And the moment of truth arrived in MasterChef Junior 10. After six galas and four finalists, last night TVE broadcast a very close final where, once again, culinary talent made history again. This time by crowning one of the smallest candidates in the contest as the winner.
Loreto, at only eight years old, managed to win over the MasterChef Junior 10 jury, as well as one of the most popular Spanish chefs, Dabiz Muñoz. “You were born to be a chef,” was one of the many compliments that the winner received after extolling a haute cuisine menu and leaving her rivals without the possibility of reacting.
Inés Cantero, Loreto, Jesús and Estanis arrived at the grand final of MasterChef Junior 10 with a single objective: to win the 12,000 euro prize and continue their training thanks to the four-day cooking course at the Basque Culinary Center.
However, before the big moment and knowing the name of the winner, the candidates had to face one of the best-known tests of TVE's cooking talent. We talked about the challenge of following the chef. This time, the contestants had to replicate Nandu Jubany's pasta carbonara dish.
The first test allowed the MasterChef Junior 10 jury to choose its first finalist for the final duel. And the choice was Jesus. Now there was a second challenge and a second jacket for that long-awaited final moment. Here the program traveled to Miranda de Ebro where chef Alejandro Serrano, with 1 Michelin star, was waiting for him.
The outdoor test consisted of preparing a menu of six haute cuisine dishes, designed by Serrano, which would be tasted by ten former MasterChef Celebrity contestants. Here Loreto conquered those present and managed to advance to the final. Let us remember that the fish from Alicante had just been fished, therefore, there was nothing to predict what would come later.
When the final part of the program arrived, Jesús and Loreto went head to head to achieve victory. Of course, it was an unbalanced duel, since Jesús was the oldest candidate, while Loreto, the youngest of the group. Age, as we will see, was the least important thing.
The final preparation promised to be of a high level with three courses: a starter, a starter and a dessert. Loreto took risks and made more elaborate and avant-garde dishes and this haute cuisine menu greatly convinced the jury members. Dabiz Muñoz, guest judge of the final, was left “speechless” when trying the Loreto steak tartare. “It is very well made and very well spun,” highlighted the chef.
“The dish does not lack or have anything left over, it is a technically perfect dish with a lot of flavor and just the right amount of daring,” continued Muñoz when trying the sea bass from Loreto's second creation. “It is a perfect and adult dish,” added Jordi Cruz.
To finish off the creation, Loreto made a dessert of strawberries with liqueur, white chocolate ice cream and frozen roses that was also highly applauded. “You were born to be a cook, you shine, you will be what you want to be, but being born with a talent is lucky,” Dabiz Muñoz assured her. And so, the youngest and most successful of the program made history in the tenth edition of MasterChef Junior.
