A scallops challenge has a few chefs saying, ‘Aw, shucks.’
One of the best things aboutMasterChef Junioris seeing the kids faces each time they enter the kitchen.
Most are overwhelmed with the excitement of living out a dream.
Credit: Greg Gayne/Fox
But for now, theyre just so happy!
Okay, they might be a little more into the former than the latter.
Actually, you never know with the kids on this show.
Thats why we love them so much!
Theyll be competing against one another in a cupcake-frosting race.
So basically, everyone wins.
Theres some adorable flirting (Can 9-year-olds flirt?
Thats a serious question.)
That means Gordon and Christina need to prepare for their frosting shower.
TAKE THE SHOES OFF FIRST.).
I worship Kyndall now.
The frosting rains down on Gordon and Christina, and it looks both insanely sticky and insanely fun.
Alas, the frosting food fight (complete with sprinkles!)
cant last forever there are kids dreams to be crushed!
The judges use TV magic to de-frost themselves in seconds and then its on to… Get ready, people: Its a scallop challenge!
The kids have one hour to come up with a scallop dish that wows the judges.
But theres a twist: the chef-testants will have to shuck the scallops themselves.
For some of the kiddos, like Tae-Ho, this added obstacle is no sweat.
Nine of the 22 remaining kid chefs are called forward to present their scallops.
He is living his dream tonight.
Turns out, Tae-Ho taught himself how to make risotto from a recipe out of a Gordon Ramsay cookbook.
STOP BROWN NOSING, KID.
Its not like he needs any extra help, anyway.
Its one of the best of the night, for sure.
Hes just so happy to be here.
Hes also happy to be cooking seafood.
Hes living his best life.
Christina can see his love for scallops in his dishtheyre cooked well and are the stars of the plate.
His side, however, could use some more flavor.
Hes in the middle of the pack for this challenge.
Graham admits that if this were a meatball contest (WAIT, CAN WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE?
), Chad would win.
As it stands, his scallops are overcooked and completely lost within the dish.
He cant get any of his scallops out of their shells and begins to melt down.
I mean, it was terrible advice for shucking a scallop, but the sentiment was nice.)
Ian is back in the game and just barely gets his food on his plate.
You know what happens when Gordon tastes the completed dish?
Its visually stunning and the scallops are perfectly cooked.
Right off the bat, shes concerned about her ability to complete this challenge at its most basic level.
Vivian shouldve listened a little more closely.
Gordon is super pumped about Dereks dish.
The combination of the rich, sweet scallop with the herb pesto is delicious.
Gordons only note is that the dish couldve used a little more salt, otherwise: perfection.
Thats a bold statement coming from Gordon Ramsay, and Derek knows it.
Are her scallops good enough to save her from the horrors of fractions?
The scallops look pretty, but Christina isnt impressed.
She finds the ingredients to be a strange mix and the scallops are not evenly cooked.
She also shucks her scallops like a pro; even the judges are impressed.
Thankfully, she also knows how to cook a good scallop.
Graham thinks her scallops are perfect but, she hid them under too much sauce.
Amaya needs to work on her presentation.
Next time, let the star ingredient stand out by putting it on top of the sauce.
Dont hide your light under a bushel, is what he means.
So many life lessons!
Gordon comes to her rescue so she has a fighting chance.
Unfortunately, Annabelle blows that chance when she completely burns the few scallops she has.
She tracks down a few leftovers before times up, but things are not looking good.
She made a scallop ceviche with lemon cilantro and…water.
Gordon explains that a ceviche is never made with water, and doing so rendered her dish virtually tasteless.
Her pan-seared scallops also fail; theyre completely overcooked.
Gordon wishes AB had focused on cooking her scallops one way perfectly, rather than over-complicating things.
The scallop-shucking challenge win goes to Tae-Ho and his mean plate of risotto.
So, we must say goodbye to Chad and Annabelle.
Though Annabelle seems to take it pretty hard, both kids look like theyll bounce back eventually.
And thankfully Kamily doesnt have to go back to math class just yet.
I mean, who needs math when you have a $100,000?
Just kidding, stay in school!
Next week: CHEESE.
