The BEST episodes of Junior MasterChef Australia
Every episode of Junior MasterChef Australia ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Junior MasterChef Australia!
No longer satisfied with putting mere amateurs and so-called celebrities to the test, the makers of the hit TV series MasterChef are now looking to crown Australia's best Junior MasterChefs. A bunch of brave Aussie kids aged between 8 and 12 years old, get ready to face the judges praise and possible criticism and compete in the ultimate cooking challenge.
#1 - Cook-Along Masterclass
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/22/2010
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.
#2 - Basic Skills & Tag Team Challenge
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/31/2010
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.
#3 - Mystery Box & Invention
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/7/2010
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.
#4 - Top 50 - Round 3
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/2011
Heat four called upon the contestants to cook the ultimate cake for the ultimate guest: Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Given two hours and an amazing array of ingredients, the hopefuls produced an incredible display of dessert cooking, with the guest of honour being taken aback by them all. With only four Top 20 aprons up for grabs however, Gracie, Lily, Madi and Jack were judged as the best performers, sending them through to the next stage of the competition. Heat five, the last chance for a Top 20 apron, was an Italian challenge, with the little chefs needing to prepare their finest fare to impress guest judge Alessandro Pavoni. Once again the contestants cooked with incredible maturity, but it was Aya, Hannah and Zac who excelled, winning the three remaining Top 20 aprons.
#5 - Top 12
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/26/2010
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.
#6 - Top 20 Part 1
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/12/2010
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.
#7 - Top 20 Part 2
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/19/2010
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.
#8 - Masterclass
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/29/2010
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.
#9 - The Grand Final
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 11/15/2010
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.
#10 - Offsite Challenge - Summit Restaurant
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/9/2011
Gary revealed that the Top 20 were about to embark on their first Offsite Challenge. Madi was made captain of the Blue Team and selected the other team captains: Alysha (Yellow), Chandler (Green) and Miraede (Red). The contestants were taken to Summit Restaurant for the Challenge, which was explained by owner and chef Michael Moore. Each team was given a dish to prepare, which the results judged by 50 top food critics who dined in the restaurant. The cheflings came through the challenge in fine style, with the Green Team taking the win and six points for their dry-aged beef fillet dish; second place Red for their spiced poached cherry dessert; third place Blue with a poached quail dish and fourth place yellow for their grilled prawns with peppered goats cheese.
#11 - Masterclass
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/5/2010
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.
#12 - Grand Final
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 11/23/2011
Donna Hay was welcomed to the MasterChef kitchen to introduce the first part of finale: a fruit dessert challenge. Jack and Greta had one minute to select their preferred fruits from the pantry, then an hour to create beautiful dishes that would delight dessert queen Hay. Jack opted for a deconstructed strawberries and cream, Greta a citrus tart. Both dishes presented their difficulties; Jack had trouble making the chocolate pipes for his recipe, while Greta couldn’t get her lemon and orange curd to thicken. After the tasting the judges stepped up to deliver the first round of scoring: Donna, Anna, Gary and Matt all gave Jack 8/10, with George awarding 9/10. Greta won 8/10 from Anna, and 9s across the board from the other judges. The second half of finale was a Pressure Test, with the cheflings recreating a dish by the legendary Tetsuya, who guest judged. Greta and Jack cooked well beyond their tender years, creating and plating up dishes that could have easily been mistaken for being the work of Tetsuya himself. Jack again scored impressively, winning 8/10 from Tetsuya and Gary, and 9/10 from Anna, George and Matt. Greta needed big marks to win and delivered empatically, scoring 9/10 from Gary and Tetsuya and perfect 10s from the other judges, winning her the title of Junior MasterChef 2011.
#13 - Conveyor Belt Mystery Challenge
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 11/21/2011
As finale week continued, the Top 6 were told by the judges that the leader board was now scrapped, leaving them all on a level playing field. By the end of the episode one contestant would be going straight through to the final, while two would be sent home. To add to the surprise, the cheflings were greeted by a giant Mystery Box with a conveyor belt at the centre. One by one 30 ingredients came out, with the contestants having to select a maximum of five to create a dish of their choice. Greta once again proved herself the chef to beat, winning the challenge with her baked salmon dish and giving her an advantage going into the Thai-themed Invention Test, in which she’d not only get a five minute head start but also the power to choose the core ingredient. Much to the dismay of her peers, she opted for duck. Her decision certainly paid off as she created a dazzling duck laab and a place in Junior MasterChef 2011’s Top 2. Harry, Jack and Zac’s dishes all impressed, winning them semi-final places, but Alysha and Indigo didn’t quite make the cut.
#14 - Flying Fish
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 11/8/2010
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.
#15 - Semi Final
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 11/22/2011
Harry, Jack and Zac arrived outside the Sydney Opera House for their Junior MasterChef semi-final, with the judges explaining that they each had two hours to cook a signature dish main and dessert, but were strictly limited to spending an hour in total on each dish. The boys jumped into action, Jack opting to use lamb as his protein, Harry rabbit and Zac a selection of seafood. Jack struggled to smoke his lamb cutlets, ultimately opting to pan fry them instead, but managed to plate up an impressive dish, as did Harry and Zac. Despite there being a place in the final on the line the complexity of the desserts proved that no one was interested in playing it safe, the risk-tasking producing some stunning results. With little to separate the boys when it came to the judging, Jack’s flavours and techniques just edged out his competition, sending him through to the final to face Greta.
#16 - Mad Hatters Tea Party & A Pressure Test
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 11/13/2011
The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland arrived on the Disneyland scene to clue the contestants in on their first challenge: creating cupcakes for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. After gathering their ingredients from the Tea Cups ride, the cheflings got straight down to the business of creating sugary magic. The results were inspirational, with Miraede’s lamb-shaped cupcakes – which she’d even cared to make a paddock for – taking third, Indigo’s beautiful cupcake bouquet second and Jack’s sumptuous chocolate indulgence first. Bottom six on the leader board Chandler, Harry, Kieren, Madi, Miraede and Steven then faced off in a Pressure Test, in which they had to create a Cajun chicken dish with pepper glaze. The kids gave their all, but the perfectly cooked proteins of Chandler and Harry gave them the edge and the last remaining spots in the Top 8.
#17 - Disneyland Challenge
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 11/7/2011
The contestants arrived at Disneyland for a true fantasy challenge. Hidden around Uncle Walt’s kingdom were 12 ingredients that the mini-chefs had to work in pairs to find: heirloom tomatoes, rocket, baby basil, lemon, sweet potato, red apple, buffalo mozzarella, sea bass, pretzels, pecans and maple syrup. Once found the teams had one hour to create two Disney-inspired dishes – an entree and a main. Clearly relishing the amazing environment the cheflings cooked their hearts out, preparing an assortment of sumptuous fare. Zac and Alysha won two valuable points in third, Lily and Harry proved a formidable team in second, but in the judges’ eyes Kieren and Greta were the clear six point winners for their sweet potato and mozzarella ravioli, followed by pretzel and pecan-crumbed sea bass. Their cooking done, it was then time for the kids to relax and soak up the Disneyland magic.
#18 - Perfect American Hamburgers and Prawn Quesadillas
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/6/2011
Junior MasterChef’s American adventure continued with a Team Challenge at Venice Beach. Divided into Reds and Blues – Greta captaining the former, mentored by George and Zac the latter, mentored by Matt – the teams had to cook and serve burgers to the general public, who voted for their favourites. The competition was close throughout, but after running out of burger mix early leaders the Reds could do little but watch as the Blues overtook them in the closing stages. As losers of the challenge the Reds competed in a Mexican themed Pressure Test, each having to cook a delicious prawn quesadilla. Harry’s effort won him third place, Steven secured a valuable four points as runner-up while Greta took another win and a further six points to extend her lead. With the Top 12 reunited, Zac was selected to smash down a piñata, revealing a plentiful supply of Mickey Mouse ears and giving the cheflings a good idea of where they were heading for their next challenge.
#19 - Top 12 Travel to the USA
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 10/31/2011
The kids jet-setted off to Los Angeles for their first US challenge: to cook a dish for America’s youngest ever Michelin star recipient Perry Hoffman. With the leader board reset to zero there was everything to play for. To decide who got the longest to search for ingredients at the famous Famers Markets, the contestants first competed in a Skills Challenge, having to juice enough oranges each to fill a one litre container. Once their task was completed their were ferried away to begin shopping. The Challenge took place at a fabulous mansion in Beverly Hills, with the cheflings truly embracing cooking American-style food. Jack placed third, Indigo runner-up and securing herself another massive six points was Greta with her mouthwatering gumbo.
#20 - Offsite Challenge - Tobruk Sheep station
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/23/2011
The Top 16 jumped in the cars and were whisked away from the MasterChef kitchen. Appearing on in-car screens, George explained they were trading city life for something much more rural. Arriving at Tobruk Sheep Station, the cheflings were divided into four teams, Indigo captaining the Blues, Gracie the Reds, Tom the Yellows and Lily the Greens. Each team had a total of two and a half hours to prepare a three-course menu of country inspired fare, with four different proteins to use: rabbit, lamb, beef and kangaroo. The contestants were then sent on a treasure hunt to find their ingredients before cooking could begin. George, Matt and guest judge Scott Pickett were overwhelmed by the results, but with dishes like kangaroo with beetroot and roasted tomato and lamb cutlets that Pickett himself said he couldn’t have cooked better, the Greens took another Offsite Challenge win.
#21 - The Final 4
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 11/14/2010
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.
#22 - Pressure Test & Offsite Challenge
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/1/2010
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?
#23 - Taste Test
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/25/2010
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.
#24 - Choose a Box
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/24/2010
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.
#25 - The Top 12 Cook
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/17/2010
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.