Asian?" "I'm adding soy, mushrooms, shrimp, and some steak." "Keep your eye on that rice." "It's the star tonight." " Good luck!" " ( ticks )" "Gordon:" "Just under five minutes to go, guys." "Start thinking about your plating." " Gordon:" "How exciting is this?" " Aarón:" "I'm utterly blown away by the skill level being presented here." "How's Afnan looking?" "Afnan is working on an Asian paella..." "Gordon:" "Wow. - ...taking the Spanish influence of that classic rice dish and translating it into Asian flavors." " Gordon:" "Amazing." " Christina:" "Super smart." "Now, Cydney, she's doing a take on a rice pudding" " with a pistachio crumble." " Nice." "She reminds me of a younger version of you." "She's so determined, so focused, and so in the zone." "Come on..." "Christina:" "Just over two minutes to go, guys." "Oh, gosh." "I need a plate." "I need a plate." "Move." "Aarón:" "Think about all your components... what you want us to taste and see." "Gordon:" "30 seconds to go." "Come on." "Finishing touches." "Let's go." "This is where it counts." "Please be good." "Please be good." " 10..." " Oh, God!" "Chefs:" "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." " And stop." " Christina:" "Hands in the air!" "Gordon:" "Come on." "Finishing touches." "Let's go." "Oh, God." "Gordon:" "Make your rice dishes stand out!" "Chefs:" "Five, four, three, two, one!" " And stop." " Christina:" "Hands in the air!" "Great challenge." "Now, something you must all know." "While you cook, we watch everything... how you work at your station, how you season your dishes, and we taste everything as you go along." "Now, we bring forward the three best-looking dishes that we wanna take a closer look at." "Gordon:" "This first dish is a stunning take on a classic rice dish." "It fuses spices from all around the world." "Please step forward..." "Afnan!" "Afnan:" "Yay!" "First mystery box challenge, and it's such an honor to be in the top three." "I took a Latin dish and made it Asian, and I don't think many home cooks can do that." "Wow." "First of all, that looks beautiful." " You're 12 years of age, right?" " Yes." " Who showed you this stuff?" " Um, Mom just loves to cook," " and I just got it from her." " Describe the dish." "Afnan:" "It's an Asian-style paella with shrimp, marinated skirt steak, sautéed veggies, and just a little bit of coconut cream." "When I went to Spain, I had the best paella in my life, but I like fusing different cuisines together, so I wanted to incorporate Asian flavors." "You've left the shells on the shrimp." "Why?" "The shell has all the flavor in it." "You're absolutely right." "What kind of grain did you use?" "Bomba rice." "I put some cayenne, paprika, cumin, lemongrass, ginger and garlic." "What's the spice on the steak?" "Some soy, garlic powder, and chili flakes." " And the vegetables?" " Just salt, pepper." "Mm." "What a start." "'Cause that is delicious." " Thank you, Chef." " Bomba rice." "Very smart." "Love the Asian twist on that paella." "Thank you." "Cast iron skillet to make the most amazing caramelization through that heat at the bottom." "The steak..." "beautiful." "What would I change?" "Put the peas in the paella?" "Big deal." "You clearly were born to cook." " Well done." " Whew." "I saw that you were working the sofrito with the spices." " Yes." " Have you always known to toast spices like that before?" " Yes, Chef." " I think that's very good instinct." "Thank you." "I think the rice absorbed all that wonderful spice that you took so much time toasting and cooking with your sofrito." "Love that beautiful crispy bits on the side of that cast-iron skillet." "That's just the best bits." "When I was a kid, that's what I used to fight for with my brothers." "The steak, textbook medium-rare." "This is a remarkable, delicious dish." "Not just for a 12-year-old, but any professional chef." " Thank you, Chef." " Pat yourself on the back." " You did a great job." " ( applause )" "The second dish that we'd like to examine further is a dish that veers away from being super savory and into a little bit of sweet." "Please step forward..." "Cydney." "( Applause )" "I feel like I'm in a dream world right now." "Like, can someone just come over here and pinch me or something?" " Good job, Cydney." " Thank you." "Cydney:" "This is me on a plate, and hopefully" "I can make my family super proud with my rice pudding today." "Cydney, so you're just 10 years old." " Yes, Chef." " And remind me where you're from?" " I'm from Brooklyn, New York." " That's where I live." "I gotta be honest, Cydney, when I was 10 years old," "I definitely wasn't putting together a desert this elegant." "Tell me what you made." "I made a bamboo rice rice pudding, topped with raisins, a pistachio crumble, and caramelized peaches." "All right, now, classic rice pudding, typically don't use bamboo rice." "Why make that choice?" "Um, I did it because I like the color, and I want it to really stand out." "Did you do anything to the pistachio?" "Yes, they're coated in sugar, flour, and butter." "I love the pistachio in there." "Love these caramelized peaches." "They're elegant." "You show a lot of finesse." "The coconut milk is a really nice, unexpected surprise." "Typically, rice pudding is a little bit soupier, but I love your twist on it." "For a rice pudding, this is a really big portion." "I would have loved to see something a little bit smaller, but overall I am very impressed." "Any gal that looks at rice and sees dessert, for me, is one to watch, so, nice job." "Thank you, Chef." "Wow." "It's delicious." "It's fragrant, it's exciting, and, you know," "I think we've got the next Christina Tosi on our hands." "You two aren't related, right?" "Swear we're not." "I am not related to Christina Tosi." "But I'd definitely love to be as good as her one day." "I mean, what would I do differently?" "Little bit of peach purée at the bottom, but, young lady, you're on fire." "Uh, great job, "Miss Tosi."" " Thank you." " Seriously." "My man." "Good job." "Okay, guys, the third dish that we would like to examine and break down," "I have to say, the execution and the preparation of this is something that I would expect from one of my chefs." "And this dish belongs to..." "Mashu, come on down." "Shayne:" "Darn!" "I really wanted to be in the top three." "But Mashu's dish looks top-notch." "At this point, I need to step up my game, 'cause I know that it's gonna be tough competing with all these kids." "Mashu, talk to me a little bit about what you have here." "Mashu:" "Uh, I have for you risotto with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese and shrimp on top." "Beautiful presentation." "I gotta say, that looks like something" " you would get at one of my restaurants." " Thank you." "My main thing is presentation, so I try to present it as neatly as possible." " You put saffron as well." " Oh, yeah." "Saffron." "I do have to say," "I think this is awesome." "Its creamy." "The rice is cooked through." "The mushrooms, they've absorbed all that wonderful flavor from the rice." " And the saffron is just enough." " Mm-hmm." "Love the ripped basil." "If I had to do something different, this dish needs some acid." "Just a big old squeeze of lemon, my friend, would have taken it to that next level." "But other than that, nailing the rice, which is really the challenge here, you just did that." " Thank you, Chef." " Great job." " Gordon:" "Now, why risotto?" " Well, I love Italian food, and I love to put together Italian and Asian cuisine." "Wow." "The shrimp taste amazing." "The risotto's delicious." "It's rich, it's silky, and you absolutely nailed the rice beautifully." "What you've done with the Parmesan and the mushrooms, is great." "You're gonna be one to watch." "Good job." "( Applause )" "Whew." "Gordon:" "Afnan, Cydney, and Mashu, great job." "Three outstanding dishes." "All of you really impressed us tonight, but there can only be one winner, and that individual will be receiving a huge advantage." "The dish of the night... congratulations..." "Gordon:" "Afnan, Cydney, and Mashu, the dish of the night... congratulations..." "Afnan!" "( Cooks applauding )" "Young man, that rice dish was beautiful." "The depth of flavor was mind-blowing." " Well done." " Thank you, Chef." "Head on upstairs and take a seat at our brand new MasterChef chef's table." " Off you go." " Whoo!" "Yes!" "I am really excited and really happy." "I wanted to prove myself early in the competition, and so winning this mystery box proves to the others that I'm here to win "MasterChef Junior."" "Hi, guys." "All right, Afnan." "You now have the advantage of saving three of your fellow home cooks." "Sparing them from elimination." "( laughs )" "Gordon:" "Afnan, tell me your first person." "The person I'm choosing first..." "It's still early in the competition, and I don't know a lot of kids here." " Avani." " Wow." "Avani." "Head on up to the balcony." "So I'm saving three people who I think are gonna be fun to compete against down the road." "Gordon:" "Second choice." "The next person has a great spirit." "Eddie." "Gordon:" "Well done, Eddie." "Take a seat, buddy." "All right, Afnan." "One seat left." "Third person, we know him for his hairstyle." "Mr. Shayne, the Train." " Gordon:" "Wow." " There he goes." "Up to the balcony." "Congratulations." "Avani, Eddie, Shayne, you all are safe." "That means the 16 of you down here, your first elimination challenge is about to begin." "Gordon:" "Listen carefully." "For this next challenge tonight," "I'm not gonna tell you what to make." " I'm gonna show you." " ( gasping )" "Please, all of you, come down to the front." "Yes, Chef!" " Turn around, please." " I'll go right here." "Right." "For tonight's elimination challenge, you will all have to replicate my pan-roasted sea bass on a bed of the most luxurious cauliflower purée you've ever tasted." "Served with caramelized beet roots and a beautiful sauce vierge." " Oh." " Ooh!" " Now..." " You're getting serious." "Step one, sharp knife." "Start the preparation with some caramelized beet roots." "Don't cut them too close to the roots otherwise they'll bleed." "Drizzle with olive oil and then make two nice little pockets." "Into the oven." "20-25 minutes." "Now, cauliflower purée." "Stalks off, add your cauliflower in." "Poaching cauliflower in milk helps keep the cauliflower bright white." "And then put them on to boil." "From there, tomato." "This is the base of a sauce vierge." "Get your water boiling, go in and just spin the tomato around, take out your core, and in the water for five seconds." "Cooks:" "One, two, three, four, five." "And then into ice water." "Now, the ice water helps you get that skin peeled immediately," "Whoa!" "And then slice into four." "Then from there, use the tip of your knife, come under, and just remove those seeds." "And look, nice, little circles." "From there, two tablespoons of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, add tomatoes into the sauce, and fresh mint." "Mix that up, let that sit there." "Now... sea bass." "Take your fish, just score the skin." "Nice and gently." "Don't go through too deep." "A touch of salt." "Into the pan." "90 percent of the fish will be cooked skin-side down in order to get that really nice and crispy." "Chef Ramsay makes it just look so easy." "Cauliflower is cooked." "Strain it." "Peyton:" "Everything's, like, perfect." "I hope by the end of this competition my skills will be just as good as his." " Look at that." " Ooh, that looks perfect." "So that is beautiful and silky." "From there, beet roots." "Oh, that smells beautiful." "Slice 'em." "Beet roots in." "Touch of vinegar." "That will give a really nice shine." "Whoa!" " And now the fish." " Beautiful." "Get that butter foaming, and it just sits there for another ten seconds, and I turn the gas off." "And this is where it starts to take shape." "Caramelized beet roots on." "Then fill in those gaps with that wonderful purée." "Just gonna put a little touch of purée for my sea bass." "Beautiful." "One more little garnish... candy-stripe beets." "Beautiful." "Little chips." "Finally, dress the plate." "One side there." "And there we have the pan-roasted sea bass, with an amazing cauliflower purée." "Take a bite." "Understand it." "There we go." "Take your time." "My mouth is, like, full of flavors." "I loved the caramelization on the beets, and I loved the fish." "I love, you know, the crispiness." "Mm." "Those caramelized beets are good." "Did he forget about us?" "This dish is very complicated." "Back home in Texas, we don't really have the money for very fancy foods." "Head to your stations this way, guys, please." "Elisabeth:" "So I'm really nervous because there's a lot of, like, steps, and you have to keep track of everything." "There's a lot of things you gotta do." "Christina:" "Now all the ingredients that you need will be found in the equipment room tonight, and you're gonna grab the MasterChef grocery bag with your name on it." "Right." "You guys up there, lift your cloches." "There's a really nice surprise." "( Gasps )" " Afnan:" "Yes." "Yes." " Avani:" "Thank you." "You each have a delicious sea bass dish to enjoy." "Gordon:" "It's time to get this challenge started." " Your 60 minutes starts now." " ( ticks )" "Go, go, go!" "You can do it!" " Oh, this is so heavy!" " Whoo-hoo!" "So a 60-minute elimination challenge, one stunning sea bass dish to replicate." "Gordon, what are the factors that for us would be deal-breakers?" "Gordon:" "We don't do a medium-rare bass." "We don't do a well-done bass." "There's only one temperature, and that's perfection." "Purée, you know, can't be grainy." "Gotta be smooth." "The beets, you know how it is cooking those." "Ooh, that looks like blood." " The flambéing..." " Whoo!" "Christina:" "You have to do it with precision" " and with confidence." " Gordon:" "Yeah." "Fish is definitely my thing, 'cause I live in Rockport, Massachusetts." "Living on an island, I'm used to cooking a lot of fish." "That being said, I feel really good, and I think I'm gonna have probably one of the best dishes here tonight." "Boy:" "Cydney's killing it." "I tell you who's killing it is Gordon Ramsay." "I really loved Gordon's dish, but I'm really nervous, because I was thinking while I was eating it," ""How am I supposed to make that?"" "In Brooklyn, we have lots of fancy restaurants, but I don't always get to eat fancy dishes." "This is going to be a really hard challenge." "Adam!" "Adam!" "I'm used to cooking dishes like this, 'cause in Sacramento we have a lot of fresh produce." "Um, maybe not this fancy, but we usually cook a lot of vegetables, and we use beets actually pretty often." "I think this challenge is hard, but if I focus, I can do it." "How we doing, Justise?" "Why have you cooked so much cauliflower?" "I just wanna make sure I had extra." " Extra?" " Well, in Georgia," "I have a big family, so I'm cooking all the time." "Wow." "Okay." "I feel pretty confident with fish because I make seafood all the time." "Justise, you're a little rock star." " You can do this." " Thank you." "Peyton:" "How you doing, Elisabeth?" "Okay, but I think I'm a little bit behind." "It's okay." "Just keep on going." " Gordon: 45 minutes to go, guys." " ( ticks )" "All right, Miss Elisabeth." "That Gordon Ramsay sea bass dish that you're replicating right here, three-Michelin-star dish." "Have you ever been to a restaurant that fancy before?" "No." "In Sweetwater, we do not have a lot of fancy restaurants." "Have you ever fished for sea bass?" "In Texas, I like to go fishing, but I do not like eating fish." " Okay." " Christina:" "All right, mama." "Good luck." "Right." "Gonzalo, how are you doing?" "I'm doing good, Chef." "I got my cauliflower in here." " Confident?" " Yes, I'm a little bit scared, but at the same time, being from Peru, we eat and cook a lot of seafood." "So I definitely think that I could cook this fish perfectly." "What are you most nervous about?" "Just nervous about not finishing in time." "Work nice and tidy to you give yourself a little bit of space, okay?" " Thank you, Chef." " Well done." " Thank you, Chef." " ( ticks )" "Gordon:" "Halfway, guys." "30 minutes remaining." "All right, Sam." "How you feeling?" "Uh, great." "Aarón:" "You've cooked fish before, right, Sam?" "Absolutely." "I'm from Massachusetts." "So much seafood." " Ah." " Are you happy you're down here cooking, or do you wish you were up there?" "Are you serious?" "I'm happier down here." " Watch the temp on that." " Aarón: 'Cause it's hot." "Uh-huh." "So what's the most sophisticated dish you've ever cooked?" "Uh..." "Be careful when you drop it in, okay?" "'Cause you don't want it to splash up and burn you, yeah?" "Yeah." "Um, sophisticated...?" "Ow...!" " Aarón:" "Are you okay?" " I burnt myself." "Oh, no." "Sam burned his hand in boiling water." "Let me see." "Oh, on your thumb?" "It's not looking good for Sam." " It's okay." "You got this." " Really hurts." "What's the most sophisticated dish you've ever cooked?" "Uh..." "Be careful when you drop it in, okay?" "'Cause you don't want it to splash up and burn you, yeah?" "Yeah." "Um, sophisticated...?" "Ow...!" " Are you okay?" " I burnt myself." "Really hurts." "Think Sam burned his hand." " ( Sobs )" " Let me see." " Eee." " ( sobs ) It hurts." " That's not bad." "It's all right." " That's nothin', okay, buddy?" " Come on, Sam, you can do it." " Fight through it." " Aarón:" "You go be strong." " Christina:" "You can do this." " I know." " What's important to you right now?" "Not getting eliminated." "I have to finish strong." " Aarón:" "Exactly." " Christina:" "That's right, bud." "You got it, buddy." "Keep your eye on that fish, okay, bud?" " You got this." " Whew." "( Ticks )" " Guys, just over five minutes remaining." "( Coughs )" "I feel pretty good about cooking fish." "In Houston, I used to fish with my cousin and my granny." "I was quite the fisherman." "If I just do my best," "I can get it done." "I got this." "You got this." "Come on." "Back home in Mississippi," "I live pretty close to the water." "We cook with a lot of fish." "I don't fish a lot." "My brother does most of the fishing, but hopefully my experience can help me out." "Wow, this is it." "Now two are leaving tonight." "Who are the great students out there?" "Christina:" "I think Adam and Mark are gonna knock it out of the park." "They really wrapped their heads around what you were doing." "This is too stressful." "Where's the weak points in this kitchen right now?" " Uh-oh." " Christina:" "I have to be honest, guys." "Elisabeth, this may just be out of her range tonight." "I think Gonzalo looked a little confused." "( Ticks )" " Gordon:" "30 seconds to go, guys." "You've got to finish the plating." " Let's go!" " Oh, my Lord." "Chefs:" "Ten, nine, eight, seven..." " This is bad." " Six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop." " Gordon:" "Hands in the air." " ( sighs )" " Whoo!" " Great job, everybody." "Well done." "All right, guys, we wanna taste those dishes." "Let's start with..." "Adam." " Let's go, bud." " ( applause )" "Adam:" "Back in Sacramento," "I like to experiment in my kitchen." "I don't really use recipes." "But I've never cooked a dish quite this elegant, so I'm scared, 'cause it's Gordon Ramsay's dish." "It has to be perfect." "Describe your dish, please." "Adam:" "It is a pan-roasted sea bass with cauliflower purée, caramelized beets, sauce vierge, and vinaigrette." "Visually, that looks beautiful." " I mean, breathtaking." " Thank you." "And remind me, how old were you when you first started cooking?" "I was ten years old." "Who was the first big influence at home?" "Um, my mom." "She would always make us these great home-cooked meals, which really inspired me to take my cooking to the next level." "Now inside it should be nice and shiny." "Look at that." "Beautiful." "Glistening." "Crisp skin." "Beautiful sear." "Young man, I'd be delighted if someone served me that tonight in one of my restaurants." "You know that?" "Beets are delicious." "Caramelized." "Seasoned beautifully." "Purée, refined and smooth." "You can just tell the way you piped it on there." "What would I change?" "Less olives, more tomatoes." "However, if that's the start of you in this competition," "I can't wait to see what else you've got up your sleeve." " Thank you." " Good job." " Thank you." " Amazing." "Well done, bud." "Cook:" "Adam!" "Whoo!" "Wow." "Aarón:" "The next dish, Cydney." "Please come on down." "Cydney:" "This challenge was really hard." "Probably the hardest thing that I've ever done, but it was really fun plating and just getting it to look pretty." "Cydney, how you doing?" "I'm doing good." "Aarón:" "Now, is this the kind of food that you eat with your parents when you go out?" "Occasionally I'll get to have it." "Like, if it's a special event, like, it's my birthday." "Then we might go to a fancy restaurant and get something like this." "This is a remarkable, delicious dish." "I love the cooking of the fish." "You have that wonderful sear on the outside." "All the wonderful juice inside, and I'm over the moon with the concasse." "I can see that you got some good caramelization on the golden beets." "Other than that, I think the vinaigrette could have benefitted from a little bit more lemon." " Yeah." " It's a little heavy on the olive oil." "But I think you have the makings of a wonderful dish." "Really great job." " Thank you, Chef." " ( applause )" "Yeah!" " Yes!" " Cydney!" "Good job, Cydney!" "Good job, Cyd." "Next up, Justise, please." "Let's go." "Cooks:" "Whoo!" "Justise:" "I want everybody, including everybody on the balcony, to know that I am a really tough cook." "But I'm really worried about my fish, because I have no idea if it's cooked through or not." "I am just praying, please be as good as Gordon Ramsay's dish." "Young lady, just remind me, your age and where you're from again, please." "I'm 11 years old, and I am from Sugar Hill, Georgia." "Right." "Now, beets, how long did you cook them for?" "About 22, 23 minutes." " Were you timing them?" " Yes, Chef." "Gordon:" "So beets are cooked beautifully." "Purée's soft and silky." "But let's get into the bass, shall we?" "'Cause that's the most important thing, isn't it?" "Yes, Chef." "And... young lady... it's..." "pfft... oh, dear." "Let's get into the bass, shall we?" "'Cause that's the most important thing, isn't it?" "Yes, Chef." "And... pfft... oh, dear." "Young lady, that is cooked beautifully." "Wow." "It's still glistening." "It's nice and shiny." "Mm." "Moist." "Good flavor." "Beautifully seasoned." "Justise, what would I change?" "Um, little bit more scoring with the sea bass skin to get the fish actually crispier, but you produced an amazing dish." "Thank you, Chef." "Now, after cooking this dish this evening, being under the amount of pressure you were, are you glad you stayed down here, or would you have rather gone upstairs?" "I think I'm glad I stayed down here, Chef, because I want people to realize that I'm a really tough competitor." "So thank you, Afnan, for not picking me." "Gordon:" "Thank you for staying down here." "'Cause you're gonna be one to watch." " Thank you, Chef." " Great job." "Thank you." " Whoo!" " Good job, Justise." "Whoo!" "All right, next up, Sam." "Being from Massachusetts, I know my seafood, and even though I burnt myself," "I got right back up." "I think my dish was cooked perfectly." "Hopefully they like it." "Christina:" "All right, Sam from Massachusetts, you got burned, and I know that really threw you off." "I commend you for sticking in there." "Now let's take a look on the cook on this fish." "It's a little under." "You see that on the bottom?" "Aw." "Yeah." "It's okay." " The skin is too crispy, right?" " Yeah." "Cauliflower purée's a little lumpy, but the tomato concasse is well-seasoned." "It was a really good effort." "Thank you, Sam." "Next up, Elisabeth, please." "Thank you." "Right." "Elisabeth." "How old are you now?" "Nine." "The caramelization on the beets tastes delicious." "However, purée's missing, and unfortunately your sea bass is just a touch overcooked." "But a really strong effort." "Well done." "Gonzalo..." "( speaks Spanish )" " ( cheering )" " Eddie:" "Whee!" "Aarón:" "Now, remind me... your age, where you're from." "I'm 11 years old, and I'm from Queens, New York." "You scored the fish beautifully on the outside, but it does need a little bit more time as far as browning." "And then your cauliflower purée's all over the place." "But beets, spot-on." "The actual cooking it seems of the fish is right there." "You see all that moisture that you were able to create?" " Yes, Chef." " Good job." "Next up please, Mark." "Hey." "Whoo!" "Christina:" "All right, Mark." "How long was this bass in the pan?" "It was cooking for about 13 minutes." "Presentation-wise, you did a really nice job." "Thank you." "The beets are delicious." "The cauliflower purée, nice." "The tomato concasse is well-seasoned." "Fish is just a hair overcooked." "Maybe 30 seconds less on the skin side." "But other than that, you gotta give yourself big ups." "Thank you." " Whoo!" " Whoo!" "Oh... oh." "Oh, man." "You knocked off my hat." "Next up, Lila, please." "Let's go." "I cook sea bass all the time back in Rockport, but I'm still a little nervous, 'cause you can mess up one little thing and your dish could be all ruined." "Gordon:" "Have you cooked sea bass before?" "Yes." "My dad takes me and my brother fishing, and we catch striped bass, so it's a lot like sea bass." "Now, the fish, got the sear on it." "Beautifully done." "Little too deep with the score, but the actual cook is nailed deliciously." "Thank you." "These beets are incredible." "And purée's nice and soft and silky and rich." "Uh, young lady, I think you should say a big thank you to your dad tonight because on the back of teaching you how to catch fish, he's obviously taught you how to cook fish." "Well done." " Thank you." " Thank you." "Good job, Lila!" " Whoo!" " Good job!" "Next up, Solomon." "Solomon:" "I'm feeling pretty confident, 'cause in Houston I catch fish with my granny and my cousin, so I'm an experienced fish cooker." "All right, Solomon, now have you ever flambéed before?" "Yes, Chef." "What kinda stuff do you flambé at home?" "This was my second time, but just caramelizing and flambéing carrots." "Do you cook a lot of sea bass in Houston, Texas?" "Usually pan-fry, but not pan-searing." "This is one of my first time pan-searing sea bass." "I'm impressed that you got all the elements on the plate." "Great tomato concasse." "However, fish is a little overcooked." "It's probably 60 seconds too long in there." "You can see where it started to glisten but kind of where it's falling away." "And presentation needs a little help." "Gordon's dish was a little bit more tight right with the garnish of the beets and the tomatoes." "Overall, it was a really good effort." "Thank you, Solomon." "I feel like I'm in some pretty hot water." "Good job, Solomon!" "Solomon:" "Knowing that there were mistakes made, it hurts." "But I'm not ready to say goodbye to the MasterChef kitchen." "Christina:" "That was a super-difficult challenge over the last 60 minutes." "We were very impressed by how you all did, but it's an elimination challenge and we are gonna have to say goodbye to two of you this evening." "Gordon, Aarón, and I are gonna need just a minute to discuss those dishes." "Please excuse us." "Whew..." "Wow." "Some incredible dishes out there." "Adam's." "I mean, mind-blowing." " Christina:" "Textbook." " Gordon:" "Incredible." " Gordon:" "Justise." "Oh...!" "Incredible." " Christina:" "I can't..." " her confidence, her control over her plate." " Gordon:" "Swagger." " Gonzalo:" "I'm going home." " Adam:" "Oh, no, you're not." "Unfortunately, quite a few struggled." "Aarón:" "Gonzalo's, it was cooked well, but the skin had no texture at all." "Very heartbreaking." " Yeah, the worst-looking plate was Solomon." " Aarón:" "Yes." "There's no way that you're not gonna make it." "Thank you for trying to comfort me." "Christina:" "The fish was a little overdone, and cauliflower purée needed a little bit longer in the blender." "So you confident with the choices?" "Aarón:" "Yeah." "Gordon:" "Um, first of all, this was a very tough challenge." "Some of you really excelled and nailed my sea bass dish this evening." "And there was one dish that really stood out head and shoulders above the rest." "That dish belongs to..." "Adam." "Congratulations." "( Cheers, applause )" "Oh, my gosh." "I got the best dish of the night." "Good job, Adam." "Adam:" "I'm super proud of myself, and I feel like I'm dreaming." "Great job." "Adam:" "If this is a dream, don't wake me up." "Gordon:" "Now the toughest part." "Would the following four home cooks come down to the front, please..." "Elisabeth..." "Solomon..." "Sam... and finally..." "Gonzalo." "Line up, please, guys." "Thank you." "Right." "Uh, unfortunately all four of you just fell short a little, and we have to say goodbye to two of you." "Sam and Gonzalo... you are not... going home tonight." "Go back to your stations, please." " You're safe." " Gonzalo:" "Oh, my God." "Gonzalo:" "I'm definitely grateful that Gordon and the judges gave me another chance to come back to the MasterChef kitchen." "Moving forward, I will do a good job, and that I'm not gonna let Gordon down anymore." "Elisabeth and Solomon, you are very talented, dynamic young cooks." "You must hold your head up high." "You got into the top 20 of the biggest culinary competition anywhere in the world." "You've earned those aprons with pride." "You get to keep them forever." "You've done your parents proud." "Promise me you'll keep cooking." "Yes, Chef." "Thank you both." "Good night." "Elisabeth:" "Even though I didn't get the trophy or the $100,000," "I'm gonna still try to open my bakery in Sweetwater, Texas." "I'm gonna take my apron back home, and I'm gonna, like, put it on my wall, and my brother and sisters and gonna be so excited." "It'll be a memory always to share." "( Applauding )" "Whoo!" "Today I'm saying bye to MasterChef, but back home in Houston, my friends," "I think they'll be really proud of me." "Thank you, guys." "Solomon:" "I'm definitely gonna keep cooking." "Like, when one door closes, another one opens up." " Announcer:" "Next week..." " Both:" "Corn dogs." " Announcer:" "It's wiener takes all..." " Yeah!" "Announcer:" "As the top 18 young home cooks..." "Take it out!" "Take it out!" "Announcer:" "Turn the judges into an American classic." " Then a special guest judge..." " Christina:" "Mayim Bialik!" " Are you real?" " I am real." " Announcer:" "Makes a big bang." " I... am... vegan." "( All groan )" "Announcer:" "Which leaves the talented home cooks..." " Whoo!" " ( gasps )" " No!" " Announcer:" "Floored." " She just dropped her burger." " No." "( Sobs ) I can't go home." "Why?"