The best young home cooks between the ages of eight and 13 have been cast to compete in Season 8 of “MasterChef Junior” on Fox. Once again, Gordon Ramsay leads the judging panel and is joined by renowned chef Aarón Sánchez and Emmy-winning talk show host Daphne Oz. The winner of “MasterChef Junior” wins the coveted trophy and $100,000. They’ll also take home a brand new Viking kitchen, amazing countertop appliances, kitchen tools, bakeware and a trip to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Below, read our minute-by-minute “MasterChef Junior” recap of Season 8, Episode 2, titled “Junior Edition: Taste It, Make It,” to find out what happened Thursday, March 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite young cooks on Fox’s reality TV show and who you think has what it takes to win the entire competition.
SEE Daphne Oz on joining Gordon Ramsay for ‘MasterChef Junior’
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8:00 p.m. — Previously on “MasterChef Junior”! 16 of the most talented young chefs were recruited to compete for a $100,000 prize and the title of MasterChef.
8:04 p.m. — The 15 remaining contestants enter the “MasterChef” kitchen and see a man tossing pizza dough. It’s not your average pizza thrower, he’s got some serious skills! Apparently he holds the world record for highest pizza toss at 21.5 feet. The judges enter the kitchen and announce the kitchen has been transformed into a pizza parlor. All of these kids will get to experience what it’s like to be in the kitchen of a busy pizza restaurant. Freddy says he loves a classic pepperoni pizza, while Starla screams, “Meat lovers!” Next, Grayson raises some eyebrows when he says he prefers prosciutto, figs and balsamic vinegar on his pizza. Whoa!
8:10 p.m. — Tonight the contestants will be competing in three teams of five. Each team will have 20 minutes to make as many perfect pizzas as they can. First, Daphne shows them how to make the perfect pizza pie. In just a few minutes she’s got my mouth watering. Next, to determine the teams each contestant draws a straw — red, white or green. Eight-year old Ivy says,”The key to a strong team is to communicate and get things done.” Okay! Each team now has 20 minutes to make as many perfect 10-inch pizzas as they can, with just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and all five toppings evenly distributed. The two winning teams will head up to the balcony for safety. The losing team will stay in the kitchen and face an elimination challenge. This race starts now!
8:15 p.m. — Grayson is showing leadership quality on the Green Team by pulling Starla off her oven duties and moving her over to toppings. She wasn’t quite understanding how long each pizza should cook. He did it in a respectful manner and Starla seemed to appreciate switching tasks. Meanwhile, the Red Team appears to be winning based on the sheer volume of pizzas they are churning out. But are they up to the judges’ standards? Over and the White Team, Freddy and A’Dan get in a scuffle when Freddy tosses A’Dan’s pizza in the trash, saying he didn’t cornmeal the pan correctly. The pressure!
8:25 p.m. — Time expires and it looks like the White Team definitely has the lowest stack of pizza boxes. That doesn’t mean they’ve lost yet, however, depending on how many perfect pizzas each team made. The Red Team presents theirs first and many are undercooked or just disheveled. After the judges review each pizza, the Red Team sets the bar with 12 “stunning” pizzas. Next up the White Team brings their pizzas forward, but just 10 pass the test. Last, the Green Team presents their pizzas and barely squeak past the White Team with 11 good pizzas. Poor little Ivy has already burst into tears for the second week in a row.
8:35 p.m. — The Red Team and Green Team head safely up to the balcony. The White Team will now have to compete in an elimination challenge. It’s they first Mystery Box of the season. When the contestants lift up the boxes, it’s a blindfold. The young cooks are relieved to find out they’ll just be tasting a dish blindfolded, not cooking it. After tasting a dish blindfolded, they’ll have to replicate it based solely on what they’ve tasted. They have five minutes to eat this Pan-Seared Salmon with Apple & Raisin Cauliflower Couscous, Zucchini, Squash and Brown Butter Caper Sauce. Will they figure out what it is?
8:45 p.m. — Everything these young home cooks need to replicate Gordon’s mystery dish is in the pantry. Unfortunately, there’s plenty in there they don’t need. They have 45 minutes to cook up a dish that most closely resembles what they sampled. This is a difficult challenge and a few are struggling early. Nine-year old Tegan forgot to put any salt on her salmon. Liya tasted sweetness in Gordon’s couscous, so she’s putting mayonnaise in hers. That doesn’t seem right to me, but these kids know more about cooking than I do. At last, time expires and each contestant has plated their dish. It’s time to be judged!
8:55 p.m. — Gordon reveals the dish each.each of these young cooks should have replicated. There are some mixed reactions when they discover the true ingredients. Some will be closer than others, but ultimately it comes down to taste. Freddy is up first and he looks completely defeated. He made Pan-Seared Salmon with Couscous, Apples and Capers in Brown Butter Sauce. Gordon calls it bland and says it lacks seasoning. Freddy also forgot the vegetables. Liya is next with Pan-Seared Salmon, Mayonnaise Couscous, Zucchini, Carrots and Apples. The judges say it’s visually appetizing and overall it’s “delicious” outside of mayo in her couscous. Next up A’Dan presents Pan-Seared Salmon with Couscous, Grapes, Cucumber and a Brown Butter Sauce. Aarón tells A’Dan that Gordon isn’t the type of chef who puts raw grapes on a plate. At least his salmon is beautifully cooked. Ivy brings forward Pan-Seared Salmon with Apple Couscous, Carrots, Zucchini and Brown Butter Sauce. The appearance of this dish is the closest to Gordon’s. Last, Tegan serves Pan-Seared Salmon with Couscous, Carrots, Green Apples and Brown Butter Sauce. The plating falls flat and she overcooked the salmon.
8:59 p.m. — It’s time for the judges to eliminate one home cook from the competition. They deliberate and decide Liya and Ivy cooked the best dishes of the night. That means A’Dan, Freddy or Tegan will be eliminated. The young chef heading home is Tegan, the nine-year old from Billings, Montana. She’s disappointed she wasn’t able to showcase her baking skills, but she loved the experience and meeting other kids who love cooking as much as she does.
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