Chopped Junior Season 5 Episode 10 Make Me a Judge: Finale

Make Me a Judge: Finale is the culmination of the fifth season of Chopped Junior, the hit culinary competition that features young chefs battling it out for a chance to win a prize of $10,000. In this episode, the four finalists are tasked with creating an appetizer, entree, and dessert using a variety of mystery ingredients, in just 30 minutes for each course.

The finalists themselves are unique and diverse, with different culinary backgrounds and approaches. There’s 10-year-old Ashton who has been cooking since he was two, Madyson who discovered her love for cooking while watching cooking shows with her mom, 12-year-old Ronan who is passionate about healthy cooking, and the youngest of the group, 9-year-old Aliyah who loves combining different flavors and textures to create exciting dishes.

In addition to the usual judging panel, this season’s finale includes a special twist. The young contestants have the opportunity to select one of three famous chefs to join the judging panel for the final round. They can choose between Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag, and Alex Guarnaschelli, all of whom are veterans of Chopped and have established their own successful restaurants and culinary careers.

The appetizer round is a test of the contestants’ creativity and speed. They must create a dish using ingredients such as turkey sausage, heirloom tomatoes, and fire-roasted peppers. The young cooks demonstrate their talent and skill with dishes that include sausage stuffed tomatoes, tomato soup with peppers, and a tomato and sausage tart with spicy olive oil drizzle.

The entree round raises the stakes even higher, as the young chefs have only 30 minutes to create a main dish using ingredients such as filet mignon, beet greens, and quail eggs. The pressure is palpable as the contestants race against the clock to create balanced and flavorful dishes such as filet mignon with beet greens and chimichurri sauce, quail egg and filet mignon hash, and a steak and egg scramble with beet green salad.

Finally, it’s time for the dessert round, where the remaining young chefs must create a sweet treat using ingredients like blackberries, honeycomb, and pistachios. The creativity on display is impressive as the contestants whip up dishes like pistachio crusted blackberry tart, blackberry sorbet with honeycomb shards, and a blackberry, honey and cheese tart.

At the end of the three courses, the final judging begins, with the usual panel of judges joined by the special guest chef chosen by the four finalists. The final decision is a nail-biter, as each dish has its own strengths and weaknesses. The judges must consider not only taste and presentation but also the contestants’ overall performance throughout the competition.

Make Me a Judge: Finale is a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the fifth season of Chopped Junior. The young chefs have demonstrated their creativity, passion, and skill throughout the competition, and the addition of the guest judge adds an extra layer of excitement and tension to the proceedings. Fans of the show will be glued to their screens as they wait to see who will emerge as the winner of the coveted $10,000 prize.