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| Gordon Ramsay with a contestant. Photo Credit: FOX |
FOX’s “MasterChef Junior” has named their finalists for this season. 12 young “chef-testants” joined eight previously announced junior home cooks to comprise this season’s Top 20 finalists.
When the episode begins, the 24 remaining competitors, hopeful to win a coveted white apron, were divided into groups of four, each getting a different challenge, including making a perfect steak worthy of the MasterChef kitchen, preparing a delicious chicken dish, cooking a live lobster and producing a box of six perfectly identical cupcakes. The judges then decided which two kids from each group went home and which two went on to join the Top 20.
Throughout this season, the juniors will face a wide array of exciting new challenges, including one served up by former First Lady Michelle Obama; cooking a meal for more than 50 first responders; MASTERCHEF JUNIOR’s first-ever vegan challenge from guest judge Mayim Bialik (“The Big Bang Theory”); and cooking for other VIPs, including Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”) and the Muppets “Miss Piggy” and “Swedish Chef.” At the end of the competition, one talented kid will be named America’s next MASTERCHEF JUNIOR, taking home the MASTERCHEF JUNIOR trophy and a $100,000 grand prize.
In the next all-new episode, “Just Like Gordon,” airing Thursday, February 23rd (8:00 p.m. ET/PT) on FOX, celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez steps into the MASTERCHEF kitchen as a guest judge. The Top 20 young chefs will face their first mystery box challenge of the season, during which they will have to put their own spin on the most commonly eaten crop in the world – rice. Later in the kitchen, Chef Gordon Ramsay teaches the kids how to make his signature hand-roasted sea bass, which they must replicate.
A James Beard Award-winning chef, Aarón Sánchez is chef/owner of Mexican restaurant Johnny Sánchez, with locations in New Orleans and Baltimore. He co-starred on “Chopped” and “Chopped Junior,” and is the author of two cookbooks – “Simple Food, Big Flavor: Unforgettable Mexican-Inspired Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours” and “La Comida del Barrio.”
In summer 2017, Sánchez will join Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi as the third judge throughout Season Eight of “MasterChef.”
Meet the “MasterChef Junior” Top 20 and find out their signature dishes:
Adam
Age: 12
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Signature Dish: Chicken Kiev with Parmesan Potatoes and Asparagus
Afnan
Age: 12
Hometown: Jonesboro, GA
Signature Dish: Surf and Turf with Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes
Avani
Age: 8
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Signature Dish: Coconut Curry Chicken Over Jasmine Rice
Charlie
Age: 9
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Signature Dish: Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Cydney
Age: 10
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Signature Dish: Roasted Lamb Chops with a Mint & Lemon Marinade, and Roasted Potatoes
Donavan
Age: 9
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Signature Dish: Vegetable Stir Fry with Squid
Eddie
Age: 9
Hometown: New York, NY
Signature Dish: Spaghetti with Meatballs and Marinara Sauce
Elisabeth
Age: 9
Hometown: Sweetwater, TX
Signature Dish: Chicken Alfredo
Evan
Age: 10
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Signature Dish: Hickory-Smoked Pork Belly
Gonzalo
Age: 11
Hometown: Whitestone, NY
Signature Dish: Causa Rellena de Pollo
Jasmine
Age: 11
Hometown: Milton, GA
Signature Dish: Oven-Baked Meatballs with Homemade Tomato Sauce
Justise
Age: 11
Hometown: Sugar Hill, GA
Signature Dish: Grilled Steak with Homemade French Fries
Lila
Age: 9
Hometown: Rockport, MA
Signature Dish: Fresh Pasta with Homemade Marinara Sauce and Crostini
Mark
Age: 13
Hometown: Starkville, MS
Signature Dish: Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Stock
Mashu
Age: 13
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA
Signature Dish: Homemade Egg Ravioli
Peyton
Age: 10
Hometown: Ringoes, NJ
Signature Dish: Red Pepper Pesto Pasta
Sam
Age: 9
Hometown: Concord, MA
Signature Dish: Chocolate Cake with Homemade Hot Fudge & Mint Whipped Cream
Shayne
Age: 13
Hometown: Spring, TX
Signature Dish: Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Solomon
Age: 10
Hometown: Houston, TX
Signature Dish: Smoked Salmon with Lemon Grass Kale
Sydney
Age: 9
Hometown: West Bend, WI
Signature Dish: Angel Hair Pasta with Onion and Green Pepper Marinara
