Rising culinary star shines brightly in “MasterChef Junior” season finale
MASTERCHEF JUNIOR: L-R: Contestant Michael, Gordon Ramsay and Tilly Ramsay in the “Thyme Travel” episode of MASTERCHEF JUNIOR airing Monday, April 29 (8:00-9:02PM) ET/PT on FOX. CR: Greg Gayne. © 2024 FOX Media LLC.
A special young chef who diced up the competition throughout this season of the TV show “MasterChef Junior” made it to the May 20 season finale while showing off his culinary skills and making Marion County proud.
Michael Seegobin, 12, the son of Marion County Fire Rescue Lt. Dean Seegobin, finished as the runner-up in Season 9 of the hit FOX show “MasterChef Junior,” which highlights young chefs ages 8 to 13 as they compete before celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey and other renowned culinary judges. Bryson McGlynn of Opelika, Alabama won the contest.
In part 2 of the finale, Michael prepared a pan-seared halibut with sauteed purple kale, ginger-glazed carrots and spicy herb sauce. For the dessert portion, he prepared an orange and olive oil pound cake with a citrus sauce and crème fraiche ice cream.
A homage to his family’s hometown of New Smyrna Beach, Michael’s favorite dishes to cook are seafood-based. He said competing on the show helped him grow his confidence and sharpen his culinary skills.
“I’m a really good chef, so I knew I could do this,” he said. “It’s really important to me because I feel like I’ve been focused and consistent, so I did have a good chance.”
[Courtesy of Amanda Seegobin]
“My dad started teaching me little things,” he said. “As I advanced, I started watching “YouTube” videos and taking notes in my little cookbook.”
Michael said his favorite fish to cook is Mangrove Snapper, and that he enjoys catching, cleaning and turning the fish into a gourmet meal.
Michael’s father, his mother Amanda and his two siblings all enjoy the meals he prepares for them at home and knew he had huge potential. His mother said watching her son excel on “MasterChef Junior” made her incredibly proud of his success at such a young age.
“It’s actually unbelievable, to be honest,’’ she said. “I expected him to do well, just because he really is a good cook. He’s cooked all kinds of different foods, from seafood to meat, and he’s even done souffles, so I knew the level of skill could potentially be there.”
Between attending school, extracurriculars and a passion for cooking, Michael has a busy schedule and he said he works hard to make time for all of his responsibilities and interests. He gets home from school at about 5 p.m. each day and spends his evenings either doing homework, going to practice for his travel baseball team or cooking new meals for the family.
“Two days out of the week I have to go to baseball, and then the other weeknights I’m cooking or doing something at the house—never just sitting down,” he said.
Now that his time on “MasterChef Junior” is over, Michael has his sights set on his next culinary adventure, one that he hopes to pay respect to his dad, and firefighters just like him all around the country.
“I want to have a show,’’ he said. “I would go around the nation, since my dad’s a firefighter, and cook for the firefighters who serve our country.”
Michael said he dreams of owning his own restaurant one day.
“When I get older, I would love to have my own restaurant in the (Florida) Keys because the Keys would be my favorite place to have it,” he said. “I would love to have my own Michelin Star restaurant.”
As the “MasterChef Junior” season ends, the young chef expressed his gratitude for an opportunity that he will never forget.
“It was really cool because I’m one out of a million kids who actually get to be on the show,” Michael said.
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