We re mere weeks away from naming the new champion, so MasterChef Junior is pullin

g out all the stops. We re treated to a three Michelin star lunch,

tears, Gordon Ramsay in a bathrobe, King George the Dog, and scalding hot venis
on being dumped on a culinary giant s foot. What more could you want
as we hurtle toward the semi-finals?
Before we can find out who in the Top 6 will be moving on to those semis, our yo
ung cooks have to face one of the most stressful challenges yet:
catering a Gordon Ramsay party. Our tiny chefs are split into two teams, chosen
by last week s winners, Addison and Amaya, and are responsible
for feeding 20 of Gordon s friends, all of whom are accustomed to top-notch Ramsa
y parties and have very discerning palates. They won t be
serving any old meal, either: They re making two dishes straight out of the Gordo
n Ramsay stable of recipes. So, yeah, the pressure is on.
Next stop, Ramsayville! You guys, Ramsayville is real, and it s spectacular. Befor
e the chefs arrive (being chauffeured by Graham and
Christina in convertibles, no less), Gordon is just straight up relaxing with hi
s pup, King George. He s sitting poolside in a bathrobe,
gardening in a bathrobe, taking in the full splendor of his land in a bathrobe.
I imagine this is all very true to life. It has to be.
Once the kids show up, there s no time for adult relaxation
it s straight to work. T
he chefs head to the outdoor kitchen and get a quick
demo on the menu items from Gordon. Seriously, how amazing is it for these youn
g chefs to stand there and get this kind of cooking lesson from someone like Gor
don Ramsay? This is the real prize, kids! But also, the money.
THE APPETIZER
For the first course of this VIP lunch, the kids will be serving pan seared snap
per with rainbow chard and shellfish broth.
Each team is responsible for 13 plates, all to be served at the same time. Timi
ng and good team communication are everything in this challenge.
The Red Team: Amaya, Zac, and Avery
Team Captain Amaya splits up the work by having each chef focus on a different c
omponent of the dish. When Gordon catches wind of this,
he is not pleased. He pulls the team aside for a chat. Having each person work
on a component of the dish without solid communication
is a recipe for disaster. Each chef should be making four to five full plates.
With this one change in strategy, the Red Team is able
to refocus and pull together 13 great dishes.
They earn rave reviews from Gordon s friends who, by the way, have no idea their m
eal is being cooked by children
who commend the
Red Team for the chard s crispy skin and perfect sear. Looks like Gordon and his
pep talk saved the day again.
The Blue Team: Addison, Kya, and JJ
The Blue Team has the opposite cooking experience of the Red Team. Captain Addis
on is skilled enough in the kitchen to realize the best way to
tackle this challenge is by having each chef cook complete dishes just like Gor
don s advice. The only problem is that Addison is the only
person on her team who really came to cook today. It s surprising since Kya has b
een such a strong chef all season, but tonight, she and JJ
are completely overwhelmed; they burn fish, forget how to make simple sauces, a
nd completely lose one portion of snapper
leaving Gordon with
an empty plate to serve.

Gordon Ramsay isn t even mad, he s just disappointed. Just kidding he s totally mad, t
oo. Thankfully, the Blue Team makes up for their
kitchen misfires with taste. They earn mostly great reviews from the guests.
THE ENTRE
If you thought one round of three Michelin star-level cooking was intense, get r
eady for round two. The already exhausted chefs will be
cooking venison loin with cabbage, gnocchi, and chanterelles. It s an intimidating
dish with lots of components and a delicate protein
that has to be cooked perfectly. To say the kids start to buckle under the press
ure here is an understatement.
The Red Team: Amaya, Zac, and Avery
Amaya, still getting over her meltdown during the tag team challenge last week,
is starting to stress. The sheer amount of ingredients
and steps to this dish are overwhelming, and she isn t communicating with her tea
m, like, at all. Christina tries her best to get Amaya s
head back in the game once she starts crying, and for a moment, it seems like it
works. But, once Gordon notes that all of her venison is
overcooked, Amaya pretty much shuts down. When Gordon pulls Zac aside to see wha
t s going on, he admits that their team captain is failing them.
Graham Elliot leaving 'MasterChef' franchise
Thankfully, Zac is an all-star. He easily takes command, and since he knows Aver
y, the hunter, can cook venison in her sleep,
he leaves cooking the meat to her and basically everything else he does on his ow
n. The judges are impressed with his calm leadership and
multi-tasking skills. It s safe to say that even if the Red Team loses, Zac won t be
going home.
Gordon s friends are fans of the Red Team s entre as well. They find the presentation
to be stunning and the meat cooked well.
Gordon harps on some under-seasoned cabbage, but considering where the Red Team
started, this is all good news.
The Blue Team: Addison, Kya, and JJ
After the appetizer debacle, Gordon pulls Addison aside to make sure she s ready t
o get her team focused. He talks to her about leading her
softball team and it s all very cute and also effective. Our Addison is back, maki
ng sure her team has all the support it needs and attempting
to keep morale up. Sadly, having one member focused on winning isn t enough. As J
J is pulling the pans of searing hot venison out of the oven,
he fumbles and the entire thing lands on Gordon s foot. The dude is in pain, and J
J has just injured one of the world s best chefs. It s very
embarrassing. Even worse, as the time for plating looms, Gordon sees two pieces
of raw venison there to replace what was spilled
sitting,
unattended. JJ was supposed to cook them, and completely forgot. Gordon wonders
if this team just wants to go home
I think JJ might actually
take him up on the offer for a minute.
In the end, they get all 13 plates finished for service. The guests are mixed on
the Blue Team s venison. Some find it completely on point
and really well-seasoned, others note that their venison is over-cooked. It s a to
ss up.
THE ELIMINATION

After the meal, Gordon reveals the chefs behind it all. His guests are so blown
away to see six kids walk out, they give them a standing ovation.
Maybe I m crying a little bit. Our kids did it! They presented a three Michelin st
ar meal and lived to tell the tale. Of course, some kids did it
better, and there is going to be an elimination, but can t we just bask in the gl
ow of pride for a little longer?
Back at the MasterChef kitchen, the judges reveal that two members of the losing
team will be going home tonight. So, any way you cut it, we re
losing someone who at some point has been considered a contender for the title.
This one s going to hurt.
Though the competition was close, the Red Team wins, and Zac, Amaya, and Avery a
re all sent to the Balcony of Safety. Amaya should never stop
thanking her teammates, because those two carried that girl through this round.
This leaves Addison, Kya, and JJ up for elimination. It s obvious that Addison is
the one member of the Blue Team who should be saved,
which means JJ and Kya the one time front-runner
are sent home. When the two are
asked who they think is going to win this whole thing,
JJ goes for Zac and Kya picks Addison. I can t help but nod my head with both of t
hose answers. Now that Kya is gone, if we don t get
an Addison vs. Zac showdown at the end of this whole thing, then what are we eve
n doing here?
written by MAGGIE FREMONT
article taken from http://www.ew.com