‘MasterChef Junior’ season 9 episode 3 recap: Which pint-sized chef was eliminated in ‘Globetrotters’? [LIVE BLOG]

Denton Davidson
·6 min read

Tonight on “MasterChef Junior,” the chefs are up for their first team challenge where they are tasked with preparing hearty meals for the Harlem Globetrotters. Each team must whip up a meal that satisfies the players’ big appetites while meeting their dietary restrictions in the all-new “Globetrotters” episode of “MasterChef Junior” airing Monday, March 18 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Below, read our minute-by-minute “MasterChef Junior” recap of Season 9, Episode 3. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite young cooks on Fox’s reality TV show and who you think has what it takes to win the entire competition. Once again, Gordon Ramsay leads the judging panel and is joined by renowned chef Aarón Sánchez, Emmy-winning talk show host Daphne Oz and, for the first time, his daughter Tilly Ramsay.

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Keep refreshing/reloading this “MasterChef Junior” live blog for the most recent updates.

8:00 p.m. — Previously on “MasterChef Junior”! The remaining 11 contestants were back in the kitchen for MasterChef Junior’s very first mystery treasure chest challenge. Each contestant was tasked with cooking a seafood dish and incorporating seaweed. In the end Jason, a nine-year-old from San Gabriel, California, was sent home for an under-seasoned, undercooked Mahi Mahi sandwich. Who will be next?

8:10 p.m. — The junior chef-testants enter studio and quickly realize they’re in for a basketball-themed team challenge. Gordon and Aarón surprise everyone when they arrive in basket ball jerseys and “break the laws of fashion” according to Remy. They play a game of one-on-one and let’s be clear, they’re awful. Gordon belongs on a soccer field, not a basketball court. After embarrassing themselves, they introduce the Harlem Globetrotters to visit the set for this challenge. For tonight’s challenge, the kids will split into two teams and make the Globetrotters some delicious, hearty meals. Here are how the teams break down:

Blue Team: Asher, Lilo, Remy, Miles and Michael

Red Team: Alfred, Kristell, Bryson, Lydia and Jordyn

Gordon tells them the team captains are Miles and Lydia. Each team will have to cook up nine servings featuring a delicious protein, two sides,  a starch and a wonderful sauce. BUT, they also have to a few guidelines. The athletes like their red meat cooked medium and one player is vegan. The winning team will be safe from elimination. The clock starts now!

8:15 p.m. — With one hour on the clock the teams scatter and create their menus. It sounds like the Blue Team is going with fried chicken with a hot honey sauce and potato salad. The Red Team plans to cook steak with a side of mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy and coleslaw. Lydia delegates tasks to each team member and Bryson is not thrilled to cook the cauliflower steak for the vegan. He’s a grill master, not a vegan. As the clock ticks away Alfred seems concerned for the Red Team and says, “Nobody is listening to Lydia.” Meanwhile, the Blue Team looks “calm and peaceful.”

8:30 p.m. — As the judges watch both teams work, Gordon is surprised that Lydia chose not to assign the steaks to Bryson, who cooks steaks all the time at home. He’s also concerned that they’re more worried about slicing cabbage for coleslaw than getting the potatoes on the stove. Will they have enough time to cook? Overall, Lydia’s leadership style is a bit frantic and she doesn’t seem all that comfortable telling her friends what to do. Gordon predicts the Red Team is heading for a disaster. Meanwhile, the Blue Team is working in unison and everyone is listening to Miles. Their biggest concern is getting that fried chicken cooked in time. Back over on the Red Team, Alfred calls Lydia “an angry bull on a rampage.” But it’s Kristell who is frustrating the judges. She’s been working on coleslaw for 20 minutes!

8:35 p.m. — With about 10 minutes to go in the challenge, Bryson has taken over the steak station for the Red Team. As he goes to remove some steak from the oven he burns his finger and it looks painful. He bursts into tears and Gordon calls for a medic. Bryson gets quick medical attention and shakes it off. He is determined to push through this challenge and win it for the Red Team. As the minutes wind down both teams must start plating. The Red Team is so frazzled and Kristell is STILL chopping cabbage. I feel like she’s been slicing cabbage for an hour. Finally time expires and it’s time to serve these Globetrotters!

8:45 p.m. — Lydia presents the Red Team’s plate first. It’s a New York  Steak with Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom Gravy, Asparagus and Coleslaw. The vegan dish is a Cauliflower Steak with Tomato Sauce and Asparagus. Next Miles presents the Blue Team’s Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Hot Honey Sauce, Potato Salad, Green Beans and Cornbread. Their vegan dish is Grilled Eggplant & Zucchini with Tomato Stack and Basil Pesto. Everything looks great, so it will all come down to taste! The Red Team’s steak is cooked perfectly medium. The Blue Team’s chicken is crunchy and delicious. This is a close contest!

8:50 p.m. — As the Globetrotters and judges eat the critiques start pouring in. There are some issues on the Red Team. The steak is fantastic, but the slaw that Kristell literally spent the entire hour on is basically raw cabbage with no dressing. It was a complete waste of time. Furthermore, the mashed potatoes were a little lumpy. The one vegan athlete says she prefers the Red Team’s plate over the Blue Team’s. Next, each person at the table votes.

9:01 p.m. — It’s time for the judges to deliver tonight’s results. The winners are the Blue Team! Gordon compliments Miles and a great job as captain. Now the judges must deliberate and decide who to send home from the Red Team. They seem to agree that Bryson and Alfred were the strongest members tonight. Kristell didn’t follow through on anything she was required to do and Lydia was completely overwhelmed. Jordyn tried to help as much as possible, but didn’t follow direction well. Daphne says two of them have to go home. Brutal! The two young chefs heading home tonight are Lydia and Kristell. It’s a tearful farewell, but these two are nine and 10 years old! They have bright futures ahead of them. That’s a wrap for tonight’s “MasterChef Junior.”

Launch Gallery: 'MasterChef Junior' Season 9 cast: Meet the 12 young cooks competing

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