"Announcer:" "Previously on "MasterChef Junior", the 40 brightest young home cooks in America..." "Two aprons up for grabs." "Faced off in the greatest culinary classroom." "( Gordon whispers ) Christina Tosi should be worried." "And so far, eight have claimed the coveted white apron and their place in the top 20." "I'm going to win "MasterChef Junior"!" " Tonight..." " You'll each make us..." " Gordon:" "Rib eye steak." " Christina:" "Cupcakes." " Stunning lobsters." " Eww." " Oh, my God." " They're alive!" "The search for America's next MasterChef Junior continues." "Egg yolk ravioli." "How old are you?" "With just 12 aprons remaining..." "Young man, brilliant." "The competition to claim one has never been greater." " That tastes amazing." " Christina:" "Man, that looks good." " Wow." " That's gorgeous." "Whoa." "The best young home cooks in America have been invited to the MasterChef kitchen to cook head-to-head for a place in the top 20." "I wish these like glasses could see into the future, and see who's gonna win." "I cannot wait to cook in the MasterChef kitchen for Gordon Ramsay!" "In their cook-off for a white apron the junior home cooks will compete over their signature dishes to prove they deserve one of the remaining 12 aprons and a spot in the top 20." " You guys excited about the challenge?" " Yeah, I'm so nervous though." "First up, four junior home cooks from the east and west are here to prove which coast is the best coast in the MasterChef kitchen." " Whatever they throw at us, we know it's gonna be hard." " Yeah." "I am Adam, I am 12 years old." "I'm from Sacramento, California." "I'm sort of like a scientist/chef." "I really like to combine food and chemistry." "That's why I love to do molecular gastronomy, which is basically chemical cooking, and I also love to bake." "Baking is science." "From baking to chemicals, I love cooking." "It's what I want to devote the rest of my life to." " Where are you from?" " I'm from New Jersey." "Adam:" "East coast versus west." "My name is Peyton and I'm 10 years old." "This is my house in Ringoes, New Jersey." "I am just like every other kid in America, but I'm also a world traveler." "My favorite trip was to Paris." "Paris changed my life because it's like the food capital of the world." "I've done so many really cool things, but I have never done anything this important in my entire life." "My name is Jazzy and I'm 12 years old, from Charlotte, North Carolina." "I've always loved to bake." "I love making cupcakes, good pastries, nice galettes, 'cause it's just part of me... that sweet southern girl part of me." "I always love to jazz things up with the perfect icing, iced all the way up to the top." "Mmm, just... get my mouth all watery when I talk about them." "Oh, my God!" "This is so cool!" "My name is Dredyan and I'm from Vista California." "My family loves my cooking and baking." "I'm good at baking cakes and pastries." "I'm so anxious to impress Christina with my cupcakes" "She's my inspiration to bake, and I love her." "Oh, my gosh." "Four very talented junior home cooks but just two aprons up for grabs." "Yay!" "Christina:" "You'll all have just one hour to bake and decorate six perfectly identical..." " cupcakes." " Yes!" "Ramsay:" "Think about your flavors, your frosting, and those incredible finishing touches." "Your cupcake challenge starts now!" "Darn it." "Christina, 60 minutes, stunning box of cupcakes, the jeopardy lies in what?" "Christina:" "I think the batter first and foremost for the cupcake is crucial." "It's really about the ratio of butter to sugar to eggs to flour." "The cakey part is what needs to be done properly in order to win an apron tonight." "That's why I need an apron." "Right, Adam." "What's the base of the cupcake?" " What are you doing?" " The cupcakes are chocolate." "I am going to do a strawberry compote filling." "Wow." "What are you doing now?" "I'm going to be smoking the spices going in the frosting." " What spices are you smoking?" " Nutmeg and cinnamon." " Okay, great." "Confident?" " Yes, I am." " Good luck." " Thank you." "Gordon: 45 minutes to go." " All right, Jazzy." " Hi." "What kind of cupcakes are you making?" "I'm making a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter cups and peanut butter cream cheese frosting." "You feeling good about those cupcakes?" "Yes." "It's one of my favorite cupcakes." "Me and my mom, we have our own little cupcake business and I've been baking for about three years now." "Nice." "I can't wait to see how those cupcakes come out." " Good luck." " Thank you." " Right, Dredyan, how are you feeling, buddy?" " I'm feeling really good." "Tell me about the cupcakes." "What are you making?" "It is a vanilla sponge cake with a chocolate ganache filling, and chocolate frosting." " Lovely." " My grandma taught me how to bake." "The first thing we baked was sticky toffee pudding." "Confident you can get your hands on that apron?" "I'm very confident with this one." " Good luck." " Thank you." "Christina: 30 minutes down, 30 minutes to go." "Cupcakes are almost done." "Mmm, that's good." " All right, Peyton." " Hello." " Now what is this?" " It's my raspberry sauce that's I'm gonna drizzle over my blood orange cupcake." "Those are pretty sophisticated flavors, where do you get that sophisticated palate from?" "I travel around the world a lot and I've been to lots of places in Europe." "I love to experience different things." "I love that." " ( Whimpering )" " Hey, bud, what's up?" "My cupcakes aren't..." "Let's take a look." "Oh!" "Okay." "What happened to those?" "I think I put too much sugar because I used a different sugar." "Okay." "Um... you still have time." "Make some new cupcake batter." "Okay, yeah." "You can do it, Dredyan." "Just keep pushing forward." "You got this, Dredyan." "Guys, we're coming up to 15 minutes to go." "So what's the issue with Dredyan?" "What's happened?" "Christina:" "He's put in too much sugar and not enough flour." "It's not even close to a cake, unfortunately, now." "Dredyan is gonna be down to the wire, but he's still gonna push to get these cupcakes done." "He is not giving up." "I love the attitude of bouncing back." " You got this, Dredyan." " Thank you." "Nice, Jazzy." "Nice." "Nice." "( Whimpers ) 90 seconds remaining." " Oh!" " Ten." "Gordon and Christina:" "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." "Gordon:" "And hands in the air." "Well done, all of you." "Now, very carefully, bring your boxes of cupcakes down to the front, please." "Right." "First up, Adam." "Describe what I'm gonna see inside your box." "Adam:" "A chocolate cupcake with a smoked and spiced buttercream icing." "They look incredible." " Wow." " Thank you." "Wow." "What's in the center?" "It's strawberry compote." "Look at that." "Wow." "They're light, they're fragrant." "Love that jam in the middle." "You actually got the balance of those smoked spices nailed beautifully." "Good job." "Well done." "Boom." "Jazzy." "Now, what kind of cupcakes did you make?" "Jazzy:" "I made a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter cups and a peanut butter cream cheese frosting garnished with a chocolate heart, chocolate balls, and mini peanut butter cups." " Okay." " Whoa." "Love the little chocolate heart." " You made that part yourself, right?" " Yes, ma'am." "Now there's a little peanut butter cup there." "It has peanut butter cups in the batter." " It's good." " Thank you." "That cream cheese peanut butter frosting is delicious." "It's nutty, it's sweet." "Now, I think I would've liked more frosting and to have it be thicker, so it can stand up and hold its shape a little bit more." "I think the peanut butter cups in the batter weighs the batter down just a bit," " but really nice job, Jazzy." " Thank you." " Those are beautiful." " Thank you." "Yours look gorgeous, too." "Right." "Dredyan, tell me what's inside that box." "It is a vanilla sponge cake with a chocolate ganache filling and chocolate frosting." "Let's get one out, shall we?" "Well, here's the thing." "Hold out your hand." "Have a taste of that." "What do you think?" "Let's get one out, shall we?" "Mmm." "Hold out your hand." "Have a taste of that." "What do you think?" "That's really good." "How good does that taste?" "That's really good." "Well, done." "Now they may not look the most appetizing of cupcakes, but that was a very bold effort." "You showed me tenacity, strength, and great determination." "And the most important thing, you never gave up." "So I'm really proud." " Thank you." " Well done." "You did a great job." "Dredyan." "All right, Miss Peyton, what kind of cupcakes did you make?" "Peyton:" "I made a blood orange cupcake with a blood orange frosting and a raspberry splatter sauce." "Now, raspberry splatter... intentional?" "Uh, sort of not." "I kind of lost control of the bag." "Now why blood orange and raspberry?" "Because I like bright flavors that give a punch when you taste them, kind of like me." "It's bright." "It's bold." " And it's pretty darn delicious." " Thank you." "The cupcake looks just a little dense, like it could have been aerated a little bit more." "Really like the ratio of frosting to cupcake, though." " Nice job." " Thanks." " I'm so scared." " Me, too." "All four of you, well done." "Now, you know this is a competition." "There are only two aprons up for grabs." "The first apron goes to a bold, very tenacious, box of cupcakes." "Oh, gosh." "Oh, gosh." "Oh, gosh." "Oh, gosh." "Adam, congratulations." " Well done." " Thank you." "Smoking spices?" "Bring it." "Delicious." "So, Jazzy, Dredyan, and Peyton, three very strong, valiant efforts." "There was one box that had a slight edge." "The apron goes to..." "( cheering )" "Whoo!" "Yeah!" "Whoo!" "Yeah!" "Whoo!" "To get a white apron feels like the best thing that I could ever ask for, and it's like a dream come true." "I'm excited." "We're gonna rock this place." "It's gonna be a blast." "We're gonna win this thing." "( Cheering )" "Announcer:" "The next contest features steak and four young home cooks competing to make their state proud." " Texas!" " Whoo!" "Texas!" "My name is Anna, and I'm in fifth grade." "We got this at a market." "They're little dreidels." "I'm like, "This one is awesome."" "Back home in Houston, I do a lot of Jewish and I do a lot of barbecue." "My food is just a big melting pot." "Slowly mix with all your heart and soul." "So I want to really show the judges I'm a Texan," "I'm a Jew, and show my culture through my food." "Both:" "Everything is bigger and better in Texas." "My name is Shayne and I'm 200 percent Texas." "I am a meat guy." "I've cooked hundreds of steaks." "From grilling to frying," "I love my food with a Texas kick." "( Chanting ) Open the door!" "( Cheering )" " ( squeals ) - ( shudders )" "I'm Solomon, and I am ten years old." "I do band after school, computer coding, gardening." "If you could sign up for something, that's me." "But when I grow up," "I want to be a professional chef." "I believe that cooking is an art." "It's a passion." "It's culture." "It's life." " Good to see you guys." " You, too!" "Welcome, guys." "My name is Nicholas, I'm nine years old, and I live in Cypress, Texas." "I've been cooking for about two years." "I learned from the best, which is my dad." "He works at a restaurant." "I think I am the most confident kid that will cook in "MasterChef Junior,"" "'cause I am very competitive." "Part of it is my red hair." "It gives me special powers." "We're not looking for any old steak tonight." "We're looking for a steak worthy of..." " What's going on?" " ( gasps )" "MasterChef." "That was awesome." "Now, make us, your families, and Texas proud of you." " For Texas." " Your 30 minutes starts now!" "Where's the cast iron skillet?" "Oh, I can't open these." "Ooh." "Just under 25 minutes to go." " Hey, Shayne, how're you doing?" " Good." "Good to see you, buddy." "Now, how old are you?" "I'm 13 years old." "How many steaks do you think you've cooked in your long life?" "Too many." "What's the dish?" "Tell me about the dish." "I am making a rib eye steak seasoned with Cajun spices, topped with grilled onions and mushrooms with a side of mashed potatoes." "Gordon:" "I love that." " You play any sports?" " Yes, I love sports." "They call me "Shayne the Train,"" "'cause I like finding the biggest guy and then going right at him." "Do you think you've got what it takes to get your hands on one of those, Shayne?" " Yes, sir." " Good luck, young man." "Get 'er done." "Okay, so I need steak in the oven right now, right now, right now." "All right, Solomon." "Tell me your age and what you're cooking." "I'm ten years old and I'm making a rib eye steak with cheese grits, asparagus, and grilled peaches." " I like Southern and I also like it fancy." " Christina:" "I love it." "And when you're not cooking, what do you like to do for fun?" "Solomon:" "I'm a musical guy." "I play trumpet in the school band and I sing in the school choir." "Nice." "All right, Solomon." "Keep your eye on that prize." " Yes, ma'am." " Good luck." "Oh, that's good." "Just over 15 minutes to go." " Right, Anna, how are you feeling?" " Good." "Now, tell me about the dish." "I'm making rib eye, barbecue style." "These are potato latkes, and carrot salad." "You're up against three very talented young men tonight." " Does that intimidate you?" " No." "I've had a lot of experience of intimidating boys." " Right." " I'm really smart, and I can backfire." "Who do you you think you're toughest competition is tonight?" " Shayne the Train." " Shayne the Train?" "Why?" "He's really big and scary and I know he's got tricks up his sleeve." "Right." "That doesn't worry you though, does it?" "No." "You've got 30 minutes to defeat these three boys," " can you do it?" " Yes." " Good luck." " Okay." "Whew." " All right, Nicholas." " Hello." " You grill steak like this at home often?" " Yes." "I'm making rib eye steak with Brussels sprouts, roasted potatoes, and purple cauliflower." "So who do you cook for at home?" " Mainly my dad." " Okay." "'Cause he's the general manager at a restaurant." "And how does your dad's kitchen at work compare to the MasterChef kitchen?" "His kitchen is pretty big, but this is way bigger." " It's amazing." " It's pretty amazing." "Good luck." "90 seconds to go." "Finishing touches, Solomon." "I'm getting there." "Getting there." "There it is." "All right." "Gordon:" "Come on, guys." "Make it count." "Shayne the Train, that train needs to leave the station" " and start plating." " I got this." "Gordon:" "Looking good, guys." "Season everything." "Yes." "Here we go." "Ten..." "Gordon and Christina:" "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." "Both:" "Hands in the air!" " Gordon:" "Well done." " Christina:" "Nice job." "Gordon and Christina:" "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." "Both:" "Hands in the air!" " Gordon:" "Well done." "Wow." " Christina:" "Nice job." "Okay, so very carefully, pick up those rib eye dishes and bring them forward." "Gordon:" "They look incredible." "Christina:" "Wow." "All right, Shayne." "Tell me about the dish." "Today, I made for you a Cajun seasoned rib eye topped with grilled onions and mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and brown gravy." "Now, why mushroom and onions?" "Because I love onions." "I can eat them like an apple." "I've gotta say, Shayne, that rib eye steak is cooked beautifully." "The Cajun seasoning is spicy." "It's got a kick." "Really nice balance." "Shayne the Train, nice job." "Thank you." "Right, Solomon." "Describe the dish, please." "Solomon:" "This is a rib eye steak, cheese grits, asparagus with chile grilled peaches." "Now, that... is beautiful." "The sear on that steak is incredible." "The more fat you render, the more tender the rib eye." " So, young man, brilliant." " Thank you, Chef." "Anna, explain the dish to me." "I made you a rib eye, seasoned with salt and pepper, carrot salad with potato latkes, and honey sour cream sauce." "The cook on the steak, very nicely done." "Would have liked a better sear on both sides to render the fat down." "These latkes are beautiful." " Just potato?" " Just potato and seasoning." "Mmm." "There's a sweetness to them and that sour cream which I like." "I would have liked a little bit more seasoning in your steak as well as in your latkes." "Love your approach and I love that you really put you on a plate tonight." "Right, Nicholas." "Describe the dish, young man." "Nicholas:" "Today I've made rib eye steak with roasted potatoes, purple cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts with a piquillo pepper sauce." " Wow." "Did it go in the oven?" " Yes." "So, unfortunately, that's a little bit overcooked." "But how does it taste?" "'Cause that's the most important thing, right?" " That sauce is delicious." " Thank you." "Gordon:" "Great sear on the rib eye." "Unfortunately, when it's that thin," " it doesn't need to go in the oven." " Okay." "But even though it may be a touch overcooked, it's still nice and juicy." " Well done." " Thank you." "We did good, guys." "We did good." " A little bit overcooked." " Hmm." "Me and you, bud." "Me and you." "Okay." "These two aprons... are going to..." "( cheering )" " We did it, Shayne, we did it!" " We did it!" "Solomon and I are gonna represent Texas proudly." "Don't mess with Texas." "Announcer:" "In our next challenge, four more junior home cooks are hoping to impress the judges with their signature chicken dishes." "My name is Avani, I'm eight years old." "I'm from Chicago, and I cook pretty advanced for an eight-year-old." "I love cooking Indian food." "The first time I cooked chicken tikka masala," "I was six and three quarters." " Eddie, where are you from?" " Uh, the Earth." "I'm Eddie, and I'm from New York City, Manhattan." "I live with my mom, my sister, my dad, and my guinea pig." "Me and my mom are the best cooks in the house." "Yeah." "Way too much." "I like to cook mostly Chinese, but a little bit Jewish." "And I know a secret chicken masala." "If I was to rate my cooking," "I would probably rate it, like, 9.99." "( Cheering )" "Girl:" "My name is Grace and I am eight years old." "I'm from San Diego, California." "I consider myself a unique little girl." "I am a surfer, a boogie boarder, and I have a heart for cooking." "I am especially good at making home food." "I make a good stuffed chicken." "Everything I make is from scratch." "( gasps )" " Oh, my God." " Oh, my gosh." " Welcome, guys." " Hello, Mr. Gordon." "My name is London, I'm nine years old, and I'm from Atlanta, Georgia." "I might be nine, but I make the best southern food ever." "My fried chicken makes a lot of people happy." " Oh, my God!" " Being here in the MasterChef kitchen is the best thing that ever happened to me." "I've cooked my butt off since I was three to be here." "All right!" "Welcome to the MasterChef kitchen." "Now, to get your hands on that white apron tonight, you all will be cooking us a dish featuring..." " a stunning chicken." " Chicken, chicken." "Gordon:" "You'll have 30 minutes to cook us the best chicken dish of your entire young lives." "Your 30 minutes starts now." "All right, Miss Grace." "How old are you and where are you from?" "I'm eight years old and I'm from San Diego, California." "You're the youngest home cook in this entire competition." "What are you cooking?" "At home, me and my mom always make a good stuffed chicken." "What are you stuffing that chicken breast with?" "I'm stuffing it with some ricotta, parsley, chives... it's kind of like one of those comfort foods, you know?" "Lovely." "Now, keep your eye on the clock." "One of those white aprons could be yours." "Good luck." "Right, Eddie, where are you from?" "I'm from New York City." "Tell me about the dish." "Chicken Marsala." "A chicken Marsala?" "Okay, right." "That's a fortified wine, Marsala." "You should not be drinking at your age." "I'm not drinking." "Uh, excuse me?" "You just drank alcohol." "Look, the alcohol totally cooks out." "Seriously, all jokes apart," " who's the best cook at home?" " Me." " Uh, it's you?" " Yeah." "Good luck." "Ay-yi-yi." "Christina:" "All right, guys." "You have under ten minutes to go." " All right, Miss Avani!" " Yes, Chef?" "Christina:" "What's going on in this pan?" "I'm making a Thai red curry chicken." "I have lemon grass in there, bell peppers, jalapeños, and coconut milk." "And my chicken goes in there." "And who taught you to cook, Avani?" "Back home in Chicago, my dad taught me how to cook starting when I was six years old." "Nice!" " All right." "Push, push, okay?" " Yes, Chef." " All right, London, how are we doing?" " I'm great." "Tell me about the dish." "You've got chicken wings... one of my favorites." "It is spicy barbecue Jamaican wings with Caribbean coleslaw." "Me and my dad went to Jamaica." "I love the culture." "Are you the main cook at home now?" "Yeah." "Me and my dad do rock, paper, scissors, and I always win, so, yeah." "Right." "Young lady, you've got two minutes to get your hands on that apron." "Let's go!" "Start thinking about plating up, please." "What?" "I need to start plating." "Come on." "This has got to be good." " It smells incredible in here." " Doesn't it?" "Gordon:" "Pretty phenomenal." "30 seconds remain!" " Get it in there!" " Oh, no." "Oh, no." "There's too much water in this." "Quick as you can, Avani." "Don't worry about that, Avani." " Christina:" "Get it on the plate, girl." " Gordon:" "Start serving." "Gordon and Christina:" "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." " Gordon:" "And stop." " Both:" "Hands in the air!" "Yes!" "Gordon:" "Only two aprons up for grabs." "Give us your best chicken dish." "Gordon and Christina:" "Five, four, three, two, one." " Gordon:" "And stop." " Both:" "Hands in the air!" "Yes!" " All right." " Well done." "Oh, my gosh." "Very carefully bring those chicken dishes to the front, please." " Nice job, guys." " Gordon:" "Well done." " Great job." " Christina:" "All very impressive dishes." "All right, Grace." "Describe the dish for me." "Grace:" "I made stuffed chicken, with ricotta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, mashed potatoes and a spinach garlic salad." "Let's take a peek." "You see how there's still pink juices there?" "And you can see where the skin needed a little bit more time in the pan" " to really render down there." " Yeah." "I'm gonna eat a little piece off of the end just to be safe." "Now, flavor-wise, I think it's delicious." "The lemon is very bright, very vibrant." "Love the idea of the ricotta." "Textbook smooth mashed potato." "The real issue with the dish tonight is that the chicken breast just isn't cooked far enough." "Right." "Next up, Eddie." "Describe the dish, please." "Eddie:" "It's a chicken Marsala with potatoes, prosciutto, and parsley." "Right, chicken thighs." "Lovely color on the chicken." "Look at that." "Nice and moist inside." "The chicken is delicious." "Love the Marsala sauce, mushrooms, potatoes are cooked beautifully." "Skin, a little bit rubbery." "If you're gonna get color on the skin like that, keep it crispy." " But by and large, it's a decent job." " Thanks, Chef." "All right, Avani, tell me about your dish." "Avani:" "Today, I've made for you a Thai curry chicken with basmati rice." "I put some potatoes, peas, jalapeños, bell peppers, and shallots." "What cut of chicken did you choose?" "I chose the drumsticks." "It's easier to cook, and it's flavorful." " Love the heat." " Thank you, Chef." "I love the creaminess that coconut milk brings in." "There's a real kick to the curry." "Your cut of chicken was very smart." "That dark meat is able to hold its own." "But I would've loved for you to cook those peppers down a little bit more so they're not as crunchy." "Nice job." "Right, London." "Describe your wings." "What are they?" "London:" "My mom's half Jamaican, so I made spicy barbecue Jamaican wings with Caribbean coleslaw." "What's the sauce?" "Ketchup." "It's apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, molasses." "Oh, that looks so good." "The cook on the wings is delicious." "Yes!" "Now, the slaw tastes beautifully, looks lovely... all those wonderful colors." "But that sauce, there's a lot of vinegar in there." "It's very tart, but great effort." " Thank you." " Thank you." "Ooh, it's tough." "Really good... really good wing." "Four talented young cooks, but tonight, two dishes had a slight edge." "The two young cooks that these aprons belong to... are..." "( cheering )" "Kids:" "Eddie!" "Eddie!" "Eddie:" "I'm 155% proud of myself." "Gordon Ramsay thinks my stuff is irresistible." "Avani:" "I'm in the top 20 now." "It's just a big honor." "I feel like a professional chef." "We got aprons!" "Announcer:" "The next generation of "MasterChef Junior" hopefuls..." "Whoa!" "Have taken their culinary inspiration from across the globe." "I'm 13 years old and I was born in Japan." "I want to serve Italian-Japanese fusion." "Evan:" "I've been to Mexico, South Africa, Italy, and pesto changed my life." "I'm nine years old and I'm from Chicago, Illinois." "Just give me a spatula and a pan and I can knock your socks off." "I'm from Bangladesh." "Being Bengali," "I know that I've eaten some more crazy things than you have." " Than me?" " Yeah." "Announcer:" "These talented, tiny home cooks..." "That is a Rolls-Royce of burger." "Thank you." " Stood tall..." " Delicious." "I'm stealing that recipe." "In the MasterChef kitchen." "Beautifully juicy." "All of Chicago's got their eyes on you." " You sure you're not Italian?" " 100% Japanese, sir." "Cooking like that, you should be Italian." "Each earning a coveted white apron..." " Gordon:" "Mashu, that is yours." " Evan." " Afnan." " Charlie." "( Squeals ) and a place in the top 20." "( cheering )" "In all, 18 young home cooks have earned a place in the competition." "Our final challenge of the day features lobster, and four young home cooks from Massachusetts who will compete for the two remaining" "MasterChef Junior white aprons." "Girl:" "My name is Lila and I live on the island of Cape Ann." "In the summer, sometimes we go fishing on my dad's boat." "And then that night, I'll make really good fish for dinner." "I was probably seven when I first started cooking." "I wasn't super young like most kids." "I am basically self taught." "Yeah." "( Cheering )" "Boy:" "My name is Jake and I'm 11 years old." "Whoo!" "I live in Bellingham, but I love going to Boston." "I come from a long line of chefs... my cousin, my uncle, my mom, my dad." "My dad is my biggest inspiration in life." "You guys are the best!" "My dad passed a few years ago." "But when I cook, I definitely feel closer to him." "Woman:" "Now you're making daddy's shrimp." "If I win "MasterChef Junior,"" "I'll open up a restaurant with family recipes, and I'm going to be the first owner of a restaurant in my family." "Whoo!" "Girl:" "My name is Jayda and I'm from Boston." "I really love hockey and I really love cooking." "I'm really a competitive girl." "I play on an all-boys team." "I'm gonna be a chef and a hockey player." "Whoa." "Welcome, guys." "Come on down." "It's so giant." "Boy:" "My name is Sam, I'm nine-years old, and I'm from Concord, Massachusetts." "Back at home," "I love cooking and I love fencing." "Just like in fencing, when I cook, I use blade work," "I use my speed, I use my strength." " Good to see you all." " It's gonna be really fun." "I know my seafood, so I'm used to cooking with lobster." "Welcome." "We know that all of you are from Massachusetts." "I'm hoping that all four of you have great experience in cooking beautiful, stunning... lobsters." " Oh, my God, they're alive." " Lila:" "They're alive!" "Awesome!" "Gordon:" "In this challenge, we want to see four individual lobster dishes." "You're each gonna have just 30 minutes to get everything done." "But only two of you will move forward tonight wearing those elusive MasterChef white aprons." "Lila:" "Whoa!" "Your 30 minutes... starts... now!" "Let's go." " Hi, buddy." " Oh, they're crawling." "Gordon:" "Straight in." "Tuck the tail in." "Well done." " Lobsters are in." " Hot." "All right, Miss Jayda." "Do you do a lot of cooking at home for your family?" "Yes, my mom really likes my lobster." "You know, what kind of dish you are gonna make dor us tonight?" "I am gonna make lobster rolls" " and celery leaves on top." " Alright." "I know how lobster roll supposed to taste," " couse I eated one." " Okay." "Alright, here we go." " Good luck, Jayda." " Thank you." "Jake, now what is it that gets you going with cooking?" "To me, cooking is love, is knowledge... to me cooking is really everything." " Tell me about this dish." " I'm making a lobster mac and cheese with panko breadcrumbs." "Wow." "Love that." "That tastes good." "I'm trying to impress my dad who passed away a few years ago." "I'm sorry." " Was he a good chef?" " Oh, yeah." "He went to cooking school." "He traveled all over the world tasting different dishes..." "cooked different dishes." "That's fantastic." "And let me tell you something." "Right now, your dad would be so proud." " Aw." "High five." " High five." "Good man." " Whoa!" " Guys, 15 minutes to go." "All right, Sam." "What are you making today?" "I'm making a lobster summer roll with a hoisin sauce, because every summer, me and my family, we go down to Maine and we get fresh live lobster." " Good luck, Sam." " Thank you." " Nice." "Lila." " Hi." "Talk me through the dish." "What are you doing?" "Today I'm making lobster enoki mushroom wonton, with an Asian sweet and spicy dipping sauce." "Back in Massachusetts, we live on an island." " There's technically lobsters in my backyard." " Wow." "And that's what my inspiration is for this dish." "Okay." "Good luck." " 90 seconds to go." " Yes!" "Here's what excites me the most about these four." "Their confidence is incredible." "Christina:" "Such amazing things to come for the culinary industry." "This has got to be the most fun I've ever had." "Gordon and Christina:" "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three," " two, one." " Oh, dang!" "Gordon:" "And stop!" "Hands in the air." "Well done." "Both:" "Five, four, three," " two, one." " Oh, dang." "Gordon:" "And stop." "Hands in the air." "Well done." "Great job." "Very carefully lift your lobster dishes and bring them forward, please." "Two aprons, four young home cooks from Massachusetts." "This is gonna be difficult." "Right, Jayda, describe those lobster rolls please." "I made lobster rolls with celery leaves and Old Bay seasoning on top." "I thought it would be a good example of New England." "Mmm." "You've got the seasoning right with the Old Bay." "And you've got lots of lobster, so it's very generous in there." "You've compacted it beautifully." "However... lobster needs a touch more cooking, okay?" "Because it's a little bit raw." "Celery leaves, you know, they get a little bit bitter," " but good job." " Thank you." " That looks really good." " Thanks." "Hey, Jake, what did you make for us tonight?" "Jake:" "I made lobster mac and cheese with panko breadcrumbs." "I used Gruyere and some white cheddar." "And then in the roux, I added paprika and nutmeg." "Mmm." "The Gruyere cheese sauce is warm and ooey and gooey and delicious." "I love the pasta." "They're cooked beautifully." "My only concern is the lobster is playing more of a supporting role and the mac and cheese is playing a little bit more of the star." " But overall, really nice dish." " Thank you so much, Chef." "I tip my hat off to you." "Right, Sam." "Tell me what's inside these rolls." "Sam:" "I made a lobster summer roll with lobster tail, lettuce, carrots, celery, and some noodles with a dark hoisin sauce, and I cooked it to make it thick." "The lobster, for me, tonight, is cooked beautifully." "I like what you've done with the slaw inside and the vegetables." "However, the sauce... you don't need to reduce that down so thick." " But well done." " Thank you." " Good job, Sam." " I'm a little scared." "Now, Miss Lila, what did you make today?" "Lila:" "I made a lobster and enoki mushroom wonton." "The filling is a little bit of garlic, ginger, cilantro, and an egg white for binding." "Are you kidding me with that?" "It's bright, it's vibrant." "It has so many different flavors coming at me from so many different directions." "What would I do differently?" "Maybe just a little bit more of the enoki mushroom," " but, overall, nice job." " Thanks." " Lila, good job." " Gordon:" "Well done." "Now you know we only have two aprons, but we did taste four very good dishes." "Christina and I felt that there was one dish that really stood out, that nailed it beautifully." "This is going... to Lila." " Amazing." " Thank you." "Great dish." "Packing that wonton with that amount of lobster and not having them burst?" "Amazing." "Good job." "Now, one apron left." "This is a very close call." "The second and final apron tonight goes to... ( cheering )" " Yes!" "High five!" " Sam!" "This is awesome." "Yeah!" "I've worn a lot of uniforms for football and fencing, but this is definitely one of the best." " Peace!" " You did great!" "Lila:" "Now I know what my secrets are." "You gotta stay focused, you gotta stay true to yourself and you gotta cook your heart out." "And that's definitely what I'm gonna do in the upcoming challenges." "Jake, you're amazing." " Announcer:" "Next week..." " Cook:" "What?" "guest judge Aarón Sánchez joins the top 20... ( screaming ) as they face their first Mystery Box challenge..." " Gordon:" "Rice!" " of the season." " It's in my shirt." " It's in my shoes." "It's in my pants." " And then..." " Watch carefully." "a Gordon Ramsay master class." "Beautiful." "Heats up the competition..." "Whoa!" " Someone is gonna get hurt." " like never before." " ( Sam screams )" " Sam?" " Let me see." " I burnt myself." " Jeez." " It really hurts."