Junior MasterChef Australia

The show started with 50 very excited children. After high-fiving the Judges, the Junior MasterChefs were divided into five groups of 10. Each group would do a 45-minute cooking challenge where the four best dishes would get through. The first group had an International theme where Tayla, Nick and sisters – Isabella and Sofia got through. The second group had to make a dessert with the Judges deciding Lucy, Clarrie, Sam and Ashley would make it through.

The final spots for the Top 20 were up for grabs with 3 final heats. A seafood challenge saw a surprise appearance and solo judgement by Matt Preston, who put through Alex, Ainsleigh, Sophie J and Sophie M. The next heat pitted the youngest kids against each other. Making it through were Siena, Anthony, Nicholas and Te Ani. The final heat had George decked out in his best butcher gear for a meat challenge, with the final 4 spots of the Top 20 filled by Jack, Pierre, Emily and Cassidy.

It’s a big day with the Top 20 cooking for a place in the Top 12. The first round is an Invention Test which involves chicken and vegies. The next round is a Pressure Test with MasterChef Finalist Callum providing the dish they must cook. In the end it’s Sam, Isabella, Sophia, Nick, Alex, Jack, Siena, Lucy, Cassidy, Emily, Anthony and Pierre who are chosen for the Junior MasterChef Top 12.

The Top 12 enter the official Junior MasterChef kitchen for the first time, and learn about the points system. They start with a Mystery Box Challenge. Within the box are ingredients like chocolate, prawns, lemon and eggs. Except for sandwiches, anything can be made. The second test is an Invention Test with a “Pie and a Side” theme. All the young cooks amaze the judges who find awarding the points very hard to do.

The Junior MasterChefs faced their first Team Challenge – running a high school tuck-shop. Both teams had to create a menu with a hot dish, a cold dish and a dessert. Ultimately it was the blue team who pipped the red team at the post with their menu of sushi, honey soy chicken and noodles and custard tarts. The red team returned to the kitchen full of positivity and excitement to do a very posh dessert Pressure Test.

It was a special Masterclass for 10 of the Top 50 who came to the Junior MasterChef kitchen to learn some new tricks and cook a few dishes too. Apart from Gary, Season One MasterChef finalist Poh and Executive Chef from Red Lantern, Mark Jensen came in for a visit. It was a delicious day with Chicken Schnitzels, Vietnamese Pho soups and creamy Panna Cottas, and by the smiles on the faces – it was a memorable one too.

The Top 12 find out four of them will be going home this week, so the points on offer in the next challenges are really important! The first challenge is using duck as the main ingredient, and there’s lots of variety in the meals presented. The second challenge is a Pressure Test, with Donna Hay revealing a decadent cake the youngsters must create. With all this talent, the judges are going to have to make some difficult choices.

The day starts with all 12 Junior MasterChefs doing a taste test of a huge 8.5m long pizza made by John Lanzafama. The contestants have 5 minutes to name the pizza’s 20 ingredients. Once the tallying of results is complete, the Top 4 on the scoreboard watch on as the others do a ‘Hot and Cold’ cook-off. Only four contestants will stay, while the other four will go home. It’s decision crunch time for the judges.

Gary, George and Anna are joined in the kitchen by 12 students from Bangalow Public School. George takes the visitors to the veggie patch to pick some herbs for the meal he’ll be cooking. The first six students with George as he does a Fillet of Beef. Anna whips up an Open Lasagne, and the other six students cook along with Gary as he makes a yummy White Chocolate and Cherry Clafoutis.

The scoreboard is reset to zero as the Top 8 take on a three-part basic skills test and a team challenge. The basic skills test consists of whisking cream, podding an exact 300 grams of peas and finally – making the perfect scrambled eggs. The second test divides the eight into two teams of four as they do a tag team style cooking challenge. With guest chefs Matt Moran and Justin North coaching, it’s anyone’s game.

Four contestants take on a Kellogg’s Pressure Test involving producing a copy of a sweet treat made of frangipane cream, honey-crunch cornflakes, cherries and melted chocolate. The contestants find it’s a big challenge despite looking easy in appearance. The day’s second challenge is cooking for the Sydney Swans football club. Working in pairs proves interesting, but this challenge involves winning over 40 hungry footballers. So who will come up trumps?

Six Bondi Public School students who are part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program got to be a part of the Masterclass with George, Anna and Stephanie Alexander herself. The first dish is Spicy Skewered Meatballs with Rosemary Flatbread and Beetroot Salad which everybody gets to make. Anna then makes a Vietnamese Duck Curry With Lychees and Cucumber Salad, and the last dish is a dessert made by George called a Three Flavours Of Granita.

Two challenges will see the two Junior MasterChefs who cook the best dishes walk straight into the Top 4. The first challenge is a Mystery Box with an unusual twist, but that doesn’t stop Sofia from gaining the first place in the Top 4. The second challenge sees Sofia choose pheasant as the core ingredient for the French Invention Test. This time Siena blows the judges away with her dish, earning her a place in the Top 4.

The Junior MasterChefs are out of the kitchen and taken to Flying Fish restaurant where the six competitors will cook a dish from the restaurant’s menu and serve it to 40 guests. As Siena and Sofia have earned a Top 4 position, they will be the serving staff, while the others will need to do their best to dish up a meal resembling the restaurant’s. In the end it’s decided Isabella and Jack will round off the Top 4.

The final Masterclass is a special one with Stephanie Alexander doing a class for Celebrity Chefs and their kids. The Celebrity Chefs are Matt Moran, Guillaume Brahimi, Kylie Kwong, Christine Mansfield and Giovanni Pilu. All the visitors will be making three dishes – one by Stephanie and two by George. Added to this is a special cook-along with George where people at home can cook the same dish George makes – and all in real time to the show.

Down to the Top 4, and two challenges will decide the first Junior MasterChef finalists. The first test involves beetroot, rocket and snails. There are lots of creative dishes plated up, but Jack’s recreation of Heston Blumenthal’s Snail Porridge blows the judges away. The second challenge is a Round Pressure Test which sees them having to make one of George’s dishes. Time goes quickly, but in the end Isabella nabs the second place in the final.

It’s the Junior MasterChef Grand Final, and there’s excitement and nerves all round. First there’s fun with a ‘Remote Control Chef’ Challenge which sees Gary and George cooking off against each other with help from the Top 10. Next is the finale with two challenges that sees Isabella and Jack cook their hearts out...but by the second challenge featuring an Adriano Zumbo piece – it’s Isabella who takes the first Junior MasterChef title.