All language subtitles for MasterChef.Junior.Home.for.the.Holidays.S01E03.720p.WEB.h264-EDITH

Gordon: Previously
on "MasterChef Junior:
Home For The Holidays"...

We're going to have
a pie making contest!

- Go fast.
- I'm going.

- It's so heavy! Aah!
- Only perfect pies count.

The green team's look amazing.

Rae, Landon,
you are going straight
to the semifinals.

The other two teams
will have to compete

in an elimination
challenge tonight.

Really delicious.
You've seasoned it really well.

It's a little greasy.

This pastry is so undercooked.

Elijah, Colbie,
you are in the semifinals.

Say good-bye
to Xiaowan and Lorenzo.

- Bye, guys! Bye-bye!
- Bye!

- Tonight...
- Story time.

...in the "MasterChef Junior:
Home For The Holidays"
semifinal,

there's a Scrooge-y twist.

I am the Ghost of Holidays Past.

Your challenge is to create
a dish with what you unwrap

from my holiday mystery box.

But there may be
some bugs inside.

- Crickets?
- ( gags )

- Semifinal night. Let's go.
- Nothing can stop me.

- Are you trying to kill me?
- There's a lot of chili.

- But to reach
the grand finale...
- Bah humbug!

- Aah!
- It's Joe-benezer Scrooge!

...they'll need to use
a festive ingredient.

- Coal!
- What am I supposed
to do with coal?

- Quick, quick, quick!
- I got this.

If that's not cooked
beautifully inside, sadly,
you're going home.

Please don't send me home.

- ( squealing )
- ( murmuring )

- Yes.
- All: Okay.

- Oh, my goodness!
A Christmas tree!
- Wow.

- What's happening?
- Hurry up, guys.

- You don't want
to miss story time.
- Oh!

- Come on down.
- Well, this is different.

This is a holiday miracle.
I am in the semi-finale,

and I am living my dream.

But there's something weird
going on.

I just see Daphne.

Where are the other judges?

This is "A MasterChef Carol."

Scrooge was a greedy,
tight-fisted old man.

And on this cold winter night,
he could not stay asleep.

The clock tolled one.

- ( thunder )
- ( bell tolls )

- What the--
- What?

And the curtains of his bed

were drawn aside
by a strange figure.

( thunder continues )

- Aah!
- Oh!

I am the Ghost of Holidays Past.

The Ghost of Holiday Past.

He looks like he's,
like, 20 million years old.

- Don't tell him I said that.
- The bell struck again.

- ( bell tolls )
- ( thunder )

Another one?

Daphne:
"Who are you?", Scrooge said.

The Ghost of Holidays Future.

- I love the screen.
- Yeah.

- This is connected
to my brain.
- Seriously?

( beeping, whirring )

Gordon: Wha--

Really, Tilly?

She just roasted her dad.

If I called my dad a donkey,

you' better believe
I'll be grounded.

- Oh, man.
- Pretty cool.

Now, Scrooge saw
a blaze of light...

- ( bell tolls )
- ( thunder )

...and another jolly spirit.

Another?

( thunder continues )

I am the Ghost
of Holiday Presents.

- What?
- What?

Aarón, the book says

"Ghost of Holiday Present."

Not "holiday presents."

- Oh.
- Really?

I guess I wrapped all these
presents for nothing.

- ( grunts )
- What are those?

Come on, Santa Sanchez,
tell 'em what's in there.

Here's the deal.
Each one of these presents
has some mystery ingredients.

These are ingredients
that I love using with my family
during the holidays,

ingredients from Mexican cuisine
and Southern cuisine.

- Mexico.
- Sí.

- Yes!
- Tonight, your challenge
is to create a dish

with what you unwrap
from my MasterChef holiday
mystery boxes.

- Ooh.
- It's a mystery box!

- You guys up for that?
- Yes, Chef!

Elijah: The holiday
mystery box challenge,

I'm excited,
but also a tad bit nervous

because at times
you don't even know
what's in that box.

You don't know.
It could be a cow's heart
or something.

( lowing )

I try to make dishes
from around the world,

but I really, really don't want
to get anything too gross.

This is
the perfect chance tonight

to really cook
outside your comfort zone.

- Okay.
- Now, when I tell you so,

I'd like all of you
to run up there
and then grab a present.

Now, be careful.
There may be some bugs inside.

- Seriously?
- ( gagging )

- You guys ready?
- Yes, Chef!

- Then go grab your gifts...
- Go grab your gifts, guys.

...and take them
back to your stations.
Let's go.

- I want the blue one.
- Hey!

We're getting to do
a mystery box challenge? Sweet!

If there's something alive
under this box,

I could handle it because
I'm a farm girl from Texas

and I love to go hunt
and I love to fish.

I can break down animals,
so I can totally do this.

Okay, let's begin with Colbie.

- You go, Colbie.
- ( murmuring )

- Go on. Yes.
- Aarón: Nice.

Tell us what you got.

Gulf shrimp,
Mexican "cor-izo."

Chorizo.

Corn, hominy grits,

collard greens,
Mexican "ore-gano."

Mexican oregano. Excited?

- Yes, Chef.
- Right, next up,

Elijah, please.

And tell us what you got.

Chicken, agave, Fresno chili,

okra, sugarcane,
vinegar, and cornmeal.

- Mmm.
- Wow. Landon.

- Good boy.
- Aarón: Nice and easy.

Rae: What's in there?

Skirt steak, crickets.

- Yes!
- ( gags )

Landon: Prepared masa,

"guaga" chilis,

crema and "papitas".

Your accent is spot-on!

Go on, taste a cricket.

They are so delicious.

Be careful.

- ( crunch )
- Oh.

- Ooh, no.
- Not bad.

It's really good.
I've had 'em before.

It tasted like oregano, kinda.

Crickets in my mystery box?

I don't think Aarón's
in the holiday spirit.

We have crickets in Florida,

but we ain't going around
eating them!

I gotta think about what
I'm doing with these crickets.

Now, Rae.
Oh, here we go.

Ray, what have you got?

I've got crawfish,

andouille sausage,

"Ana-him" chili,
chipotle in adobo,

spring onions, and chayote.

So you have one of my favorite,
which is chayote.

- It's kind of like
a fresh squash.
- Okay.

Okay, guys,
you will have one hour

to cook us an incredible dish
using the ingredients

from Aarón's
holiday mystery box.

Whoever uses those holiday
ingredients best tonight

will earn a spot
in the finale.

Aarón: But that's not all.

Whoever cooks
the number one dish tonight

will win an all-inclusive trip
to Mexico with your family

at Dreams Bahia Mita
Surf & Spa Resort.

You and your family
are gonna enjoy this
unbelievable luxury resort.

There is plenty of activities
on the water,

and they got
a kids-only game room.

- All right!
- Now, unfortunately,

whoever cooks
the worst dish tonight

will, sadly,
leave the MasterChef kitchen.

- Now, is everybody ready?
- Yes, Chef!

Then your time starts...

- Now!
- ( muted chatter )

Tilly, can you please
change out of that
ridiculous outfit, girl?

( beeping, whirring )

Really? Wow. Wow.

Garlic powder, garlic powder,
garlic powder, garlic powder.

- Garlic powder's right here.
- Thank you, thank you.

Okay, guys,
let's change into something
a little more comfortable.

Ah, much better.

- Okay, I'm gonna have to get--
- Oh, mine's a little heavy.

I'm part Mexican.
My mom's Mexican.

- Need help, Colbie?
- No, I got it.

So I know my way
around Mexican cuisine.

- Tilly: Go on, Rae.
- Gordon: Come on, Rae.

And since I'm from Texas,
I know southern flavors.

I'm feeling really confident.
I've got this.

Okay.

So heavy!

Let's go, big Landon!
You can do it!

- ( grunts )
- Daphne: Yay.

All right, let's do this.

There we go.

I think I have this in the bag
because I'm very familiar

with Mexican
and southern cuisine.

So I am making a fried chicken

with a slaw
and okra succotash.

I decided to make this dish
because fried chicken

is one of my family's
comfort foods.

This is the most important dish
I've ever made

because this is the dish
that will get me to the finale.

It smells so good.

Guys,
it's the semifinal tonight,

"MasterChef Junior:
Home For The Holidays."

Four amazing young cooks,

only three can make it
forward to the finale,

and so there's so much
at stake tonight.

♪ Spicy chili time

I chose some
really beautiful ingredients,

that I think all the kids
can embellish, and we're
asking a lot of them.

How do you balance the flavors?
How do you understand
those ingredients?

- Maybe you're not
familiar with them?
- Cricket time!

You'd look right now
with Landon who has crickets.

First of all, they're
a beautiful source of protein,

but primarily it's used
as a salsa addition.

Time for the steak,
this beautiful skirt.

But Landon's
got that skirt steak.

Undercook, then it's just chewy.
Overcook, then it dries out.

- Daphne: Absolutely.
- ( sighing )

And then you have Rae.
She has crawfish.

Crawfish is something
that's very delicate,

so you have to add that at
the end of the cooking process

so it doesn't over-dry.

- Okay. Okay.
- Whoo!

And then what's the jeopardy
with Elijah?

If he goes down
the fried chicken route,

you have to do
a very light marinade,

'cause you want that buttermilk
to sort of kind of give

that acid and help tenderize
the actual chicken.

- All right.
- And then you look at Colbie,
she has gulf shrimp.

Daphne: Nothing is worse
than taking a perfect shrimp

and letting it cook so hard
that it forms that full "O"

and then you lose
the beauty of the shrimp.

This is a lot of stuff.

Tonight's challenge
is very difficult.

It's a tall order,
so to speak.

Oh, oopsies.

This is really stressful

because I haven't worked
with hominy or chorizo.

This is more stressful
than doing a history exam,

and those are really hard.

I mean, it's terrifying

because I really
don't want to go home.

I really want to do well

and I really
want to get to the finale.

Gordon:
Guys, 15 minutes gone.
45 minutes remaining.

Remember, you have to use
the ingredients from Aarón's
inspired mystery box.

Aah!

You know what?
Take a minute, take a breath.

I decided to make tacos
because I make them every
Thursday with my family,

so today I am making
street steak tacos

with a cricket salsa
and my world-famous guacamole.

But I've never cooked
with crickets before,

and I'm kinda happy about
going out of my comfort zone.

And Camo loves crickets.

After all, he is a chameleon.

- There we go.
- Alrighty, Rae.

So were you excited
when you saw these baskets?

I'm sure that you've cooked
sausage and chicken before.

Oh, yes, I've done it
multiple times.

So what's your idea
for a beautiful dish for us?

I'm making y'all chicken
and crawfish jambalaya.

- Aarón: Awesome.
- I got the idea for this dish

because my dad
used to work in Louisiana
on an offshore oil rig.

- Oh.
- And so my dad's buddy
had made this for us.

- No kidding.
- And so I thought this
would be a good idea.

- Perfect.
- Any of these ingredients that
you were unfamiliar with?

- I was unfamiliar with, um--
- The chayote.

The chayote. But the chayote
reminds me of squash,

so I'm gonna put it
in my jambalaya.

For sure.
Let me just tell you, Rae,
everything looks fantastic.

- Daphne: Delicious.
- For a great jambalaya,

the color of the rice
is so important

'cause that means you put
the right amount of seasoning.

You know what I'm saying?

- Yes, sir. Gracias.
- Good job, young lady.

- All right.
- Colbie.

- Hi.
- What are you making today?

I will be making
spicy shrimp and grits

with collard greens
and fried hominy.

Oh, my Lord, I love that.

Now, how are you feeling
about the ingredients?

When I saw the ingredients,
I thought about my grandma

because she likes to cook
shrimp and grits, shrimp Creole.

Love that. Now,
these grits need to be really
packed with flavor.

How are you gonna
elevate these grits?
What are you gonna put in there?

Butter, chicken stock,
and the sauce.

Good, that's the secret
of a great grits--
lots of butter.

But make sure
to add lots of sauce
because it needs flavor.

I'm very impressed how quickly
you've come up with this.

You're very calm.
It's looking good.

- Get the grits on, please. Yes?
- Yes, Chef.

Good luck.

- Okay.
- We are coming up to halfway.

- Speed up, guys. Let's go!
- ( sighs )

( thunder )

- Aah!
- What's happening?

Stop the clock!

Uh-oh. It looks like
we got another visitor.

- Ooh!
- Bah humbug!

- ( grunts )
- What the heck's happening?

- Who are these folks?
- Look, everyone!

- Wait!
- It's Joe-benezer Scrooge!

Yeah!

Of course Joe's a scrooge.
He's just as grumpy as Scrooge.

I come bearing gifts.

I have gifts of coal
for you children.

- Coal?
- Why? Why were we bad?

- Have you been a good girl?
- Yes.

Too bad. Here's some coal.

- Wow.
- You seem like
a good little girl.

But you know what?
You still get some coal!

- For Colbie.
- I don't want some coal.

What am I supposed to do
with coal, do a barbecue?

- What's your name, young man?
- Landon.

- You look like a troublemaker.
- What?

- Who's this little guy?
- Oh, he's my sous chef.

- Here's coal, you can
share it with him.
- Thanks.

Joe-bene-neezer Scrooge looks
scarier than normal Scrooge.

He's like... ( rasping )

So I'm kinda happy
he's not a judge.

- What?
- Some coal for you, too.

You've undoubtedly
been a bad boy.

This is coal? Hold on.

He's eating coal!

This is not coal!

- This is dark chocolate!
- Ha-ha!

What did you think,
I'd bring you coal?

- Yeah!
- Yes, you're Scrooge!

Scrooge has
a very refined palate.

And this chocolate is key
to my favorite holiday food.

- Cookies!
- ( gasps )

- Ooh, that sounds good.
- You must make these guys

holiday chocolate chip cookies.

You heard him.
We would like cookies on top
of your original dish.

- ( gasps )
- And those cookies must
have personal connections

to you your holiday
celebrations.

Start the clock! Let's go!

Start making those cookies!

Joe: Get to it!
Come on, hurry up!

Cook, cook, cook, cook!

Cook! Faster!

Gordon, I thought you said

we were all gonna wear
costumes for this.

- Damn. Sorry, Scrooge.
- Bah humbug.

( thunder )

How rude.

- Bah humbug!
- Bye!

- Bye!
- Okay, Scrooge was being
a little bit naughty.

- Wow, guys, the competition
just heated up.
- Elijah: Oh, my gosh.

I don't even have time
to make this dish.

How dare you try to make me
make cookies on top of that?

This is literally crazy.

Gordon:
Start making those cookies.

- Multitask. Let's go!
- Bah humbug!

I'm gonna have some chocolate.

It's cookie time.

Landon: The judges are making us
do a cookie with this dish?

This is really stressful.

Here we go.

But I feel good
about chocolate.

Chocolate's like
my favorite flavor.

Like, I go get ice cream.

Chocolate.
I go get anything.

Chocolate.
Except for pizza and sushi.

But chocolate's pretty good
on chicken wings.

Ooh, it's looking good.

Okay.
In addition to my jambalaya,

I have to make chocolate cookies
for all the judges!

So I'm making rock
chocolate chip cookies.

Scrooge is trying
to throw me off,
but I've got this.

Ooh! Look at this.

All right.

Elijah's all business, you know?
Already onto the next step.

- Right.
- But if you look
over to Colbie,

she's eating all of her stuff.

Come on, Colbie,
you gotta save some
for the plate.

There's tasting and eating.

- Two different things.
- She came to eat.

I will not let Scrooge get to me

because I make cookies around
the holidays all the time.

So I am making
chocolate chip cookies

topped with Merry & Bright
yellow sprinkles.

You know, what? I don't mind
Joe-benezer Scrooge.

He gave me chocolate.

I'm going to add the cayenne.

But I have so much to do
with my shrimp and grits,

I need to focus.

Oven open!

Looks perfect.

We have 20 minutes remaining.
Come on!

( cheering )

All right.

- Landon!
- Hello.

- How is it going over here?
- Good.

- A special guacamole?
- Yes.

What's so special
about this?

It is avocados,
garlic powder,

salt, pepper,
chili powder, and tomatoes.

Love that. Tell me
about the presentation here.

What's going on here?
'Cause we've got quite a lot
happening.

So, right here we have my salsa
with my crickets in it.

Nice, and has Camo
eaten any crickets?

- Yes? Yeah.
- Hungry, Camo?

Can you tell me what you think
about the sauce?

- It looks powerful.
- Yeah. ( coughs )

- Mmm-mmm-mmm.
- It's hot, but it's good.

- Oh, my goodness me.
Is your mouth hot?
- Yeah.

- Dude.
- There's a lot
of chili pepper in there.

Chili-- what are
you trying to do, are you
trying to kill me?

- No. I'm sorry.
- Oh, my goodness me.

- Don't you worry.
- Wow.

I love cooking with spicy.

- I can tell you love
cooking with spices.
- Yes.

Right. Think about the cooling
agents, like a crema,

- because that's
too spicy. Yes?
- Yes, Chef.

Did you recognize that Scrooge?

Yes, as soon as he came.

- Who was that?
- Joe.

- Joe who?
- I forget his last name.

- So do I.
- He has a long last name.

- The cookies, what we doing?
- I'm Jewish, and I'm making

chocolate chip
Hanukkah cookies.

- Wow. Smells delicious.
- Yes, Chef.

- Good luck.
- Yes, Chef.

Come on, Rae.
Push through.

- Elijah.
- Daphne: Look at that chicken.

- Are you kidding me?
- Elijah: Thank you.

Are you happy with the way
everything's coming out?

Yep, I'm very happy.

Everything looks really,
really good.

What did you think about Scrooge
coming in there

and throwing
that little curveball?

I feel like
I'm an elf right now,

'cause I'm being forced
to make cookies for a man
that is very mean.

But I can make it.
I can make it.

Now tell me about the cookie.

I am making chocolate chip
rainbow cookies.

I'm gonna add a little bit more
sprinkles on top.

- Ooh.
- Nice.

- That'll be nice.
- Let me just check on these.

- Yeah, so,
Joe-benezer Scrooge's visit...
- Oh, good!

...didn't throw you
off your game, right?

Nothing can stop me
from cooking.

The only thing that
can stop me from cooking

- is when my mama screams.
- Ah!

- That's the only thing.
- Good luck!

Last but not least.

Gordon:
Right, 10 minutes remaining.
We've got to speed up.

- Daphne: Come on, guys.
- Come on, guys.

- Aarón: You guys
are doing great.
- Oh, my goodness.

Elijah has some of
the most glorious golden brown,
crispy-looking chicken.

But is it gonna be cooked?
Because that chicken can't
afford to be pink in the middle.

♪ This is my salsa dance

Now, beware with Landon's tacos
because he has more chili

in that tiny little
pestle and mortar

than the whole
of Oaxaca right now,
let me tell you.

Yeah, it can use
a little longer.

But the cook
on that skirt steak,

- does he understand
how to cook a skirt steak?
- Yeah.

I've been looking
and it's starting to worry me.

Daphne:
There's a lot of smoke
coming off that steak,

and it has been on
the hot grill pan
for a long time.

And skirt steak is very
unforgiving and dries out
very quickly.

- Absolutely.
- Gordon: Get that wrong,
it's game over.

This is pretty stressful
'cause I usually don't cook
steak a lot at home,

but I want to win
this challenge so bad

- because I really want
to get into the finale.
- Ooh.

Just under seven minutes
remaining.

- We've got to speed up.
- Come on, guys.

Come on, guys.
It's semifinal night.

Let's go! Multitask.

Whoo! I got this.

Quick, Landon.
Quick, quick, quick.

This is a lot of stuff. Whew.

Good job, Elijah. Let's go.

- There we go.
- Last five minutes.

Start plating, guys.
You've got two plates, remember.

Plate of cookies and then
that beautiful mystery box

inspired by the great
Aarón Sanchez.

All right. Let's do this.

Perfect.

Ooh, it's so juicy.

Aarón: Make sure
you got everything, Elijah.

- Finishing touches!
- Ooh, there we go.

Hot, hot, hot, hot.

- All right.
- 60 seconds remaining.

- Last minute, guys. Come on.
- This is where it's at, guys.

- Come on, guys!
Final 60 seconds.
- Yeah, a little bit!

- Okay.
- Colbie, get those cookies
on a plate.

- Quickly, let's go!
- ( groans )

Landon, let's go.

Judges:
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six...

- Oh, my goodness.
- ...five, four, three...

- ...two, one!
- Hands in the air!

- Well done.
- I feel like I did
really, really good.

I hope when the judges
bite into my chicken,
it has enough flavor,

and hopefully it does
so I can go to the finale.

The end was pretty stressful.

I'm a little nervous
that my grits are too plain.

I'm just worried it's
not gonna be good enough.

First of all,
that was an extraordinary cook.

Well done.
Now, tonight, you each
had to cook a dish

with ingredients selected
from Aarón's holiday mystery box

and a chocolate chip cookie.

Now, here's the good news,
we're going to taste all
of your dishes.

But only three of you
will make it into

the "MasterChef Junior"
holiday finale.

And, sadly, one of you
will have cooked for the
very last time.

- Please don't send me home.
- Right, let's start with Rae.

Please bring down your dishes.

Rae: I'm really happy
with my plate,

but I'm kind of worried
about my flavor.

I really want to be
on this finale.

This is one of the most
important things I've ever
done in my life,

so fingers crossed.

All righty, Rae,
so describe your dish,

and let us know what you got

under that box
that I prepared for you.

What I've prepared for y'all

is a crawfish
chicken breast jambalaya

with green onion as a garnish.

And what I got
in my mystery box was crawfish,

chipotle and adobo,
andouille sausage,

Anaheim chilis,
spring onions, chayote.

And I made rock
chocolate chip cookies.

Why I chose the chocolate rocks
is because me and my mom

like to paint rocks
for Christmas.

- I love that.
- I love that.
Isn't that neat?

Gordon:
Visually, it looks beautiful.

And cookies look
a little bit undercooked.

However, jambalaya
looks delicious.

- Thank you.
- I love this texture
and color

showing on the edge
of your andouille sausage,

and I love to paint rocks
with my kids, too.

I think that is such a fun nod
to you and your mom.

- Thank you.
- Shall we?

Now, what did you season
this with? What's in there?

I seasoned it with
Cajun seasoning,

some Mexican oregano,
with a little bit of turmeric.

And how long
did you cook it for?

I cooked it
for 20 minutes total.

Rae, firstly, I think
that the spice level
from your sausage

has really helped
to tie that dish together.

It's a tough dish to cook,
but in my opinion,
you've done that amazingly.

The only thing,
maybe a little bit more stock

just to make it
a tiny bit looser.

But apart from that,
I really enjoyed it.

And those cookies, you know,
I actually like them
a bit undercooked.

- Daphne: Mmm.
- You know, you've got
that gooeyness

and a bit of chewiness.
So for me, pretty perfect.

Yeah, I think
that the chayote was actually
a sleeper hit for me

'cause it's a little bit
acidic and it juices up
this whole plate.

Really yummy.
But I think that the rice

was a tiny,
tiny bit underdone.

With a little bit more time,
a little bit more stock,
it would have been perfect.

But, overall, I think
that this is very delicious.

- Thank you.
- Yeah, Rae, I mean, I can
taste all the ingredients,

And that's a really important
part of this challenge,
so I really appreciate that.

You know, in Louisiana,
when something is this good,
you say, "Sha bebe!"

And that's how good it is,
all right?

And it just makes you
want to dance.

It makes you want to
just smile.

( speaking Spanish )

There you go!

Um, if I had to take you
to task on something,

just a little bit more salt
to bring it all together.

- But great job.
- Rae, it's delicious.

It's fragrant,
it's hot, spicy.

The andouille sausage
just melts in your mouth.

And you figured out
across 60 minutes

what to do with
this mystery box-- tough one--

and then put together
a jambalaya,

which traditionally
takes two hours to cook.

So I'm so impressed.

But the cookies? Underdone.

Sorry, but they need
two more minutes cooking.

- Dad, those are perfect.
- Ti--

- Really?
- Really.

- Really. I do.
- Daphne agrees.

- Great job, Rae. Thank you.
- Thank you.

- The cookies are underdone.
- Chewy and gooey.

- I like chewy and gooey.
- ( sighs )

Now, the next dish
we'd like to taste-- Elijah.

- Go, Elijah! Looks great!
- Thank you!

I'm feeling so pumped.
The best thing on my dish
is definitely the fried chicken.

But this chicken needs
to be perfect in the inside,

because I don't want to go home
because of undercooked
fried chicken.

Elijah, tell us what you made
with the ingredients

from Aarón's
holiday mystery box.

Today, I have made for you
a fried chicken and slaw

with the okra succotash,
with a side of hot agave sauce.

And in my holiday mystery box,
I got chicken, agave, cornmeal,

okra, Fresno pepper,
and sugarcane vinegar.

And I made a chocolate chip
rainbow cookie.

They're made in honor
of my sister Ella

because we love to make cookies
over the holidays

and her favorite color
is rainbow.

Now, young man,
visually it looks beautiful.

But if that chicken's
not cooked beautifully inside,

- sadly, you're going home.
- Yes, Chef.

- Shall we?
- Daphne: Let's.

I'm cutting
right next to the bone.

If that chicken's
not cooked beautifully inside,

- sadly, you're going home.
- Yes, Chef.

Shall we?

I'm cutting
right next to the bone.

Wow, you cooked it absolutely
spot-on. Well done.

You dredged it
how many times?

Uh, I dredged my chicken
about two times.

- Why twice?
- I just really wanted it
to have, like, a good crust,

make sure it's very crispy.

Elijah, I have to say, as soon
as I bit into that chicken,

it was crunchy,
crispy on the outside,
just what you want.

And then the inside
was so nice and it wasn't dry,

and then that nice drizzle
of the spicy agave.

You got the sweetness there
and a bit of spice.

- Really, really enjoyed it.
- Thank you.

My only thought is
the succotash and the coleslaw
kind of do the same thing.

They just
compete with each other.

But, honestly, you really
knocked it out of the park.

And the cookies,
look, I love the rainbow
sprinkles on top,

I think it's really
fun and festive,

and I loved how crispy
the outer edges were.

- Really nice.
- Thank you.

Elijah, I think for me,

there's too much salt
on the chicken.

It's a little bit aggressive,
to be very honest.

And the other part of it, too,
which is really confusing

is that the succotash
has no salt,

so it's kind of
a little bit imbalanced.

But the cookies,
I like the fact

that you undercooked
them a little bit 'cause
I like cookie dough.

- Yeah. Yeah.
- So that's what I like
a lot about your cookies.

When a succotash like
that is not seasoned properly,
it just tastes greasy.

Okra need
to be cooked separately.

It stops it
from becoming slimy.

But I'm gonna commend you
for the cook on the chicken.

I think you took a really big
risk tonight.

I just wish you got
the seasoning balanced properly.

Great job. Well done.
Head back, please, Elijah.

Thank you. The okra, I would
have cooked that separately.

- You're absolutely right.
- It's just a touch slimy.

- Yep.
- What a shame.

All right, so, the next dish

that we would like to taste
is from Colbie!

Please bring your dish forward.

Colbie: I'm a little nervous

that my grits
are a little just plain.

But I think all the colors
really work well together

and I really do think
my flavors are great.

So I hope that
the work and love

I put into this dish
pushes me to the finale.

Tell us what you made
with Chef Aarón's mystery box.

Well, I drew inspiration
from my grandma.

So I made shrimp and grits
with a spicy sauce,

with collard greens
and fried hominy.

And I also used all
my mystery box ingredients,

which include shrimp, chorizo,

oregano, grits,
collard greens, and hominy.

And I also made chocolate chip
cookies with yellow sprinkles

to represent
my very Merry & Bright
Canadian grandma.

- Gordon: I love that.
- I have to say,
I'm so impressed.

I love the idea of the shrimp.
I think you sautéed them
beautifully.

Thank you.

I love the height
that you gave with the shrimp.

And the thing
I'm most excited about

are these fried hominy pieces.

I think it's a great way
to give us corn two ways.

Colbie, I think
this looks delicious.

I love the yellow sprinkles
on the cookies.

Such a fun way
to represent your grandma.

She's so bright and joyful.
Really nice touch.

- Thank you.
- Shall we?

- Mm-hmm.
- Now, the sauce

is underneath here, right?

- Yes, Chef.
- Ah. Okay.

- Daphne: Ooh.
- Aarón: There it is.

- Here you go. That's right.
- Sharing is caring.

Colbie, I have to say,
I think those shrimp

are cooked deliciously
and perfectly.

- Thank you.
- I think they're a really
hard thing to cook

'cause they can
be rubbery so easily.

- Really nice job.
- Thank you.

Colbie, I love the acidity
on the collard greens
underneath.

That was a really
welcome surprise.

And I think a little bit more
liquid on the grits

would have helped to have them
stay really delicate and soft.

But it's a beautiful dish.
And these cookies?

Crispy on the edges,
gooey in the center.

- Just beautiful.
- Thank you.

Aarón: Yeah, Colbie, you did
a great job with the shrimp.

And the sauce. Mmm!

But I need more of that, okay?

- Yes, Chef.
- And that's a good
problem to have.

'Cause when you make
something delicious,

somebody wants more of it?

it's a good sign.

I love the fact that you
used all six ingredients

from Aarón's
inspired mystery box.

- Well done there.
- Thank you.

Shrimp are cooked beautifully.
Grits, they needed

a little bit more stock,
a little bit more butter there.

And always spread some sauce

around the outside as well,

just to make those grits
taste beautiful.

But the seasoning's there.
Well done.

Thank you!

- More sauce. More sauce.
- Ay, indeed, Chef.

The sauce is in the pan!

All right, who do we have left?

Landon, please bring us
down your dish.

I'm feeling really good
about my dish.

The only thing I'm concerned
about is the steak.

Hopefully it's cooked evenly

because I really want
to get into the finale,

and especially
I want to go to Mexico.

Landon, what did you
make for us today?

First of all, I wasn't
the only one that made it.

Me and Camo made it.

We made streak street tacos

with a cricket
carne asada salsa,

garnished with crema
and my world-famous guacamole.

And then I used skirt steak,

crickets, chili pepper,
crema, masa.

And for the cookies, I made
my special Hanukkah cookies.

And the reason
I used blue sprinkles

is because during Hanukkah
your whole house is blue.

- Okay.
- Landon, I have to say,

tacos for me
are a personal favorite.

The one thing I would say,
is it's a shame

your guacamole's
gone a little bit brown.

And I think to help with that
you can add a bit of citrus,

and that just helps it stay
that nice, vibrant green.

Young man,
it's a bold move, tacos.

Especially in front
of Chef Aarón.

Unfortunately, I can see
visually on these tacos,

some are sort of medium,

and then one on this side
looks rare.

Oh, dear.

Now, I can see visually
on these tacos,

some are sort of medium,

and then one on this side
looks rare.

Yeah, Landon, I kind of
share the sentiment
of Chef Gordon.

When you have a street taco,
you chop it up a little smaller

so everything is kind of
uniform in its cook.

- Yes, Chef.
- But we'll see how
it tastes, young man.

Landon:
I'm feeling a little nervous.

I really want to get
into the finale.

It's more stressful
than anything ever.

Mm-mm-mm!

- Man.
- Oh, my God.

- Is the sauce spicy?
- Just a wee bit.

( gasps )

Landon, look at
your beautiful cookie!

Young man, listen,
the tortilla tastes beautiful.

What you did on the toasting
and getting those things
nice and crispy? Delicious.

But the skirt steak,
we got a bit that's
a little bit rare.

We've got one a little bit
well done.

And the actual guacamole
does actually taste okay,

- it just doesn't
look good, right?
- Yeah.

Doesn't look as appetizing.
Yes, Chef.

Um, the salsa is super hot.
I need more of that crema.

I need a cooling down liquid
because my mouth is on fire.

Cookies, you've nailed.
They're beautiful.
Really beautiful.

- Really good job.
- Well, Landon,
I think you and Camo

did a great job
incorporating those crickets in,

because that's not
an easy ingredient at all.

I mean, the salsa is spicy,

- but it's supposed to be,
isn't it?
- Yes.

It's got a nice kick,
and he's not always right, so...

- ( laughing )
- Thank you, Chef.

Skirt steak is a tricky
piece of meat.

And the meat
was a little bit chewy for me.

But I think that
there's a lot of really
delicious things here

that definitely could be
finessed a little bit.

But that was my favorite cookie
I ate tonight.

- So delicious.
- Thank you, Chef.

Yeah, Landon, you know,
here you have a couple elements

that are not necessarily
in balance.

The guacamole-- take that crema,
mix it with the guacamole,

and then you've got
an avocado crema.

And it will help kind of
tame down some of the spice.

And the cookie, for me,
I need more chocolate.

- Yes.
- Good job. Head back, bud.

- Good man.
- Thanks, bud.

Yeah, it's a shame, isn't it?

Because I like the idea
of the avocado crema.

- Yeah.
- That's what's missing.

- But the color
on that guacamole.
- Yeah.

- What a shame.
- You did great.

- Thank you.
- Right, all of you,

what an extraordinary
semifinal night.

Now, one of you will win
that incredible all-inclusive
trip to Mexico.

- ( maracas shaking )
- But right now we need
a very important moment

to decide who's earned
their spot into the finale,

and, sadly, who's leaving
the MasterChef kitchen.

In the meantime,
please all of you come forward

and we'll see you in a moment.
Thank you.

Oh, my gosh.

Gordon:
Ah, man. This is hard.

- You were amazing.
- I'm so going home today.

Oh, my gosh,
your dish looked so good.

So, Colbie,
that shrimp and grits,

- they were delicious, right?
- Really good.

Gordon:
Were the grits rich enough?

For me, personally,
I can always use more butter
and cheese on grits.

- I agree.
- But that's just me.

You want them to slide
a little bit more,
I always find.

- It was very sturdy.
- Yeah.

- Elijah's fried chicken?
- Wow.

I enjoyed it. And I just--
I think that he took a big risk
and I think it paid off.

Yeah.
The succotash was a bit bland,
though, wasn't it?

- A bit bland, a bit oily.
- Landon, so...

- Aw, man.
- That skirt steak, I mean,
bits of mine were rare.

- Yeah. That's the star
of the whole dish.
- It was a tough fight.

- Gordon: Damn. So, Rae,
the jambalaya, right?
- Mm-hmm.

The heat, and the flavor coming
out of that andouille sausage

- was just delicious.
- Brilliant.

It was the most technically
difficult dish to execute.

Okay, but here's the problem.
We need to pick one dish
that stood out from the pack.

- I think I know who that is.
- And in terms of
who's going home...

- Yes.
- I'm going home.

You're not. Don't say that.

- I heard my name.
- Gordon:
Are we all in agreeance?

- Shall we?
- Yeah.

Right, all four of you
did a great job tonight.

Let's get that
absolutely clear.

Now, we all agree
that tonight there was one
talented young home cook

that really did stand out,
and this person has earned

the first spot into
the "MasterChef Junior" finale.

Plus, they will win
that trip to Mexico.

Congratulations goes to...

- Rae.
- Oh!

Well done.

You and your family
are going on that amazing

all-inclusive holiday to Mexico.

- Awesome.
- And more importantly,

you are going into the finale.

Make your way
up to the balcony!
Great job. Well done.

I just won a trip to Mexico.
It's awesome.

And I'm going into the finale,

and I am so excited.

I worked really hard
to get here.

I can't wait to cook
in that finale.

Gordon:
Elijah, Colbie, and Landon,

Unfortunately,
one of you have just cooked

for the very last time
inside this incredible kitchen.

We are all in agreement.

The two cooks
that will be joining Rae
in the finale,

congratulations goes to...

Elijah and Colbie.

Good job, guys.

Elijah and Colbie,
congratulations,

and join Rae up on the balcony.
Well done.

It doesn't matter
if you get eliminated or not.
You're still a good chef.

Landon, young man,
you've been amazing.

Honestly, me, personally?
I'm gonna miss you.

I love your spirit.
You're a credit to your parents.

But most importantly,
you're a credit to yourself.

- Yes, Chef.
- Come up here, bud.
Come and say good-bye.

You good?
I'm gonna miss you, my man.

Yeah, good luck. Come here.
Happy holidays, okay?

I am upset and disappointed,
but I had so much fun
on "MasterChef Junior."

I made it to the top four.
That sounds pretty good.

Such a brave young man.

My friends and family
are gonna be so proud of me,

and I'm really proud
of myself.

- Bye, Landon.
- Bye, Landon!

- Bye, Landon!
- Bye!

Bye, Landon!

- Bye, Camo!
- Bye, Camo!

After an amazing whirlwind
of a competition,

we have our three
incredible finalists.

Well done,
and we can't wait to see you

in the "MasterChef Junior"
finale.

- You guys excited?
- Yes, Chef!

Gordon:
Next time...

It's the "MasterChef Junior:
Home For The Holidays" finale.

...with a very special guest.

Dara Yu!

She's here to help
all three of you

get across the finish line.

The top three junior cooks
battle it out...

- The pressure is real!
- Go faster, faster, faster!

( squeals )

- Okay, Dara, let's go.
- Squeeze the side a little bit.

You're almost there.

...for a title, the trophy,

and $25,000.

- Oh, my gosh!
- That's on fire.

- Whoo! Spicy!
- Yeah, it's spicy.

- This is really special.
- Phenomenally delicious.

- How old are you again? Ten!
- Ten.

Our "MasterChef Junior"
winner is...

Kid: Oh, my God.
Who's gonna win?