Grayson Price, MasterChef Junior Season 8 finalist, plates his passion, interview
After an impressive dish to earn his place as a MasterChef Junior Season 8 finalist, Grayson Price has the coveted culinary title within his grasp. While this season has had both ups and downs for the talented younger chef, his passion for food is abundantly clear. During a recent conversation with FoodSided, Grayson shared what excites him about cooking and building confidence in the kitchen.
Throughout MasterChef Season 8, Grayson has shown exceptional skills in the kitchen. While his most recent seared Hamachi earned high marks, the judges have been quite thrilled with his plating details. The old saying about eating with your eyes has enticed everyone this season.
When asked about how Grayson prepared for his time on MasterChef Junior Season 8, he said that he studied. Just like a student in school, he turned to cookbooks and devoured all the recipes and cooking techniques that he could. Looking at his choices this season, that knowledge is clear.
Still, Grayson appreciated that the road to the finale was not always a smooth one. He understood that salmon butchery almost cut him from the competition. While he admitted that he has tried to better those fish skills, he is working a little smaller. Grayson confessed that messing up expensive salmon might not be the best choice for his home kitchen.
That work ethic is clear in his desire to better his culinary skills. Grayson believes that his willingness to learn from his mistakes is vital to becoming a better cook. Like many great chefs appreciate, mistakes can lead to tasty success stories.
One lesson that Grayson continues to improve is seasoning. For him, using the proper amount of salt in a dish is vital to becoming a good chef. Even though appreciating proper cooking temperatures ensures a great dish, every food needs the proper amount of seasoning.
While Grayson shared that he is most proud of his snapper dish from MasterChef Junior Season 8, he understands that one key to a great dish is letting the ingredients shine. As a fan of French cooking techniques and cuisine, it is more than the mastering of mother sauces that highlights this food style. Grayson appreciates local, fresh ingredients and finding ways to make them the star of a dish.
Even though the MasterChef Junior Season 8 challenges had a particular slant or theme, Grayson took away a tremendous amount of knowledge from the experience. Although he might want to avoid a salmon challenge, the restaurant takeover was a personal favorite for him. In some ways, it gave him a glimpse into the restaurant world that one day he hopes to join.
Given that MasterChef Junior Season 8 is a huge opportunity for these young chefs, Grayson soaked up the mentorship that Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez and Daphne Oz offered. Even if Gordon looked at every dish with that critical eye, the feedback was vital. As many people in the culinary world have come to learn, mentorship fosters a stronger culinary community.
Although fans will have to wait to see the final outcome of MasterChef Junior Season 8, the future seems bright for Grayson Price. He continues to fuel his cooking passions. For his recent birthday, he tackled an elevated French recipe of deboned duck in pastry. While he hopes to check off a bucket list visit to Eleven Madison Park or even Noma, the young culinary star has a plethora of innovative and delicious restaurants in his hometown of Austin, Texas that inspire his culinary development.
For now, Grayson is whipping up some creative recipes in his home kitchen. From transforming farmers market finds to perfecting more classic cooking techniques, Grayson is hungry to keep learning and growing in the kitchen.
Will Grayson Price be crowned MasterChef Junior Season 8 winner? Be sure to watch the two-hour season finale on Thursday, June 23 at 8 p.m. on FOX.