Tonight on FOX Gordon Ramsay’s Masterchef Junior continues with a new Tuesday January 13, season 3 episode 2 called “Easy as Pie” and we have your weekly recap below. Tonight, a pie-making contest finds three chefs racing to top their creations with whipped meringue, and is followed by a team competition to create unique sausage dishes.
On the last episode, America’s Top 19 junior home cooks were introduced to their first mystery box challenge in which they had to make a complete restaurant-quality dish using any of the ingredients they were given. The winner of the challenge was rewarded a significant advantage and select which of the judges’ favorite pastas the remaining contestants would prepare in the elimination round. Later, the top junior home cooks with the best dishes would advance in the competition. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the Fox synopsis, “before the next challenge, three of the junior home cooks will face a sweet competition as they race to see who can top all of their pies with whipped meringue first. The winner of the challenge will not only get a major advantage in the next challenge, but also help the judges get a slice of victory. After a fun and messy competition, the judges task the kids with their first team competition, where each pair must create their own sausage dishes.”
Don’t forget to join us for our live recap tonight at 8:00pm when MasterChef Junior Season 3 episode 2 airs on Fox. While you wait for the recap, let us know how you are enjoying this season of MasterChef.
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The judges welcome the top 14 kids to tonight’s #MasterChefJunior. Jimmy, Ryan Kate and Andrew had the best dishes in the last challenge so they are told to stand in one spot while the other kids are moved aside. Joe says those three will face a special challenge. Gordon says it’s all about pie. He pulls out a lemon meringue pie. He says those three will have to make the meringue. Each has 12 naked lemon pies at their station that just need the meringue.
Graham says steps one is separating egg yolks and then adding some ingredients and whipping them into a froth. The first to top 12 pies is the winner and gets a big advantage plus gets to throw a pie in a judge’s face. Andrew will get Gordon. Ryan Kate gets Joe and Jimmy gets Graham. The winning kid will determine which judge gets a face full of pie. It’s the #PieInTheFace challenge. The kids get started whipping up meringue. The other kids cheer them on.
Most are chanting Ryan Kate because they say they want Joe to get the pie since his bald head is a bigger target. The judges talk meringue but can’t be heard over the shouting kids. Ryan Kate is whipping through her egg separation like a pro. She has a couple of blenders going. Jimmy has two while she’s on three mixers and Andrew is only on one. He’s rushing to try and catch up. Andrew starts cracking two at a time and then all the kids have all mixers going.
The judges laugh because Andrew is yelling at his mixers to pick it up. Andrew is starting with his first pie. Jimmy is starting but Andrew is in the lead. Gordon yells for Andrew to slow down and Andrew yells to shut up. Andrew has used up his first mixer of meringue and his second isn’t ready. Jimmy and Ryan Kate both catch up. He’s back to yelling at his mixers. Ryan Kate is almost done and Jimmy is close behind. It’s very close. The kids are all screaming.
Jimmy barely takes the victory from Ryan Kate. He’s very pleased that he beat them. Gordon asks him whose face he’s throwing a pie in and he says Graham. Gordon tells him to find the pie with the most meringue and bring it down. He chooses one and goes down. Graham takes his glasses off and Gordon counts to three and then squinches his eyes closed and Jimmy smushes the pie all over his face. Then he throws some chunks at him. Graham says well done.
Graham tells the other kids that there are 11 pies left and 11 of them and then tells the kids – you know what to do. They all run for the pies and then head for Gordon and Joe. Tiny Riley chooses Gordon and climbs on a step stool to reach him. Alexis goes for Joe and one says to get it all over his bald had. Kayla chooses Gordon also. Mia goes for Graham. Gordon and Joe seem to take the brunt of the pie related abuse (deservedly so). Ryan Kate and Andrew both coat Gordon in pie.
Gordon says the judges have to go clean up before the next challenge. They come back clean and line the kid cooks up. They have a box that Joe lifts – it’s a machine and he asks if they know what it is. Andrew says it looks like a torture device. Graham says you use it to make sausage. Jenna says sausage is disgusting and she’s ready to pack her bags. Graham says you have to grind the meat, season it right and then pack it perfectly.
Then Gordon says they have to use the homemade sausage to make a dish. He says it will be a team challenge with teams of two. Jimmy gets to assign the teams since he won the pie challenge. He assigns the following #MCJTeams:
Jimmy and Kyler
Ayla and Riley
Andrew and Cory
Jack and Nathan
Jenna and Mia
Ryan Kate and Kayla
Alexis and Micah
Graham says they have an hour to make the sausage and then make a sausage dish. He says they can choose from a wide array of meats including wild boar, kangaroo and ostrich. Joe says they have to work together as a team to avoid elimination. Their hour starts now. They run off. Joe says you have to think of the dish first. Andrew wants to make spaetzle but Cory says no. Most of the other teams seem more simpatico.
Jack and Nathan decided to work with the wild boar. Joe says the winning teams will have a clear winner and no dissension. Andrew and Cory continue to argue over their dish. Joe says it was a smart move by Jimmy to pair them since he knew they would conflict. Cory says Andrew is too bossy and he says there’s a barrier between them. Cory runs back to the kitchen as Andrew freaks out over him not focusing. Jimmy may have made a very savvy choice.
Andrew is struggling to keep his composure and insists on spaetzle. Kayla and Ryan Kate are making venison sausage and Graham reminds them not to overcook it. They tell him they compromised on everything. Joe goes to see Jimmy and Kyler and he says they’re doing pork butt and kangaroo. Joe says they’re crazy. They’re serving it with fennel salad and biscuits. Jimmy says Andrew and Cory will go home because they’re like oil and vinegar.
Alexis and Micah are making a white bean and sausage stew. Gordon tastes and says to add more seasoning. Andrew says Cory’s part is bland and can’t stay. Riley and Ayla are making bangers and mash and Gordon is thrilled. They have 10 minutes to go and they’re gas wasn’t on. Ayla starts to panic.
The kids are grilling their sausages now and a couple get popped with oil. Andrew and Cory are still arguing. The judges wonder how pork sausage and kangaroo will mix. They talk about their favorite dishes they’ve seen the kids work on. There is just one minute left and the rush to plating begins. Gordon tells them to taste everything to make sure they are properly seasoned. They are down to 30 seconds and then they count down from 10.
Mia and Jenna bring down their port and chorizo sausage with sauerkraut and potatoes. Joe tastes and says that it’s amazing, really good and simple. He says it feels like a German festival. They ask him to yodel and he does (badly). Gordon says the plating has rustic charm and tastes and says it’s perfection. Next up is Micah and Alexis. They made pork sausage with white bean Swiss chard stew. The sausage is pork butt. Alexis giggles. Graham says it’s called port booty and they giggle some more.
He says it’s very crumbly and they needed some more fat and says the beans needed more cook and a bit more seasoning. Gordon says the sausage is bland and that the stew suffered. He says seasoning is critical and is missing. Next is Jimmy and Kyler. They made pork and kangaroo sausage with egg, fennel salad and biscuits. Joe tastes and loves it. Gordon admires the plating and but says it doesn’t taste as good as it looks. He says it’s dry. Gordon also doesn’t like salad with sausage.
Ayla and Riley made English banger sage sausage and mash. They have one tiny portion and Gordon says the sausage and mash are delicious but he wants more of it. They did well. Next is Jack and Nathan with veal and boar sausage with polenta and spinach. Graham says the polenta is good and says the floral cook on the spinach is good. He says the sausage needed a bit more fat and less cook. Kayla and Ryan Kate have pork and venison sausage with polenta and veg.
Joe is wowed and says it’s like a classic Italian dish. He says it’s one of the most tender sausage of the night. Andrew and Cory are next and Andrew says their plate looks terrible. They made chorizo and pork sausage with spinach and spaetzle. Andrew says he did the sausage, spaetzle and sauce. Cory says he made the spinach and Gordon asks about the cake Cory made then discarded. Gordon says the sausage is dry, the spinach is bland and the other elements are just okay.
Gordon says they didn’t give 100% concentration and that not giving it means you should go home. The other kids are open mouthed at how harsh Gordon is with them. Gordon tells them all it was a touch challenge and says one team is leaving. He says they’re going to go talk. Gordon says Jimmy and Kyler’s wasn’t impressive and they agree the girl’s stew fell short. The judges decide and come back with their verdict.
Gordon says there was one standout dish they would put on their menus. He says the dish of the night is Jenna and Mia’s. Then he says it’s an elimination challenge and calls down Cory and Andrew along with Micah and Alexis. Gordon says they did a good job but says the competition is tough. He says this was a tough decision. Joe says the team going home should walk out with pride. He says it’s Micah and Alexis. Cory goes over to hug the girls as they start crying.
Gordon says he’s sorry to see them leave and says they are so talented for their ages. He says they are great fun to have around and says they should be proud of what they accomplished. They come up and Gordon comforts them both as they cry. The other kids are crying too. Joe tells them to smile at everyone and show how proud they are. The other kids come over to hug them and tell them how much they’ll miss them.
Alexis says her lifelong dream is to teach kids how to cook. Micah says she’s excited to go home and see her dad, brothers and sisters. Next week is a huge mystery box challenge. Can’t wait!
