Gordon Ramsay Comforts Alabama Boy After Duck Disaster: ‘I’m Praying for a Miracle Right Now’
Alabama’s Bryson McGlynn cooked duck an orange on Season 9 of “MasterChef Junior,” keeping up with Gordon Ramsay as the chef guided the young contestants through the dish. (Greg Gayne/2024 FOX Media LLC)
Viewers in Alabama were probably on the edge of their seats — or maybe biting their nails to the bone — this week while watching “MasterChef Junior.”
Monday’s episode of the FOX reality series was a true pressure cooker, as the top four contestants — including home state hero Bryson McGlynn — faced a tense, time-sensitive challenge. Over the course of the hour-long show, the young chefs had to keep up with Gordon Ramsay as the chef accurately prepared one of his signature dishes.
As any “MasterChef” fan will tell you, it’s an incredibly difficult task, no matter how experienced the home cook is. Ramsay works fast, gives orders and takes no prisoners in these cook-offs, which are commonly (and dreaded) as “Keeping Up with Gordon.”
Bryson’s supporters also got to watch the talented chef struggle in the kitchen during Monday’s episode. In fact, Bryson ended the challenge in tears.
If you didn’t watch Monday’s episode—or just want a refresher on “MasterChef” action—here’s what happened.
Representing Alabama: Bryson, 12, is an Auburn resident nicknamed “Cheese Curd.” He’s a sixth-grader at Fox Run School in Opelika and the son of Mike and Shannon McGlynn. Bryson is also a young grill master and barbecue expert who competes in barbecue competitions with his father. (Mike, a Wisconsin native, was nicknamed “Cheese” when he moved to Alabama, which is how his son got his nickname.) Bryson hopes to one day become a chef and have his own mobile food truck.
What’s Notable: The winner of “MasterChef Junior” will receive a trophy, bragging rights, and a $100,000 prize. Four contestants are still on the show this week, after being eliminated in previous episodes.
This Week’s Challenge: The semifinals get tense as the kids work alongside Ramsay to prepare duck a l’orange with chili and garlic, broccoli on a bed of caramelized endive. The kids struggle to pronounce the dish’s name — yes, it’s a difficult sentence to pronounce — and everyone seems nervous about the task at hand. First, the chefs learn how to butcher a duck, separating the bird into precise parts (breast, thigh, wing and drumstick). Then the contestants dive into a quick-cooking session, juggling multiple ingredients and pans. The goal is to create a dish that looks and tastes exactly like Ramsay’s. The winner earns a spot in the finals; two more chefs are declared safe. One contestant is eliminated.
Chef Gordon Ramsay showed the contestants how to cook an orange duck on Season 9 of “MasterChef Junior.” The four semi-finalists had to keep up with Ramsay as he quickly prepared the dish. (Greg Gayne/2024 FOX Media LLC)
Bryson’s reaction: “Chef Ramsay works so fast, I’m really starting to, like, lose my mind. … Oh my gosh, it’s hard to keep up with Chef Ramsay when he’s cutting up the duck, so how am I supposed to keep up with him during this cooking process? He’s been cooking this dish longer than I’ve been alive.”
Too much: Cooking duck breast is Bryson’s forte, but the vegetables and accompanying sauces are tricky. A few missteps—a slow flame catching fire, three pans simmering—and Bryson starts to feel overwhelmed. “Chef Ramsay works so fast, and it’s really, really hard to handle three pans in such a short amount of time,” he said. “So I feel like there’s a lot of pressure right now. I feel like everyone’s keeping up with Chef Gordon, but right now I’m falling behind, and I’m really nervous.”
