Episode 12 Junior MasterChef

It's Junior MasterChef - the competition to find

the best young cook in the country.

From over 1,000 applications,

only four cooks have made it to the finals.

Now, top chef John Torode...

..and food blogger and TV cook Donal Skehan

have to decide which cook is good enough

to win the title of Junior MasterChef.

Josie, TJ,

Jamie and Tom are on the biggest cooking adventure of their lives.

It's the Junior MasterChef finals, and we have

four of the most extraordinary cooks we've ever seen.

The competition is getting quite tough.

It is crucial that I don't make any silly mistakes.

There is quite a bit of pressure now,

but I'm just going to have to take it as it comes.

It's less of us, and it matters more, so

it's harder in every way.

I'm feeling really close to winning the Junior MasterChef title.

The closer you get, the more and more you seem to want it.

The competition is really hotting up now -

all four cooks have a chance at that title.

In 2010,

Georgia was the first Junior MasterChef Champion.

Amber, Hajra and George were the finalists.

Today, they return to the MasterChef kitchen as critics.

Welcome back!

Show us what you've learned so far, and really

put a smile on those critics' faces.

One-and-a-half hours - your two course...

Let's cook.

Our cooks are going to be under serious pressure, but of course,

they have the help of us, if they need it. If they were at home,

they would need the help of a responsible adult.

And before they kick things off,

they need to give their hands a quick wash.

Our four have to stay calm and focused,

and they can't let their nerves get the better of them.

We know they're good -

what they've got to do now is impress our critics.

Georgia, our champion -

her expectations are going to be very high.

They will have to work hard to impress. It's elegant -

all I want to do is dive in and eat the whole lot.

I'm expecting good food from them because it is the finals.

I want to see their individual style - what they like eating.

Hajra - the spice queen of Junior MasterChef.

If anybody is going to dabble in the spice world, they'd better make sure

it is well-balanced and it's got a proper punch.

You've got heat from the chilli - I just think it's fantastic.

We all know how they'll be feeling right now,

so I can't wait to see what they produce.

George - a great cook, a classic cook.

He knows all about refinement, he knows about detail.

George, it's the sort of food that makes me weep.

I'm looking forward to good presentation in the dishes.

I personally want to see lots of skills in their plates.

Amber - our dessert queen. If they want to impress today,

they've got to produce something sophisticated

and packed full of sugar.

It's absolutely delicious.

I love cooking desserts, and I love eating them, too,

so it will be really nice to see what they can do.

Our critics today are going to spot mistakes, so our cooks

really have to be at the top of their game.

So far in the competition, 11-year-old Jamie's ambitious dishes

-have wowed the judges.

-I admire your bravery, Jamie.

I like them a lot, and I'll eat all of them.

But his presentation can let him down.

I think it could be a bit cleaner,

rather than all the splatters around the outside.

It's so important that I impress the judges and the critics,

because this could be a future job on the line today!

What are the two dishes you're going to wow the critics with today?

For the main course, I'm making a chicken curry

with pilau rice and naan bread.

For dessert, I'm making raspberry iced mousse,

with cinnamon biscuits.

-Why this two-course menu?

-Because the curry's quite spicy,

and that kind of gets your mouth going and everything.

And then dessert kind of cools it down a bit,

and it's quite refreshing - quite rich as well.

Will you be taking what you've learned so far in the competition

and really showing us what you have today?

I think so, yeah. Definitely with my presentation.

The pressure's really on. Are you happy?

Yeah. I'm quite nervous because I'm first up, and I'm cooking

for last year's finalists, which is quite nerve-wracking.

I just need to crack on now, and get this...done.

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

15 minutes gone.

12-year-old Josie has made some delicious food.

But her combinations don't always work.

The blue cheese and the fish - they're fighting against each other.

The critics are going to be looking at every single aspect of my food.

I'm just going to be thinking, "Don't panic!", the whole time.

"Stay calm and just carry on."

What are the two dishes you're going to cook for us?

Pork tenderloin on a bed of spinach and

couscous, with baby roast vegetables, followed by

coffee...praline.

-Coffee praline...

-It's basically like a really light coffee mousse,

with praline on top.

My dad loves it. He's literally going on and on and on -

"You HAVE to do this." So I thought, "Fine, OK, I'll just do it."

And the pork - it's just a mixture

of a lot of my favourite foods put together.

Ah! So, this is the things you love to eat?

This is the Josie things that I like to eat.

-But do they go together, Josie?

-They do, yes, they do.

First 45 minutes have gone.

From day one, 11-year-old TJ has impressed

with his use of bold flavours.

TJ, you promised us killer jerk chicken,

and you've delivered, because it is so spicy!

And he also managed to shine in the professional kitchen.

I'm really impressed with how you've cooked the steak.

I think it's perfect.

I'm hoping to bring some sunshine to the critics.

But I'm hoping they'll like spice as well!

TJ, by the looks of it, we're back off to the Caribbean.

-Yeah.

-What's your two-course menu?

I'm going to make garlic and butter steamed fish,

and stir-fried veg.

For dessert, I'm going to make a triple chocolate cookie dough

with vanilla cream, and I'm also going to do

a little cocktail beside it.

Does chocolate and cream go with water melon, passion fruit,

pineapple, guava and mango?

I'm going to refresh you guys with a cocktail.

-Are you nervous today, TJ?

-Erm, a bit, because

this takes a bit of time to do, but if I do it in the right amount

of time, I think it's going to be good.

We'll leave you to it!

11-year-old Tom's twists on the classics

have been a great success.

I think that's brilliant. I might even change my recipe, Tom.

But they can involve a lot of work.

I hope my two-course menu will be a little more

adventurous than the other guys', because that way,

it will give me an advantage in the competition.

Tom, it smells amazing. What are you going to make for us?

Pork fillets, stuffed with black pudding,

wrapped in pancetta, with caramelised pears,

fondant sweet potatoes, and a duo of desserts -

chocolate brownie and cheesecake.

There has been a few times where time has been against you,

-because you've chosen to do a lot.

-Yes.

-Again, you've taken on a lot.

This one is mostly about the main dish, so I tried to pick something

that wouldn't take too long for the dessert.

So you made a cheesecake and a brownie.

Yeah, I figured that most of those things

just need to be cooked at the beginning and then cool.

-So, Tom, this is tactical, is it?

-Yeah.

-Are you out to destroy the enemy today?

-Yeah, I am, yes.

Jamie is first to serve the critics.

Seven minutes left, Jamie, for your first course.

Jamie's main of chicken curry with pilau rice and naan bread

sounds really nice. To pull this dish off,

he has to make sure there's just the right amount of spice for the dish.

I love curry, and I love the spices of Indian culture,

so, hopefully, it will be nice and tasty.

Jamie, think of your presentation, now. Make it really nice.

Hopefully, they will taste just as good as they look.

You've tasted it, haven't you?

No...

-Happy with that?

-Yeah.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

This is, erm, chicken curry,

served with coriander, pilau rice and naan bread.

-ALL: Thank you.

-All right. Enjoy your meal.

Do you think he made the naan bread or do you think it's...?

I think he's made it, because it's really light. It's lovely.

I think, in general, most people would be pleased by the spicing,

but because I think the rest of the elements in the dish

are quite mild in flavour, he could have put a bit more spicing in it.

I think the rice isn't properly cooked.

It's sticking together, so it is quite underdone.

I am impressed with the dish overall.

He went to a lot of effort with this presentation,

-and it looks great.

-I really like the sweetness of the chicken

and of the tomato. The curry could do with a bit more of a punch.

Home-made naan bread - that's pretty impressive.

The rice, however, it's just not cooked.

Jamie's raspberry mousse looks really nice,

and it's interesting to see if cinnamon will go with it.

I hope the cinnamon biscuits are made nicely, because

if he can pull that off, I think it should be a really nice dessert.

-You're pan-frying puff pastry.

-Yeah.

-Bit different, but...

-Bit different.

-..hopefully, it works!

Last few minutes, Jamie. Focus on your presentation.

We want to wow these critics.

OK, last 30 seconds, Jamie.

So, this is a raspberry iced mousse,

with a cinnamon biscuit.

-ALL: Thank you.

-It looks lovely.

The presentation looks really nice.

You can see the bright raspberries in there.

I like the raspberries, and it's quite sweet.

It's not that sour, but I also think it's not really a mousse,

-it's more of a yoghurt.

-Yeah.

It was a bit heavy.

If he'd whisked it a bit more, it could have been better.

I was expecting, like, a crunchy biscuit, but it's soft and

more of a pastry than a biscuit.

He could have done with making it what it's actually called.

Wonderful presentation. This is a very sweet dessert.

But I just wish he'd got the balance of the tartness of the fruit

-just a little bit better.

-I think the presentation is good,

but the puff pastry on those cinnamon biscuits is undercooked.

'I think I did pretty well, under the circumstances.

'Hopefully,'

they realise how much work I've put into it. Yeah.

I'm excited about trying Josie's pork tenderloin.

If pork's cooked nicely, it can be really juicy.

If it's cooked even slightly over, it's really dry.

Hopefully, she doesn't have too many elements

and you can taste all of them.

Josie, only a couple of minutes left, so really focus now.

It's looking good!

Don't forget your gravy as well.

-There you go!

-That's it.

-Good on ya.

This is pork tenderloin with spinach,

couscous and baby roast vegetables.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

It was a bit rushed, but...there you are!

I think this dish is really colourful, and I like the way

the vegetables are all around the meat and the couscous.

The pork is a little bit dry.

Maybe if there was more sauce, you wouldn't notice it as much.

The spinach is so nicely done, it's so buttery,

and it's got really good flavour. I'm really impressed.

-What was your broccoli like? Mine was burnt.

-Maybe a bit overdone.

Some bits on this plate have been cooked so well,

it makes the dish redeemable.

I was worried it wouldn't all work together, but it does.

I like the pork, the couscous, wonderful, earthy vegetables,

roasted quite hard, actually, but they're really delicious.

The pork is a little bit dry, but she should have put more sauce on.

She should have been a little bit more generous.

'Coffee praline with coffee sounds really nice.'

I haven't actually made coffee praline before,

so it will be a new thing to try, and I hope she can pull it off.

I don't really like coffee, but let's see if I like this.

Good job, Josie, well done.

This is coffee praline, with cream and coffee.

ALL: Thank you.

Hope you like it.

-It looks amazing.

-Looks really good.

The best one, I think, presentation-wise, so far.

-You can really taste the coffee.

-It's quite bubbly and soft,

but then the nuts add a crunch, and it's a really good texture.

I really like this dish. It has to be the best so far.

I'd happily eat this at a restaurant and pay for it.

Mmm. That is really, really good.

That's the best thing I've seen Josie make.

I think that's the best dessert we've had in the competition.

'I got them all out, I didn't cry,'

I didn't fall over, and it was all presented

pretty much how it was meant to be, so,

what can you do?

I like that TJ has chosen to do

fish for his main, because it's the only fish on the menu.

Hopefully, he took a gamble doing fish and it comes off.

It'll be good to see if TJ cooks fish correctly,

and that the sauce goes well with the fish.

Now you're talking!

I've made a butter and garlic steamed fish with stir-fried veg.

ALL: Thank you!

Thank you.

I really like the look of it - it's really colourful.

But some people might not like seeing the face and the fins

-and all that.

-I'm not sure about the eye being in there, because

it's a bit frightening.

The fish is actually cooked really well.

It's really moist inside, and it's just

falling away, which is great.

The veg, with the spice, works really well with the fish,

because it gives the whole dish a proper kick to it.

Yep, good dish.

The fish is cooked absolutely to perfection.

All those layers of flavours and ingredients!

You've got rosemary and thyme, very hardy herbs,

alongside the sweetness of the carrots, the onions...

He's really done a good job with this.

This is one of the joyous moments of MasterChef, where you taste something

you've never eaten before, and just think, "Wow! How good is that?"

TJ, you have 15 minutes for your dessert.

TJ's cookie dough looks really nice,

because there's so many elements to it,

and it's very different.

I hope the cocktail compliments it,

rather than taking attention away from the main dessert.

-Well done, TJ.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

I've made triple chocolate cookie dough with vanilla cream

-and TJ's summer fruit cocktail.

-Thank you, TJ.

-Thank you.

I think the presentation's really nice

but the plate is a little bit too big for the cookie dough and the cream.

The taste of the cookie dough's really nice

and I'm really impressed with the flavours.

The cream is perfect sweetness and so's the cookie dough,

but I think he's just poured the vanilla over the cream.

He could have done with mixing it through.

The smoothie was a bit unnecessary

because together, they don't really work, do they?

DONAL SQUEAKS

Whoa!

That's like eating a big spoonful of sugar.

Do you know what? It's nice, it's very sweet.

He likes his sweet desserts.

No wonder he made the drink. That's to wash down the sugar.

I think I gave myself a lot to do, to be honest.

I did do the best I actually could

but to be honest, I'm not sure if my best is enough so, yeah...

As quick as you can there, Tom.

On Tom's pork fillet, it'll be good to see

if the pear goes well with the pork.

Little bit faster now, Tom.

Come on, Tom. Go, go, go.

-You happy with it?

-Yeah.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

You've got pork fillet stuffed with black pudding,

with fondant sweet potatoes, green beans and caramelised pears.

-Thank you.

-It smells really good.

This dish looks really, really nice, like, simple but yet so inviting.

The pork is well cooked, the sauce is really light and nice

and creamy and mustardy, the pear is really well caramelised

and has a nice, deep flavour.

And the black pudding and the bacon goes well with the pork.

The sweet potato and mushroom together are really nice,

cos you've got the soft textures. Overall, it's a nine out of ten.

You have wonderful, sort of, smokiness coming from the pork

and the richness of the bacon round the outside,

and I even like that over-caramelised bit of pear, it's a bit bitter.

I think it's a delicious thing.

Best dish that Tom's ever cooked.

It's a really inspired dish and I've had nothing like it before.

Tom's duo of desserts, brownie and vanilla cheesecake,

sounds really nice.

However, I think they're both very rich desserts,

so I hope he can balance the flavours well enough.

There's two things, so it's quite a lot of work.

Oops. The bottom's a bit crumbly.

You could just call them Crumbly Bottom Cheesecakes.

So, this is a duo of desserts.

We've got a cheesecake and chocolate brownie.

-Thank you.

-Very good.

The presentation of the dish is really nice,

but I think the portions could have been a bit smaller.

I'm really impressed with the topping of the cheesecake,

because it's not too rich but it's not too cheesy.

The brownie is really light and the texture's really good.

The texture's there but, however, it is a cake, not a brownie.

If it was a chocolate sponge, it would have been really nice.

Just change the name of it.

Overall, a really nice cheesecake.

It's lovely and light and sweet and quite refreshing.

The chocolate brownie on this plate isn't a chocolate brownie,

it's a chocolate cake.

I would rather him do one thing very, very well

than two things not so well.

I'm feeling a bit disappointed that the cheesecake didn't go to plan,

but my dishes were really risky and had to be perfectly cooked

and altogether, I'm feeling really good.

That'll be us next.

We'll be the ones sitting down saying,

"That was the most revolting meal I've had in my life."

I think today's been an amazing day.

What always happens on Critics Day, the pressure is truly on.

They had to step it up and take their dishes to a new level,

and I was really impressed with what they came up with.

Jamie today went on a spice adventure,

but for me, that chicken curry needed a little bit more of a punch.

Naan bread, made himself in the amount of time he had,

really impressed by that,

but I was really disappointed in his dessert.

It just didn't have that tartness to go along with the sweetness,

and I really wanted that puff pastry to be nice and flaky

and crispy and crumbly. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

I'm feeling not as confident as I was,

but I just need to learn some more and get better.

The best thing about Josie today was that she thought through her dishes.

She produced flavours that worked together.

I was concerned that all her favourite things on one plate

wouldn't come together.

-They did.

-And that dessert! That totally stole the show for me.

Josie's dessert was one of the best things we've tasted.

And the critics thought exactly the same.

Today went OK!

I think it was more great than awful.

TJ blew me away with that fish!

I haven't tried something like that before,

with those wonderful spices and the heat.

It was an interesting one and tasted fantastic.

However, his dessert really let him down.

He tried to do something different and he just didn't pull it off.

I've just got to keep pushing.

I want to be the best

and to be the best, you've got to, sort of, work your hardest.

There's one word to describe Tom's main course,

with that pork, sage and black pudding, and that's accomplished.

That's what the critics thought, too.

That, for me, was one of the dishes of the day.

Tom put himself under pressure today to produce two desserts.

You know what? He has the right ideas,

he just needs to work on making sure that he delivers.

I am going to keep on pushing and trying to improve.

I think I've... There's always something you can do better.

APPLAUSE

Well done. Everyone did so well today.

You should be proud of what you've done.

We wish you luck in the rest of the competition.

Our cooks today were seriously under pressure

and every single one of them brought it.

From here on in, the competition gets more and more exciting.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd