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00:04It's the battle for the ultimate culinary prize.
00:10Brand new competition. Brand new judges.
00:14Grace, let's find some talent.
00:1748 of the country's best home cooks...
00:20Come on.
00:21...have their hearts set.
00:23Oh, my dear.
00:25It's fine. It's fine.
00:27Oh, no!
00:28Dropped it.
00:28On the coveted MasterChef Trophy...
00:32It is an explosion of flavour.
00:35This is absolutely yummy.
00:37Fantastic.
00:38Each week, 12 extraordinary amateur talents...
00:43I think I'm struggling.
00:44...battle for a place in the quarterfinal.
00:47There's something quite Dracula about this dish.
00:49Ooh, a nap.
00:51But only the best can earn their passport
00:54to the ultimate cookery showdown.
00:58The hundred guests are here.
01:01Keep going fast.
01:03Cheers.
01:03Cheers.
01:04If this has been cooked by an amateur, we all need to watch out.
01:17It's the start of a new competition.
01:20We've got cooks raring to go.
01:23And we have got the hottest seats in town.
01:26I've been cooking for over two decades.
01:29And if there's one thing that I can spot, it's talent.
01:33I think this competition is going to be tough.
01:36I live and I dream for the MasterChef apron.
01:42I just love food.
01:44It's kind of a love letter to my friends and my family
01:46and my wife and my dog.
01:50I'm so excited to cook for Anna and Grace,
01:54but I'm kind of terrified.
02:06Welcome to the MasterChef kitchen.
02:08Our first contestants ready to cook something delicious.
02:13Grace and I really want to get to know who you are as cooks.
02:17Get to know how your culinary mind ticks.
02:20Your first challenge is simple.
02:22Cook us your signature dish.
02:24A plate of food that says loud and clear,
02:28this is why I'm here.
02:31At the end of the challenge,
02:32we will choose the two best dishes
02:35and those cooks will get a MasterChef apron.
02:38The rest of you will have to cook again for the final two aprons.
02:43One hour, 20 minutes.
02:46Let's go.
02:49Better get on with it.
02:51Not wrecking, but very excited to be here.
02:55The competition has started.
02:57Wow.
02:58The signature dish in a restaurant is the best dish in the house.
03:02I want to see these cooks do their best dishes from their houses.
03:07This is a real test of, is my food actually good
03:10or are my family just polite?
03:13Technology program manager Janae grew up in a tight-knit Caribbean family
03:18where a deep love of food was passed down through the bloodline.
03:22My grandma came here in the Windrush generation
03:24and she was a cook in NHS hospitals.
03:29I am very much cooking from the heart today.
03:34You look comfortable in the MasterChef kitchen.
03:38I'm glad you think so.
03:40Janae, what is your signature dish?
03:42A Thai green curry fried chicken.
03:45I mean, I love Thai green curry anyway.
03:48Yeah.
03:48But you're making with fried chicken.
03:50I mean, everything is better deep fried.
03:53Thai green curry was one of the first dishes that I learnt to make.
03:57We have a family friend from Thailand.
03:59His name is Soup.
04:01We'd all crowd around and watch him cook.
04:03So, I've got to make Thai green curry.
04:07I'm excited about this dish.
04:09This is inventive.
04:12She's making her own Thai green curry paste.
04:15There is lime leaves in there.
04:17There's lemongrass in there.
04:19And then marinating her chicken before it goes in the fryer.
04:22Genius idea.
04:24But I want that chicken crispy.
04:30Construction company director Brendan was influenced to cook
04:33after taking on a Saturday job at his local butcher's when he was young.
04:39Being in the MasterChef kitchen and cooking for the first time is daunting.
04:43There's no two ways about it.
04:44But I'm hoping I can turn nerves into enthusiasm and excitement and fill up a good dish, hopefully.
04:54This is the sort of dish that I would cook for special occasions.
04:57I should be cooking it today at home because it is my anniversary day of my wife.
05:00Pan fried chicken with Madeira sauce, a mashed potato, some roasted onions and some carrots and a bit of chicken
05:08skin.
05:08How many years have you been married?
05:10I've been eight years.
05:11Congratulations.
05:12Thank you very much.
05:12Do you think it would be a good anniversary present if you came home with a MasterChef apron?
05:17Yeah, hopefully I can achieve that for her.
05:19Good luck.
05:19Thank you ever so much. Thank you ladies.
05:24There's some real core skills here.
05:27I walked past the bench at one point and the full chicken had a skin.
05:30I turned round and it had all gone.
05:33I set myself quite a task really, but hopefully there's enough time to get the dish out.
05:39Brendan has to be a bit careful about putting Madeira in a sauce.
05:42Vegetables bring sweetness. Madeira also brings sweetness.
05:45So if he gets that balance wrong, it could be too sickly sweet.
05:51OK, guys, 20 minutes gone. You've got one hour remaining.
05:59Born to a Bangladeshi father and Pakistani mother, charity consultant Sabina is passionate about the traditional South Asian flavours of
06:08her heritage.
06:11My signature dish is an achar sea bass with turmeric rice and spiced spinach and the yogurt curry sauce.
06:18It's my take on this Bangladeshi fish curry, which also is combined with the Pakistani influence of the achar sauce.
06:32What makes it achar sea bass?
06:35There's two spices. There's fenugreek and nigella seeds, which my mum used in her cooking.
06:40Pickle gives us this pickled flavour to the sauce. So that's why it's achar.
06:45I grew up eating this and it brings back familiar memories of my childhood.
06:55Sounds really interesting.
06:57But all of her elements have spice in it.
07:01On the fish, I'm going to be putting red chilli powder, paprika, cumin and also a little bit of fenugreek.
07:09Jean needs to really control how she adds those spices in or otherwise it's just going to be too much.
07:17What worries me with Sabina's dish is that she's taken something that she's cooked for decades, deconstructing it to make
07:24it fancy for the MasterChef kitchen.
07:30IT teacher Matt from Bradford.
07:32It almost looks like I know what I'm doing.
07:35Only fell in love with food when he went travelling in his twenties.
07:40He now spends his time cooking for his wife and Ollie, his nine-year-old border collie.
07:46I love baking for my dog.
07:48Every year for his birthday, I'll bake him a little cake.
07:51And there is never any complaints from Ollie the collie.
07:55So let's hope Grace and Anna are the same.
08:00I love desserts.
08:01Every day I will have 90% dark chocolate and I love sesame.
08:06So we've got a dark chocolate Delis with a miso caramel sauce, tahini cream, black sesame praline crumb.
08:15This is pretty fancy pants.
08:17Yes. So you're into the finer cuisine?
08:21I'm into everything.
08:23I'm a new cook.
08:24I didn't grow up cooking.
08:26I didn't eat an egg until I was 25.
08:32This is a dessert for people that don't always choose the sweetest thing on umami.
08:37But then if you takes it too far into umami, you've basically got a savoury course.
08:44It's a very, very ambitious dish.
08:48There's a lot of technique and time in here and there's also a lot of temperature control.
08:53If the chocolate Delis doesn't set, then I've had a bit of a shocker.
08:58OK, we're halfway.
09:03This can be my kitchen from now on.
09:0739-year-old financial assistant and mum of two, Sam, has dreamt of entering the competition for over 15 years.
09:17I'm definitely a MasterChef superfan.
09:20I think I've watched pretty much every series.
09:22And I always think, I can do this.
09:24I want to have a go at this.
09:26Like, just get me in that kitchen.
09:28I'm going to get this off my list before I turn 40.
09:36I'm making for you a fillet steak with triple cooked chips, a parmesan and lemon crumb, and a peppercorn sauce.
09:44Since I was a kid, I've always loved that.
09:46Like, when we were on holiday, I'd have my pepper steak and chips, and that would be me for two
09:50weeks every night.
09:50And then my mum sort of started recreating it at home, and that's like the family dish of like,
09:55oh, if it's a treat night, then we'll have the steak and pepper sauce.
09:58We're a big foodie family.
09:59If we're cooking, there's like 10 of us in the background, and the dogs and the kids, and this is
10:04more stressful.
10:04Are you the best at making this family dish?
10:07Of course.
10:11Needs to be a beautifully cooked steak.
10:14Brown, burnished on the outside, a little bit bloody in the middle.
10:18And I want a lovely, buttery peppercorn sauce that means business.
10:24I want there still to be whole peppercorns in that sauce.
10:30We all love steak and chips.
10:31If you're going to cook steak and chips in the MasterChef kitchen, it has to be the best steak and
10:35chips you could ever produce.
10:39I don't want to freak you out, but you've got 20 minutes left.
10:48Nepali-born Rose Dip credits his mum for teaching him how to cook the familiar flavours of his childhood.
10:5416 years after moving to the UK, he now lives in North Shields with his partner and their sausage dog.
11:03I feel like there isn't a lot of visibility around Nepali's food, so I'm really excited to show my heritage
11:10to the judges, but also slightly nervous about what they might think.
11:15I love coming to somebody's bench and finding things I don't even recognise.
11:20So the signature dish I'm making is a love from my hometown, Dharan, in Nepal.
11:25And I'm making spicy aludum that my mum used to cook all the time, which is potato with cumin, nigella
11:32seeds and pork belly with cumin and coriander.
11:35Then I'm making dal, where I will be adding the Himalayan chives, which is the jimbo that you're holding.
11:41So Nepalese flavours.
11:43Yes.
11:43What brought your family here?
11:45So my dad was a Gurkha, so he served the Queen, and I moved here when I was 17.
11:52That pork laden with all of its own spices, it needs to be soft and yielding.
12:00It can't be overdone.
12:03I always thought dal was lentil-based.
12:05This is black-eyed beans.
12:08I think it's all right.
12:09I just need to elevate it a little bit.
12:12I cannot wait to taste this dish.
12:15We've got three and a half minutes left.
12:19Oh, yes, get in there.
12:3090 seconds to go.
12:34We really should have things on plates.
12:38Chicken's cooked lovely, yeah, so I'm really happy with that.
12:47Moment of truth.
12:50Medium rare.
13:03Okay, so that's it. Time's up.
13:05Did we enjoy that?
13:07Yeah.
13:07Yes, I think so.
13:09We did it.
13:12Brendan, come on up.
13:16Construction Company director Brendan's signature dish is pan-fried chicken breast with buttery mash, roasted onion and carrots, crispy chicken
13:27skin, mushroom and black garlic puree topped with crispy black pudding, and a Madeira wine sauce.
13:35Your presentation, I think, is really fantastic.
13:44Your mash is mwah.
13:47It is beautiful.
13:48Full of butter.
13:50Your chicken is really beautifully cooked.
13:52It's not dry, but your sauce is too sweet.
13:55That needed slightly less Madeira in there.
13:58But I am impressed that you got all your elements done.
14:01I think that's the best chicken skin I've ever tasted.
14:05It's so crisp, so full of flavour.
14:09It's your anniversary today.
14:11Can you tell your wife thank you from me?
14:15I think I set myself quite a tough challenge in the amount of work that I had to deliver, but
14:19Grace then said that it was a fantastic chicken skin and that's good enough for me.
14:27Technology program manager Janay has cooked a play on the classic Thai green curry chicken thighs marinated in chili lime
14:35leaves and lemongrass deep fried on a coconut green curry sauce served with jasmine rice.
14:50The Thai green curry flavours inside that fried chicken, you know, is just perfect.
14:59Skin is crispy.
15:00Getting your lime leaves, your lemongrass, your shrimp paste, that is excellent.
15:05I've got to eat this morning, noon and night.
15:09Love the Thai green sauce.
15:11It's silky, it's sweet in all the right places, it's spicy in others. Impressive.
15:20I could eat the whole lot. I could eat all of that.
15:24To have professionals critiquing your food is a foodie's dream.
15:29I don't think I'll ever get over that.
15:34Highlighting Bangladeshi and Pakistani flavours, charity consultant Sabina has cooked sea bass marinated in paprika, cumin and fenugreek, topped with
15:44crispy curry leaves and onions.
15:46With masala spiced spinach on turmeric rice and an achar yogurt sauce flavoured with tomato, fenugreek and nigella seeds.
16:03The yoghurt sauce is outstanding.
16:07It's tomatoey and sweet and playful, but bang, it means business.
16:11And the spinach, I love that kick of chilli coming through.
16:16I was a bit worried about spice being in everything and would they fight each other for attention?
16:22No, they don't.
16:24Your fish, it really honours fenugreek.
16:27The skin isn't as crispy as I hoped, but I liked the addition of the crispy onions and the curry
16:34leaves because it brought in the texture.
16:36So well done.
16:40I felt so emotional.
16:42I've used more spices than I can count, which is pretty much indicative of Bangladesh and Pakistan.
16:49So I'm fully proud of what I achieved.
16:54I felt so emotional.
16:55Oh, wow.
16:57Financial assistant, Sam, is serving her family favourite, fillet steak on garlic and thyme mushrooms and buttery green beans.
17:06With a Parmesan and lemon crumb, triple cooked chips and a peppercorn sauce.
17:21your beef has been nicely seared on the outside we've got a medium rare center your triple cooked
17:27chips like a chunky chip it's got like a crunchy edge to it but a touch of seasoning and the
17:33whole
17:33dish would be elevated I like the sauce but you've taken the peppercorns out of it so it hasn't got
17:40that punch you're holding back with that I mean there's always room for improvement isn't there
17:47oh great again if I have to kick again then so be it digital portfolio manager rose dips Nepali dish
17:58is spicy potato tomato and nigella seed aloo dumb on carrot pilau rice with cumin coriander and timor
18:06peppered pork belly and a black-eyed bean and jimbu chive dal the aloo dumb the nigella seed the tomato
18:19and the garlic mellows really well together when you eat them and it is a really unique dal I can
18:27absolutely taste the jimbu and that this is excellent well done thank you thank you so much
18:33I love the use of timoru in the pork belly it just gives it this sweet fizzing liveliness
18:42you've browned it beautifully but there is still there's a stickiness about it I love that you're
18:48bringing Nepalese food into this kitchen you need to pinch me for sure it's my mom's recipe so I'm
18:56really really chuffed I've done a good job and I think she'll be proud of me
19:01finally it's IT teacher Matt with his signature dessert a dark chocolate delice topped with tahini
19:08cream and a brown butter tuile served with a black sesame and praline crumb fresh blackberries on
19:15blackberry gel and a miso caramel sauce I love the delice it's for real chocolate lovers it's got that
19:29rich kick and the sesame crumb is just the right amount of sesame and crunch and sweet and a little
19:39bit salty as well your vanilla and your tahini cream it's really yummy but you've obviously split
19:46it when you whipped it your miso caramel just a little heavy-handed with the miso slightly
19:54disappointed that I just split that cream right in the end but you know desserts a risk
20:01we just had six fantastic dishes I feel like I know you all better
20:10there was two dishes in particular that we thought really stood out well done Janae you
20:16have secured yourself a master chef apron we have one other apron to give away
20:26rose dip come and collect your apron
20:33can I run
20:42well done enjoy putting those on
20:51I just want to hold this and not let go I'm so overwhelmed I'm so happy I could scream I
20:58could cry
21:00over the moon I really hope it's a start of a long journey in my chefs but I'm also equally
21:06trying to
21:06soak up this moment and just take it all in right now yeah
21:15don't be disheartened there are still two aprons here on offer
21:20this is a classic recipe challenge we want you to cook one of my favorite brunch dishes an irish
21:29potato cake with perfectly poached eggs smoked salmon wilted spinach and hollandaise you have
21:36all of the ingredients on your benches you also have a basic recipe but it's without timings and
21:43measurements so it's important that you use your cooks intuition to nail this recipe 45 minutes to
21:51get yourself an apron off you go
21:57the recipes shows the ingredients on there and a bit of methodology but there's a few blanks
22:03I think I can probably figure it out as I go along
22:07we are asking for core skills here poached egg hollandaise sauce things that they should know how
22:15to do if they want to go far in this competition
22:19the question is can they perform underneath that pressure
22:26I have made hollandaise before but if I ruin the hollandaise sauce my dad will kill me because
22:29on the way up here he was like this is how you make hollandaise don't forget your dad foresaw what
22:35was going to happen in here he told you about the hollandaise I'm not quite sure how to cook a
22:40irish potato cake though so don't tell Anna
22:45Sam doesn't seem plastered she seems to be in control I think I'm okay
22:51a really good potato cake is potato
22:57flour egg and then fry them in a little bit of oil or butter I hope it looks something like
23:03that
23:07what we're looking for is a light fluffy but golden brown potato cake
23:14is this something that you've made before no poached eggs do you make them for your family on a sundae
23:20no oh dear is there anything on this dish that you are feeling happy about Matt the smoked salmon
23:28it's already been smoked
23:31if Matt digs deep I think he's probably got the instinct and the knowledge because
23:36it looks like I've had a nice potato cake
23:39a good hollandaise for me is heavenly it's rich from the butter and it's sharp from the lemon vinegar
23:47but you have to create balance
23:51hopefully it's going to taste fine
23:53a critical moment when you're making hollandaise is cooking your eggs you need to whisk it the whole
23:58time and then to take it off the heat and slowly add their butter if they leave that on the
24:02heat
24:02it's going to be scrambled eggs
24:05it looks like a hollandaise that
24:08i don't believe it
24:09yeah it really does look like a hollandaise how have you done that man
24:12i don't know
24:14it's a bit lemony though
24:18i want that hollandaise to coat the back of the spoon don't want it to be so thin
24:22that's just like soup around the potato cake
24:25the hollandaise is too runny at the moment so i'm just trying to put it back together
24:31and hopefully have it running time
24:33okay guys that's 20 minutes gone now you've 25 minutes left
24:40do you think the hollandaise is the biggest challenge in this recipe um it's probably the
24:46biggest unknown for me yeah brendan's just added flour to his hollandaise just to thicken it up yeah
24:54if you add flour to something you have to cook it i am not looking forward to tasting them
25:01i think i'm struggling with the hollandaise if i'm honest
25:07poached eggs lovely runny egg with a uniform shape they need to have a big deep pot of water
25:14as the eggs drop in they get swirled around and it takes exactly three minutes to cook
25:25i can see in front of me one very prettily poached egg
25:29what's your technique i'm trying to make sure that i do the little swirl
25:32in the water so that i can make it form into the perfect circle i think it seemed to be
25:37working
25:37and i love eggs so you can't go wrong with that are all the eggs going to be as nice
25:42as this one
25:42yes they are definitely
25:46sabina she's like i got this you know prepare yourself for a delicious brunch dish guys
25:55is brunch nearly ready brunch is nearly ready thank you brendan they're starting to talk back it's
26:02brilliant i feel like i've done everything okay guys final minute you need to be adding the last
26:11touches to your dishes now
26:27i'd eat it absolutely
26:32okay that's it guys times up step away from your benches
26:38hollandaise hollandaise got there in the end
26:46we asked you to make a light fluffy potato cake with perfectly poached eggs serve it with smoked salmon
26:53and a glossy hollandaise word sam you're up first
27:05you hadn't made potato cakes before but the potato mix you've used is absolutely spot on beautifully
27:12cooked two lovely poached eggs but your hollandaise sauce could have been cooked out just a little bit
27:18more so that it creates a much more glossier thick sauce it kind of runs off as opposed to sitting
27:24on top
27:25of the egg but seasoning is very good
27:30i was worried about my hollandaise sauce splitting at the last minute so
27:33i decided to take it off heat but i don't think it was a disaster
27:39brendan you're up next
27:45the poached egg did seem to be losing a lot of its white but the yolk runny potato cake soft
27:53seasoned
27:55your hollandaise sauce too much vinegar in there and there is a strange gloopy texture when you added
28:00a bit of flour into it just a small smidge i knew it was wrong sometimes when we're cooking and
28:06something's
28:06not working we should stop and start again it was a tough challenge if i'm honest i think i'll probably
28:14just let myself down a little bit with the sauce sabina
28:23your eggs are absolutely perfect they hold their shape they're running
28:28the potato cakes you've got them absolutely bang on
28:32your hollandaise has a lovely acidity to it and seasonings this is a really good dish thank you
28:42really i hadn't made many of the things before but i decided to embrace it and i'm proud of what
28:47i
28:47produced matt it's your turn
28:56the potato cake is slightly dry in parts your hollandaise you got the technique right but a bit
29:03heavy-handed with your seasoning and with your acidity the egg is beautifully cooked however the
29:10hollandaise sauce is vicious it's a good thing right not in this case
29:18when i saw all those ingredients on the table my heart absolutely sank because i thought this is not
29:25going to go well
29:30that was a fantastic round but we can't keep them all
29:36sabina is one to watch there is instinct oozing out of her as a cook perfectly poached eggs beautiful
29:44little potato cakes i think sabina deserves an apron brendan showed real fight but he was struggling
29:53the hollandaise really let him down there's no denying that sam's hollandaise could have been a
29:59little bit more cooked but i was really really impressed by her potato cake and her seasoning throughout
30:06technically matt's hollandaise was as close to the texture of what hollandaise should be but the
30:13flavor was unpleasant and this potato cake was quite dry what are we gonna do anna
30:21although cooking is a hobby it's become much more than that and this whole master shepherd experience
30:27it's amazing i'd love to have an apron i think anyone that enters this competition that's the
30:32the whole point of it fingers crossed i don't want to go home yet i'm just dying to cook again
30:37get
30:37back in that kitchen and just show them what i can do
30:49two aprons left on offer we've made a decision
30:57the first contestant getting an apron is sabina
31:04well done sabina thank you the second cook getting an apron is
31:18sam
31:23matt brendan thank you so much sadly you're leaving the competition
31:32it's been a fantastic town i'd love the journey to have continued it'll always be the hollandaise
31:36sauce for me i think that was probably my nemesis i've had such a nice time i've put out some
31:43dishes
31:43which i would have eaten maybe even my dog would have eaten so you know i've got to be happy
31:49with that
31:51oh my god congratulations you two oh my god i can't believe it come collect your aprons
31:58oh my god well done thank you thank you
32:07what are we doing now got our aprons on i feel absolutely exhilarated and over the bone
32:16definitely excited for the future oh it suits you can i sleep in it i can't believe it as if
32:26i can sleep
32:41nice aprons
32:45but in the master chef kitchen we never rest you're now cooking for a quarter final place
32:54we have invited some very special guests to join us they are the finalists from last year
33:02sophie sagrou claire seren and the winner harry mcguire
33:09you've an hour and 15 minutes to cook two of the best courses you've ever cooked in your life
33:16at the end of this one of you will be going home
33:21give it everything you've got start cooking
33:28i actually have to do this now i need to make all of these things in like an hour
33:34let's see how this goes
33:40just trying to stay focused
33:48rose dip you started strong in this kitchen what's cooking today a chicken and cabbage joe momo which
33:54is a nepalese dumpling with soybean and tomato sauce i love a momo earliest memory
34:02of my mom making it in the house bringing everybody together and you try to kind of pitch in homemade
34:08dumplings are the best
34:13the key to a good momo is that you have to have thin dough so i'm just rolling my dough
34:19thin enough to
34:20hold my filling when i steam it if it's thick it's more likely to unravel that beautiful ginger chicken
34:28cabbage filling should really just be an explosion of flavor there's a very specific way of wrapping
34:35the momo you've got the half moon and then you would only just do that i hope i've mastered it
34:43over
34:43the years but if i don't get my momo right i am very nervous about what my mom will think
34:48but also
34:48the whole entire nepalese community that i'm representing i thought that was a recipe at your
34:54bench that's your family in pictures yes it doesn't feel like it's just me on this journey it feels
35:00like my whole family what's your main pan fried cod marinated in loads of cumin with yam potato mash
35:10and then i'm making a garlic and timura pepper sauce i just want to take them to nepal really
35:15through my food today so fingers crossed i like the idea of marinating the fish in spices as long
35:24as it gets the balance right i still want to taste the cod but i want the cod to be
35:29complemented
35:30by that cumin cream white wine sauce but then he's adding that lovely timo that sherbet-y nepali spice
35:40that he's so proud to use that's exciting just trying to work as fast as possible
35:50i do have a little bit of confidence after my my very first cook
35:56it's affirmed that the crazy ideas that live in my brain someone else might enjoy them too
36:07i'm gonna make a sri lancan tiger prawn curry with jamaican rotis if you saw me and my family
36:14eating a bowl of prawns together it's feral so the curry is inspired by the curries that i ate when
36:22i went to sri lanka and rotis are something that we eat a lot in in the caribbean so i'm
36:27really trying
36:28to bring my culture with the culture of sri lanka i love a sri lankan curry the coconut and the
36:39cumin
36:39and the turmeric but a good curry sauce takes time to spread its wings and she has not got any
36:48pet curry i've made it a million times and try not to chop my fingers off in the process
36:55and the jamaican roti she's gonna put spring onions and lots of butter through that butter
37:02is the fastest way to my heart i just need them to taste good that's all
37:08i used to work in a cupcake shop it was my very first job and my favorite thing that they
37:15made was
37:15the blueberry cheesecake i'll never forget it so i'm gonna make a layered uh lemon cake
37:23with cheesecake icing and blueberry compote jenna is the mistress of reinvention she's taking memories
37:32of a blueberry muffin that she enjoyed in a shop she worked in and elevating it a really delicious sponge
37:40so the orange should be light and fluffy
37:52you look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed i'm pretending i'm having an eat party in my head so i've been
37:58singing along trying to calm myself down what's cooking sabina so i'm making a piazu which is a lentil
38:05and onion fritter combined with green chilies coriander and turmeric it's like a fritter that
38:12you eat in bangladesh in ramadan can you fritter a lentil today you will have it and you will see
38:18you'll never go back to regular onion bhajis again when somebody says they're going to make fritters
38:25my heart flutters a little bit because i want a perfectly crispy fritter on the outside and something
38:32soft on the inside a good balance of spices in there
38:40my main course is my grandmother's table reimagined it's a sundae chicken curry that she used to make
38:46but i've kind of deconstructed it it's usually the makhi sauce is just butter and tomatoes and fenugreek
38:52but i'm introducing some additional spices including cumin and coriander sounds like
38:58uh your passion for cooking may have come from your grandmother definitely i was in boarding school
39:05in india for two years and i ate a lot of amazing food which inspired the makhani sauce and so
39:12i just
39:12want to show the judges what else i'm capable of and to not stop ever
39:23my menu today is quite classic so there isn't really anywhere to hide also i don't want to
39:28over complicate things and be rushed for time i want to make sure that i really nail it and don't
39:33make any
39:33mistakes we've got a pan fried fillet of sea bass with a pomp puree samphire roasted asparagus and a
39:43bourbon sauce in 2021 my dad had mouth cancer and he had to have most of his teeth removed so
39:49when
39:49it was like father's day like during his recovery i'd try and make a dish that wasn't too sort of
39:52crunchy and he could eat the same meal as what we ate bourbon is buttery heavenly silky sauce but
40:02difficult to get right and if you're giving me potatoes they better be nicely seasoned and with loads of
40:08butter no lumps last year we went to the amalfi coast for a weekend and obviously there's lemons
40:17everywhere everything's lemon lemon lemon so it's a lemon posset with a pistachio praline and raspberry
40:23cooling lemon posset is just sunshine in a bowl but if it doesn't set splits or is too tart it
40:33can be
40:39unpleasant right guys that's 20 minutes until the first course is served rose dip that'll be you
40:56so lovely to be back it's definitely a lot easier doing the eating than the cooking
41:00since masterchef i actually started my own catering company food is now the dominant force in my life
41:05and that wouldn't have been possible without masterchef
41:09i remember doing this challenge i was so nervous but it's really important for them to stick to their
41:15style stick to their guns and really just show their personalities in their menus
41:23i came with a huge appetite ready to hopefully experience four incredible cooks beautiful dishes
41:31total stress next door
41:33i feel like we need to put an apron on and go out there and help them no soph no
41:39the time has really escaped me
41:43chicken and cabbage john momo nepalese dumplings i'm always happy with the word dumpling it's just a
41:50balancing act of making sure that they're wrapped correctly and we get lots of substance and flavor
41:54in there i'm just steaming my momos for about 15 minutes uh which is what i've got
41:59the tomato and soybean sauce sounds absolutely wonderful i'm hoping there's enough acidity in
42:04there to give it a nice balance i'm not gonna have time to pass this i'm just gonna have to
42:09go
42:09it's very grainy you've got a couple of minutes left how are you looking i'm almost there i think
42:19it looks really good
42:25anything else no i'm happy time to go go go go all right smiling good luck
42:35you're welcome
42:38today i've made for you a chicken and cabbage nepali momo with a soybean and coriander and
42:46tomato sauce. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you. Thank you. It's elegant and I'm excited.
43:00Technically that dumpling is really good. Beautiful napping around the edges. They're
43:05not an easy thing to get right and the chicken filling is actually nicely seasoned. I only tried
43:10the tomato and soybean sauce. I didn't really get too much of the tomato flavour which is a bit of
43:14a
43:14shame. I would have loved a little bit of heat from it as well. I feel the dumpling wrapper is
43:21a bit
43:21too thick but the chicken filling is delicious. The sauce I was expecting. Tomato and soybean. It's
43:27really subtle. Got a lot to do. 15 minutes until your next course. Thank you. Pan fried cod and cumin.
43:37Calm down. I did cod in this round. You want a bit of colour but you don't want on the
43:43inside
43:43undercooked. The yam and potato mash. I'm hoping there's a good balance of both of them and you
43:49get the yam coming through and not just potato. Three minutes roasted. The garlic and team of
43:55pepper sauce I think is going to be a really difficult balancing act so you don't overpower
44:00the cod. Let's get this sauce into the jugs. That's your final one going on now. Thank you.
44:10Thank you. I've made a pan fried cod marinated in cumin, yam and potato mash and garlic and timber sauce.
44:31The cumin rub is fabulous. On a perfectly cooked piece of cod. Very tasty. I really love the yam
44:38and potato mash. The yam gives it a little bit of a different texture. That sauce is amazing. That
44:43garlic and timber pepper has got a lot of depth to it. The cumin 100% is complementing the cod.
44:50Beautifully cooked. I would eat the whole lot. I feel exhausted after that round. It was incredibly
44:58hard so it's taking a moment to breathe really. So much to do. Okay well keep going. You've got 15
45:05minutes. Keep an eye on those prawns. They're getting a bit of a char on them. I just need to
45:11be careful
45:12that they don't overcook. An hour and 15 minutes is not a lot of time to reduce complex Sri Lankan
45:19flavours.
45:22I want tiger prawns that are joyous and swimming in a bath of this amazing curry sauce. This is an
45:29insane
45:30amount of work to do. I've definitely bitten off a lot. And rotis, where are they? Cooking these at
45:37lightning speed right now. I love a buttery flaky roti. Pillowy and soft. So that is right up my street.
45:46Time to take your food and serve us. It smells delicious.
45:56Janae has cooked a tiger prawn Sri Lankan curry, flavoured with coconut, green chilli, cumin and
46:02coriander, topped with crispy curry leaves and served it with buttery Jamaican roti bread filled
46:08with spring onions. That sauce is an absolute knockout isn't it? It's got loads of body creaminess
46:16as well. That spicing for me is perfect. Prawns are cooked really well. Butterfly beautifully,
46:21bit of char on them. The roti, that's really nice. Flaky, pulls apart. There's a nice char on the
46:27outside. I love that curry. That lovely Sri Lankan coconutty heat. She has shown us that she
46:36understands flavour. I'm back, I'm back. Yeah. So you have 15 minutes now. I do, I do. A sponge is
46:46really bold. Rather than a biscuit base you would normally get with a cheesecake which offers the
46:50textural difference. Obviously we want a nice moist sponge. But is it going to be too sweet? I'm really
46:57hoping the lemon flavour gives it that little bit of bitterness that we need. Time to go.
47:08Janai's dessert is a lemon and blueberry muffin reimagined. Lemon sponge cake topped with lemon
47:14mascarpone cheese and a blueberry compote. Garnished with lemon thyme and blackberry.
47:24I think everything on the plate is really well made to be honest. It's a lovely flaky light sponge.
47:31The cheesecake cream is fab and so zesty with the flavours of the lemon. The blueberry compote
47:37is really lovely. It's a nice balance of sweetness and the lemon cuts through that.
47:43This is a good cake. I would definitely enjoy this with a cup of tea. I'm really impressed
47:49by this. I'm quite confident in how the flavours turned out but it was the craziest experience in
47:57the kitchen I've ever had. 15 minutes until you're serving your first course. Great. Okay. I'm doing
48:03good on that. You make my heart sing. That's the reaction I want. Bangladeshi chilli, coriander and ginger
48:12spice lentils and onion fritters. I'm really happy with how they turned out. They're nice and golden.
48:19Lentils can be quite dense. Don't want to lose that lovely unctuous crispness that comes with an onion
48:23fritter. I'm a big fan of tamarind. I really like the sourness and with the date chutney hopefully they
48:31marry up. It's a big balancing act texturally and flavour wise. Is there anything else to go on the plate?
48:39No. That's it. Let's go. Thank you.
48:47I've presented to you a Bangladeshi fritter with lentils and onions with a side of tamarind and date chutney.
48:55Thank you. Lovely. Thank you.
49:02Those lentil and onion fritters are so crispy. A little bit of heat but not too much because then
49:08you've got the heat from the chutney. Fantastic. The balance between the onion and the lentils is
49:14bang on. I think that's superb. I can't fault it.
49:20Extraordinary, crunchy, lentil-y, onion-y bullets of joy. There's a great balance of spice and flavour in there.
49:30Fifteen more minutes. Fifteen more minutes. Excellent.
49:33We're supposed to tell you that, Sabina.
49:35Let me put the timer on.
49:38Chicken and buttery makhani sauce with aloo palya spiced mash and gujarati carrot salad.
49:45That is a lot of spice.
49:48Everything looks like it's in order. What else have you got to do?
49:52I just literally have to take the sauce and put it in a jug.
49:56Buttery makhani sauce. I want it to have a lot of depth of flavour and that takes time.
50:02How are you feeling? Happy?
50:03I feel really happy.
50:04Okay.
50:05Okay.
50:11Inspired by her grandmother's chicken curry, Sabina has served pan-seared chicken with aloo palya,
50:18turmeric, chilli and cumin spiced mash, gujarati lemon and mustard seed carrot salad,
50:24and a buttery tomato makhani sauce spiced with fenugreek, chilli, cumin and coriander.
50:36That makhani sauce isn't what I was expecting. Some nice spicing through it, but it's actually a lot sharper.
50:42But it works really well with the chicken.
50:44The potatoes are really, really textured. Curry leaves go in through it, which is really nice.
50:49Such distinct flavours of spices in each thing. They don't clash with one another. She's done brilliantly.
50:57The chicken is beautifully cooked. It is an explosion of flavour.
51:03I cook so many of the things that are about my family.
51:10I feel super happy, but also simultaneously very emotional.
51:19Sam's main course is really classical.
51:22You want that sea bass nice and crispy, nice and soft in the middle as well.
51:27Is it all going to plan?
51:28Timing is a bit stressful.
51:31Palm puree, hopefully we won't have any lumps.
51:34And that beurre blanc sauce will be nice and buttery, a little bit of acidity.
51:38Are you happy with your sauce?
51:39I am happy with the sauce.
51:43Come on, you're almost there. You're almost there. Keep it up, keep it up.
51:49You're out of time. Grab your dishes and serve.
51:58I've cooked for you pan-fried fillet of sea bass, chive palm puree, roasted asparagus, crispy leeks and a beurre
52:07blanc sauce.
52:08Enjoy.
52:09Thank you very much.
52:09Thank you, Sam.
52:15Fish is cooked nicely. It's flaking away, but those leeks were a little bit greasy for me.
52:19The beurre blanc is really buttery, nice amount of acidity, but the mash is lumpy.
52:27We probably don't need the leeks and the asparagus, but I'll forgive all of that because I'm in fish and
52:32beurre blanc heaven.
52:35The fish, the skin, a little bit wobbly.
52:38But the beurre blanc is the star of the show here.
52:41But the potato, there's a few lumps in it.
52:51Lemon posset is a thing of glory when it's done well.
52:55Perfectly set cream.
52:57Pop your spoon straight through it like silk.
53:01I don't like anything too sweet, so my only concern is the raspberry, kool-aid and praline.
53:07I'll do.
53:08Because praline can be quite sweet.
53:10You would call it as a crumb?
53:12Well, it's praline because I didn't want to blast it because I like having some of the big crunchy bits
53:17and some smaller bits.
53:19Are you happy?
53:20I am happy.
53:21You are?
53:21Yes.
53:27I've made for you a lemon posset with a pistachio praline and a raspberry kool-aid.
53:39I would say it's bordering on too sweet for me, personally, but I'm definitely getting the lemon from that posset.
53:45Pistachio praline works really, really nicely.
53:48The posset, it is a little wet. Given a little more time in the fridge, that thing would have been
53:52banging.
53:54This sauce for me, it's got a good raspberry flavour, but I think it's too tart.
53:58This praline crunchy crumb, you need to refine it right down so that you could eat it without bits sticking
54:06in your teeth.
54:09It all came together in the end. I was really up against the clock, so I'm pleased. I couldn't have
54:13done any more.
54:17Tough round.
54:19Pressure that they'd never experienced before.
54:22But it is through pressure you discover diamonds.
54:27Sabina really shone bright today. Her cooking, her timing was excellent.
54:34The dining room loved Sabina's food. She definitely goes through to the quarterfinal.
54:42Janae, she definitely shows us she understands flavour. She is creative.
54:46A really authentic Sri Lankan curry, fragrant with coconut.
54:53And there was something about that dessert that made me keep going back for more.
54:58I think Janae has done enough to earn herself a place in the quarterfinal.
55:03Rose dips Momo.
55:04Although the chicken was definitely succulent, the sauce it was sitting on, tomato and soybean, was so subtle.
55:12But the main course, the cod was perfectly cooked.
55:16And I thought the balance of the cumin on the cod was really lovely.
55:20Sam's burblank was excellent.
55:22But if you're going to do a palm puree, it should be silky, it should be smooth.
55:26It was lumpy.
55:27The lemon posset, it was tasty, but it was a little bit loose.
55:31And the pistachio praline needed a little bit more finesse.
55:36This whole experience has been amazing.
55:39I've got the fire in my belly now. I just hope I've done enough.
55:42I am crossing everything right now.
55:53Guys, thank you so much.
55:55You managed to impress our guests and us.
55:59But only three of you can go through to the quarterfinal.
56:05The contestant leaving us is...
56:14Sam.
56:17Thank you for all your hard work.
56:19Well done, guys.
56:21You've got so much passion and love for food.
56:23You did a great job.
56:27I am still on a high, even though I didn't get through.
56:30I've got my apron.
56:32I've had an amazing time.
56:33And now I can sleep for a week.
56:38Congratulations, you three.
56:39You're through to the quarterfinal.
56:42I don't think I've ever been so proud of myself.
56:45I'm just going to try and ramp it up and deliver even better, exciting and flavorsome food.
56:53Today's cooking was one of the probably hardest things I've done in my life.
56:58And I've done many hard things.
57:00So, yeah, definitely one in the memory book for sure.
57:05I cannot believe it.
57:06The MasterChef kitchen is unlike anything I've ever done in my life.
57:11So, bring on the quarterfinal, but also help.
57:19Next time...
57:20Okay.
57:21...six more home cooks...
57:23Oh, my Lord.
57:25...compete for the right to wear a MasterChef apron.
57:28Shake your hands.
57:30No.
57:32Fabulous.
57:33Before battling for a place...
57:35I love this.
57:36...in the quarterfinal.
57:38The flavors are delicious.
57:39This is really hitting the spot.
57:42Oh!
58:04Yeah, this is really going to work out.
58:07...
58:07...
58:09You
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