MasterChef Generations winner Michael Leonard succeeded with a grand meal, interview

After building momentum into his finale meal, MasterChef Generations winner Michael Leonard created a three-course meal that was robust, well-executed, and had a personal connection. During our interview, the talented cook shared the personal meaning behind his grand meal.

The premise of MasterChef Generations was a curious one. Would a cook’s generational designation influence how and what they cook. Throughout the season, judges Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez, and Joe Bastianich commented that certain dishes were clearly one generation or another. From the concepts to the plating, the categories worked in showcasing different approaches to food.

In the MasterChef Generations finale, the three cooks represented the Millennials and Gen Z. Even though only the younger generations vied for the title, these individuals, especially the winner Michael, had influence from outside his age demographic. In some ways, that impact helped him earn a win.

Ahead of the winning moment, FoodSided spoke with MasterChef Generations winner Michael Leonard. While he impressed both the judges and viewers with his skills and tactics throughout the season, his final three course meal brought together cooking techniques, thoughtfulness, and a clear point of view.

When asked about his finale meal and its progression, Michael shared, “my finale meal was definitely a heavily conceptual menu. It started with the concept, and it went to the food from there. Basically, I was taking (the judges) on a journey from where I've been to where I am now. It started off with my roots coming from New Jersey with the pasta dish. But, it also segued into the next dish nicely. It is kind of a woodsy dish, because I moved to Hemingway, South Carolina, which is kind of in the middle of nowhere. My dad wanted to live off the land, so we would hunt deer and grow vegetables. The venison had pecans inside the herb curst and the duck fat was inside the puree. All of those were native ingredients to South Carolina. The meal segues into the next dish, which is dessert. That dessert represents my mom. That was the closest part of my journey there because my mother had just passed away at the beginning of the year. Coming to that point in my journey, I was flustered, and dessert is not my strong suit. With that dessert, I decided to do something that represents her, which is peach cobbler. I kind of deconstructed such a simple dish and made it into something grand and beautiful. I took the situation with my mother, which was horrible, and used it during MasterChef in order to push me to actually win.”

While Michael earned the title with his impressive dinner, chefs can often look back and analyze the meal. When asked if he would change anything about the meal, Micheal said, “I wouldn't change any of the courses. I want to say that the most successful was most likely the dessert. I think the dessert was a really, really good dish. My personal favorite (course) that I would eat is probably the appetizer. I really love tortellini, and I just love that truffle with that mint puree. I thought that was great. I remember Joe wasn't a big fan of the lemon or vinaigrette, but I did like that.”

To get to the MasterChef Generations finale, Michael had to overcome all of the series’ signature challenges. From the Mystery Boxes to the Wall, each step helped him to hone his skills and narrow his focus.

Still, one challenge is worthy of a do-over in his mind. Michael said, “The challenge that I would redo is the follow along with Gordon Ramsay. I got in my own head. When I wasn't paying attention for a split second and completely derailed me. I would love to the chance to redo that one.”

Even though he had very few missteps along the way, Michael and his fellow Millennials shined throughout MasterChef Generations. But, some people thought other generations would stake their claim as the best. Even Aaron Sanchez asserted that Gen X could have a chance.

When asked his opinion about whether one generation had an advantage at the beginning and if that thought changed during the competition, Michael said, “I would say that Gen. Z remained strong for a good portion of the competition, especially in the in the beginning. I don't think that they necessarily had an advantage, but I think they just maybe their advantage was the fact that they communicated together well.  They were really knocking it at the park, had high energy, and had fresh ideas. That is what set them apart. I think Gen. Z definitely was taking everybody by storm and they were kind of the underdog, too. I think a lot of people kind of slept on them and expected them to mess up a lot. And, they wowed with off the wall things, but they definitely made it happen.”

While Michael appreciated Gen Z’s creativity, the Millennials were well represented in the finale. When asked why he thought that his generation succeeded, he said “I think the reason was the fact that we are millennials. I mean that wholeheartedly because millennials are kind of in the middle of everything there. They take a lot from Gen. X and Boomers, who raised them. They're still young enough to be in that sphere that Gen. Z is in, where they have fresh ideas and are influenced by newer things that are coming out. I think being in between both of those kind of really created the perfect storm for someone that would just completely take the competition.”

Even though Michael and the Millennials might have had the creativity and the cooking chops to do well, their dishes needed to impress the judges. Listening to the critiques, the feedback is constructive, but it is also some tough love.

When asked which judge is the toughest, Michael said, “I think this kind of remains consistent throughout the history of MasterChef. Joe is a very tough judge to please. He's going to tell it exactly like it is. They are all very honest about their opinions, obviously because they're judges. But, I think Joe is definitely very picky with a lot of the things that he likes and he likes them a certain way. I think being able to please all three of them is very difficult. But, Joe especially is one that will pick apart the smallest element of your dish.”

Even though Michael presented tortellini to the Joe and his fellow judges in the finale, his pasta dish passed the Bastianich refined palate with minimal criticism. The robust, hearty three-course meal found a way to resonate with all the judges.

Now that the MasterChef Generations title is his, what is next for Michael Leonard. He shared “MasterChef is the springboard for me to be able to do something with cooking, which I've always wanted to do. I don't plan on stopping now. I would like to get into pop-ups, private catering, or private events, and I’m definitely going to keep working on social media. It would be great to travel and taste different cuisines and maybe film that content. Down the road, a restaurant would definitely be in play, but it might be after I get settled in life. I think that (having a restaurant) requires a lot of focus and experience. I don’t want to just jump into that, but I want it to be perfect when I do.”

Now that the MasterChef Generations winner has been revealed, what is next for the popular FOX culinary competition? The next group of aspiring home cooks can take their place in the kitchen.

“MasterChef is now casting for talented culinary duos from all types of backgrounds and with a range of cooking styles. If you and your duo think you have what it takes to become the next MasterChefs, visit www.masterchefcasting.com for eligibility rules and other terms and conditions. Must be 18 years old or older as of October 11, 2024.”

Want to rewatch all the challenges? MasterChef Generations and previous seasons can be streamed on Hulu.