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00:04it's the battle for the ultimate culinary prize 48 of the country's best home cooks
00:13come on have their hearts set oh my god it's fine it's fine oh no i dropped it on the
00:22coveted
00:23master chef trophy it is an explosion of flavor this is absolutely yummy fantastic each week 12
00:33extraordinary amateur talents i think i'm struggling battle for a place in the quarter
00:38final there's something quite dracula about this dish but only the best can earn their passport
00:46to the ultimate cookery showdown the hundred guests are here keep going faster if this has
00:55been cooked by an amateur we all need to watch out who's got the vision the perseverance and the
01:02creativity to rise to the top let's find some future stars
01:15these six passionate home cooks all think they've got what it takes to become master chef champion
01:21but at the end of today's heat only three will make it through to this week's quarter final
01:28i'm here to do my best and put my best foot forward this is who i am this is what
01:32i love to do
01:34i feel slightly nervous about cooking for anna and grace but practice has been done we'll see
01:41feels like i'm about to do a huge bungee jump diving into the competition i'll have to see how it
01:46goes
01:55welcome to the master chef kitchen now you're here because you love to cook
02:01and that's good because we love to eat so the first challenge is for you to show us your signature
02:10dish we want to see your personality on a plate you have an hour and 30 minutes at the end
02:19of that
02:19grace and i will choose our two favorite dishes and those cooks will bag themselves one of those precious
02:27aprons the remaining four will have to cook again to win one of those aprons start cooking
02:45i think the signature dish is one of my favorite challenges this is where we really get to know
02:50who these cooks are uh it feels very surreal but i'm good i'm just like trying to remember not to
02:56cut my fingers off here it's their calling card it's their first impression this is them on a plate
03:08i'm excited a bit nervous i think once i get a couple of bits on i'll feel a lot more
03:13more steady and ready to go london-based 29-year-old antosh works in banking as a corporate relationship
03:20manager and has been taught to cook by his polish grandma he now likes to elevate the traditional
03:26dishes of his heritage i'm really close to my grandma she's 91 now and still rides her bike around
03:34town she got hit by a bus a couple of years ago and the bus was left with more damage
03:38than her so
03:39we think she's immortal but she can't be surely my signature dish is a play on the polish classic
03:46which is breaded pork cutlet kind of like a polish version of a schnitzel and i'm serving that with
03:52caraway matchstick fries a beetroot and black currant ketchup also a beetroot caraway and white wine
03:58jew my grandparents all came over from poland after the second world war and i kind of went to polish
04:03saturday school to maintain my heritage i actually did polish folk dancing i performed to a packed out
04:08royal albert hall to celebrate 100 years of polish independence can you show us a move i knew you're
04:11going to ask if i get to the final you could have the whole six minute extravaganza
04:20what's really tricky when you breadcrumb meat is that you actually can't really tell if it's
04:26cooked or not until you carve it this dish has a lot of caraway i love caraway it's a sweet
04:33herby seed that you toast it brings a rich depth
04:40all right gareth how's it going how you doing yeah good nice to meet you yeah you too exciting
04:48as a former athlete 42 year old canadian gareth traveled extensively i was competing in swimming and
04:57traveling around doing free rides snowboarding contests and experiencing new cultures and so
05:03really kind of i think brought like this international palette now working in aviation in london he's also
05:11lived in multiple countries including mexico lebanon and spain
05:18gareth what's cooking today i am making for you uh memories of a fish taco so it is uh seared
05:26sea bass
05:26on an avocado crema chart corn and chipotle bourbon with some homemade tortillas what's inspired this i was
05:35hoping to transport you to the beach and get all the flavors of my time in latin america and southern
05:41california so i have lived around the world and have a welsh dad and a mom from the south pacific
05:48so
05:49just lots of different influences of cuisines i have never heard of that background before and they
05:54met in the midlands in the uk he's making a seared sea bass taco he's deconstructing it to elevate it
06:05so instead of that original design classic he's taking it all to pieces he clearly wants to make
06:10it look pretty but now we have taco strips avocado crema and we have seared sea bass let's hope we
06:17can
06:17still get the tastes and sensations of being on a mexican beach if it's all the different parts of
06:22the plate it might just fall flat 38 year old utility operations manager muckle was born in delhi india
06:35and moved to edinburgh in 2019 where he lives with his wife and young daughter i cook almost every day
06:42for the family daughter doesn't enjoy my cooking so much she's only 19 months old but my wife has given
06:49me that confidence that i could come here and put the best of myself on my plate
06:56muckle how are you feeling nervous and excited tell us what's your signature dish paneer kofta so
07:02that's paneer is an indian cottage cheese i'll be stuffing them with some nuts and some dried cranberries
07:08it'll be served with a creamy tomato based sauce so my mom always cooked koftas for me um i never
07:14liked
07:15them during my childhood because she'll put some locally grown vegetables in it i like it now whenever
07:20whenever she cooks it so i just thought i'll take that recipe and just reinvent it really
07:26so muckle is going to make a type of kind of cheese dough with paneer cheddar cheese cream
07:31and corn flour he's then going to stuff the center of his koftas with cashew nuts and dried cranberries
07:38then deep fry them and then serve them on a curry sauce i think the real key element is going
07:45to be
07:46this wonderful curry sauce it's got lots going on in there like cinnamon ginger garlic chili and dried
07:52fenugreek so there's lots of flavors which will be very welcomed with his crispy cheese kofta
08:01so we're at halfway time passes in a flash in this kitchen
08:11nhs worker jayani grew up in the amazonian city of manaos and moved to the uk in 2004 to study
08:18english
08:19she dreams of one day opening her own cafe celebrating the food of the indigenous people of brazil
08:25i need to share my cooking with anne and grace tasting my food from the amazon forest you know it's
08:34like a dream
08:39it's like a dream to be a dream to be a dream to be a dream to be a dream
08:40to be a dream to be a dream
08:40so thank you thank you very much it's amazing to see you guys tell us what's your signature dish
08:46rice on tucupi sauce the tucupi is is a juice from the cassava plant i also have saute prawns with
08:56crisp plantain faroffa on the side which is made of cassava flour the inspiration is to bring to england
09:03a taste of amazon forest i am from the amazon forest i've been swimming in the amazon river
09:10playing with crocodiles you're a genuine amazonian woman exactly i've got my my heart my chef hat
09:19love it this is what amazon people wear in the middle of the forest they put in their head like
09:24this
09:25oh
09:30gianni she's come armed with a bottle of tucupi sauce it's a bright orange cassava based slightly bitter
09:38but also sharp liquid really interested to see how all this is going to hang together the prawns the rice
09:45the sweet plantain gianni's also going to serve faroffa on the side of her rice and prawn dish
09:52this is made with cassava flour and she's going to toast it in a pan and hopefully ignite that kind
09:57of nutty crunch to the dish
10:0230 year old ex-employment lawyer larissa now works as a career coach she loves to put a twist on
10:09the
10:09classic dishes of her ukrainian heritage using influences from her travels
10:15i was very lucky that i've grown up with various cultural influences in my life
10:21and it's meant that i've learned to mix in flavors not really follow the rules
10:29if you had to explain ukrainian food in a couple of words what is it i would say comfort and
10:35unfussy
10:36so what's cooking um i'm making with you today goat's cheese bereniki which is essentially a stuffed
10:43ukrainian dumpling but i'm doing it a very non-traditional way putting my own little twist on it
10:48by serving it in broth and topping it with some chorizo what inspired you to do this my grandmother
10:54she sort of communicated with food all about bringing people in and neighbors
10:59and this just has such fun memories for me
11:07what i want is beautifully puckered soft light moist goat's cheese filled dumplings
11:15the broth with dried mushrooms yeast extract and miso these are three very big flavors
11:23but too much yeast extract can really dominate and spoil the flavor of the broth
11:29so
11:3637 year old builder finn splits his time between brighton and portugal where his fiancee maya lives
11:42he has three children and hopes to open a vegetarian food truck
11:48i always make sure to have time to cook for the kids but they're still stuck in chicken nuggets and
11:54chips phase which breaks my heart
12:01so
12:01what's your signature dish a chocolate orange tart with zatar
12:06pomegranate some orange caramel mascarpone whipped cream pomegranate gel and chocolate soil
12:15what's inspired it these other like quite classically middle eastern flavors they've all come from my
12:22fiancee's pantry she brought them all back with her from work every time she goes away she brings back
12:27like a trove of fun stuff to play with
12:35it's a mixture of dried herbs like thyme oregano marjoram but that pastry is where the
12:44magic is it needs to be thin and crisp the chocolate ganache needs depth it has to have set
12:55this one's got a split down but i can cover it up
13:02three minutes left this is all about getting everything on the plate making it look pretty
13:10oh my goodness
13:11i don't know where i'm gonna put this raw for now
13:15i need to just put the um garnish
13:20on and it's quite a delicate balance
13:27this should be just final touches
13:37okay that's it time is up step away from your benches
13:47antosh come on
13:50inspired by his heritage banking relationship manager antosh has made his take on a polish classic
13:57called kotlet sabowe thyme and marjoram spiced breaded pork cutlet served with caraway fries beetroot and
14:05blackcurrant ketchup pea shoot and asparagus salad and a beetroot caraway and white wine jus
14:17so for me the pork feels over it's a bit tough but your caraway fries they've got real punch
14:25i love your beetroot and blackcurrant ketchup it's fruity but earthy so not a disaster
14:32the breadcrumb on top of your pork cutlet is very nice but there's very little flavor from your sauce
14:38it's the color of beetroot but i'm not getting a huge flavor of that
14:42i really wish i could have delivered this dish in the way it deserves to be
14:46cooked and how i've cooked it at home but hey onwards and upwards
14:53aviation executive gareth's signature dish is his deconstructed take on a mexican fish taco
14:59seared sea bass with avocado and coriander crema
15:03charred corn salsa made with tomato and caramelized pineapple
15:07served with tortilla strips and a chipotle beurre blanc sauce
15:19gareth your sea bass is nicely cooked
15:21the chipotle beurre blanc has got an excellent acidity to it your charred corn salsa it's just
15:30a perfect balance of acidity smokiness and flavor it's really really good you wanted to take me to
15:40mexico to the beach and and this is this is what it is beautiful plate food
15:47i think it went well i was really happy with their comments they really
15:51seem to get the concept
15:52and overall i'm pretty happy with it for his signature dish utility operations manager muckle
16:02is serving paneer cranberry and cashew nut stuffed koftas
16:05with a tomato ginger and fenugreek cream sauce and vegetable pilau rice
16:18i love the koftas i i love the paneer and the cranberry the nuts crispy fluffy and light that's wonderful
16:29your curry sauce is beautiful the flavor profile that is going on in this dish
16:35really shows that you have some interesting creative ideas to show us
16:42overall they were happy with the taste of the dish so i'm quite happy
16:51hello gp receptionist giani's amazonian inspired signature dish is roasted prawns served with basmati rice
17:00onto cuppy fermented cassava sauce fried plantain and for offer made from toasted cassava flour powder
17:17i like your prawn nicely cooked this is my first time eating tucupi i like the herby sweetness of it
17:25i love what it adds to the rice the cassava flour powder it brings a crunch very much like it
17:32the plantain crisps are really elegant this is my first experience of amazonian food and i'm excited to see
17:41more thank you i'm feeling very happy to show them that amazonian food i i'm feeling very emotional for that
17:56career coach larissa has made her take on a classic ukrainian dish called vareniki goat's
18:03cheese potato and thyme dumplings served with a chicken mushroom and yeast extract broth
18:14i add a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little
18:15bit of a little bit
18:15your vareniki dough is beautifully thin very nicely made just cooked and has encapsulated your
18:23goat's cheese and your potato mix and the flavors are wonderful in making the broth so yeasty it is
18:30overpowering the goat's cheese i would have liked a slightly more subtle broth
18:39i added the teaspoon of yeast right at the end and then didn't try the broth so feeling a little
18:48bit
18:48disappointed builder finn has made a chocolate orange tart with zatar and pomegranate served with chocolate
18:57soil mascarpone cream with pomegranate molasses pomegranate gel and an orange caramel sauce
19:12i do like the chocolate tart that there is a real thwack of orange when you go to eat it
19:19i think there's maybe a bit too much zatar which is kind of overpowering the other elements there
19:25your orange sauce is too tart but your soil is beautiful and crunchy you've made a wonderful pastry
19:31so some really good stuff there
19:36it's not a total disaster i think all of the elements on there on the right day
19:42find find some harmony um but today wasn't the right day for that
19:50cooks well done you delighted us there were some absolutely wonderful things on offer
19:57but there were two dishes in particular that we thought deserved a masterchef apron
20:09gareth incredible flavors well done and the second masterchef apron goes to
20:24gianni well done fantastic food come on up and get your apron
20:37congratulations
20:46oh my god
20:47oh my god you did it oh my god oh i am feeling like in another world in another dimension
20:56oh it is amazing
21:01what a feeling i thought putting on an apron would feel so good yay
21:08right now there's two more aprons to fight for dust yourself off and come back stronger
21:16this is a classic recipe test in front of you you have all of the ingredients to make an egg
21:23yolk and
21:23ricotta filled raviolo with a sage and mushroom burnt butter the pasta dough has been made for you
21:32you have a basic recipe but it does not have the measurements or the timings you'll have to rely
21:38on your pure cook's instinct you have 45 minutes start cooking
21:51i'm just going to make sure that i read everything once read everything twice
21:57the classic recipe test really puts them on the spot because they have to show us their skills their
22:02technique what they can do with the classic raviolo you've lovely thin pasta then you have a ricotta
22:11mixed seasoned maybe with some black pepper some parmesan and some lemon zest
22:16oozing egg yolk a rich brown butter sauce this is elevated comfort food
22:26i think i know the theory of it but i'll be honest i think i've probably
22:29rolled out pasta twice in my life and i've never made ravioli
22:36so important that they roll out that pasta really really thin i don't want thick chunky pasta
22:46fantastic have you done this before technically yes it doesn't feel like it though when have you
22:52done this on a pasta making course in naples a couple of years ago you took a pasta making
22:57course in italy for an afternoon you're pretty much a professional then well i'm on the wrong show
23:08antosh has used a pasta machine before so it looks like it's nice and thin i hope he continues with
23:13that
23:18momentum mokul has shown us that he has a good palate and he understands seasoning so i would expect
23:22him to continue on that vein with his ricotta cream it is crucial that that ricotta cream is bursting with
23:29good seasoning
23:32i'm happy with the filling
23:35mokul you're unlucky to be here you cooked a very good dish how do you feel i'm getting to cook
23:40again so
23:40really excited about that i've never cooked ravioli before so that's a new experience so it makes me
23:46even more excited
23:52contestants you are halfway
23:56this pasta needs to be loaded with an egg yolk how does this feel it takes such a delicate hand
24:01and
24:02when you've got the shakes in this setting that's going to be a real kind of challenge do you think
24:07the worst practice isn't your nerves 100 percent yeah
24:14larissa has been quite clever she's used the cutter to help her keep a consistent size for
24:19the ricotta and for the egg yolk to be able to drop in the center
24:31finn you're the calmest person we've had in the kitchen i think in every single heat so far what's
24:35your secret well i'm not sure if that's going to be a strength yet might be overly calm how you
24:41feeling about getting the egg yolk intact and runny into the raviolo i think i'll get it in there
24:47runny okay it's just whether it comes back out of the pot the same way
24:54finn's raviolo look a little bit small to have an egg yolk and ricotta mix with the right ratio and
25:02balance the ricotta mix gives kind of structure and security to the egg yolk and also it's it brings
25:10an awful lot of flavor to the pasta they need to create a well of ricotta then they're going to
25:18nozzle in their egg yolk in the center of that it's really about a delicate touch
25:24you're going to gently placing it in the ricotta well
25:36it needs to be fully sealed if there's any air bubbles when they go to cook that
25:41that's what makes your raviolo explode
25:47burnt brown butter is one of the most gorgeous decadent tastes you can get
25:54the addition of the garlic and the sage will perfume that butter to give it a real personality
26:00but it can't be too burnt my first burnt butter sauce went a bit far so i'm just keeping my
26:10eye on
26:10this one it's very important when our cooks are cooking their pasta that they have a nice rolling
26:19simmer if it's aggressively boiling the top of the ravioli might overcook the egg
26:27five minutes to go your pasta should be in the pan
26:32my pasta is in the water to be cooking hopefully i'm doing okay
26:42i'm pretty happy with that okay three minutes left i'm very much looking forward to runny yolks
26:58time's up move away from your benches
27:10we asked you to make us a ricotta and egg yolk stuffed raviolo with mushroom and sage burnt butter
27:20my uncle you're up first
27:27your egg yolk isn't running
27:37your ricotta is delicious got great flavor in it your pasta is nice and thin i'm really enjoying
27:44uh the burnt butter with your mushrooms you have a very good palette for seasoning i think if your egg
27:51had had just slightly less in the pan i think that would have been a very good raviolo
27:59i give my best so i think i'm quite happy larissa you're up next
28:07a beautiful runny yolk
28:16your pasta could just be slightly thinner the ricotta definitely needed a bit more seasoning those
28:22mushrooms they're a bit rubbery probably at 30 seconds a minute too long
28:28it was a really tough challenge breathe out now
28:33and tosh you're next
28:39looks pretty good
28:47really lovely pasta but your ricotta is under seasoned
28:51you've done a good job on your mushroom burnt butter your sage is crispy all in all i think you
28:56should
28:56I'd just be very proud.
29:00I've never felt so tense about an egg yolk,
29:03which I'm quite looking forward never to having that level of tension again for that.
29:07But no, I'm really happy with how I performed in there.
29:12Finn, let's taste this.
29:17I'm delighted that you've got a lovely soft egg yolk.
29:29Your burnt butter is quite nice.
29:31I think your ratio of ricotta to egg yolk is not as generous as I would have liked it.
29:37The ricotta is getting a little bit lost.
29:39So your pasta definitely has a chew to it.
29:43It's quite thick in places.
29:45But the rest of the dish, it's buttery, it's sagey, and I really do like it.
29:53Could have gone better.
29:54But it was lovely to hear that Grace liked it.
30:00That was a really tough challenge.
30:04I think we have four good cooks here.
30:06Which two have the most potential?
30:10Muckle's raviolo and mushrooms was the tastiest of all of the raviolos today.
30:16And I loved the mushrooms.
30:18His egg yolk didn't run.
30:19But I'm impressed by him.
30:22Larissa's raviolo had a lovely runny egg yolk.
30:25But their mushrooms were a bit burnt.
30:29There were thick pieces of pasta and the mushrooms they had had too long.
30:34I really liked Antosh's raviolo.
30:36It had a lovely runny yolk.
30:38It was a good ratio of ricotta to egg.
30:41It just needed a pinch more seasoning.
30:44Finn's raviolo really divided us.
30:46His egg yolk was runny.
30:48His pasta was quite thick in places.
30:51His ratio of ricotta to egg yolk for me fell short.
30:55It is honestly life changing this competition and I just really hope that it gets to continue.
31:01If I had to go home I'd be truly gutted.
31:04But I showed myself well in that challenge and I could leave here with my head held high.
31:08To get an apron at this stage would mean a lot.
31:11It would validate what's in my head to put on a plate is worth pursuing.
31:18But we'll see.
31:20What are we going to do Grace?
31:22There's four of them and only two aprons.
31:25Who's got the most potential?
31:39Well done.
31:40You've made this decision brutally difficult to make.
31:46However, we have made our choice.
31:49So the first MasterChef apron goes to...
31:54Muckle.
31:55You have a fantastic palace.
31:58So well done.
31:59The last MasterChef apron goes to...
32:07Antosh.
32:09Finn, Larissa, thank you so much.
32:18It's all quite gutted to be going home.
32:21But I think it's been a really cool experience.
32:23Yeah.
32:25Would recommend.
32:27I've had some amazing positive comments today and I think honestly that will stay with me for the rest of
32:33my life.
32:36Antosh, Muckle, congratulations. Come take your aprons.
32:42Thank you so much.
32:46I'm feeling great.
32:47Like this was my ultimate goal to get a MasterChef apron top of the world right now.
32:54I'm feeling beyond overjoyed.
32:55I'm going to give my all in the next challenge.
32:57From now on I'm going to be a dangerous competitor.
33:01Is it happy?
33:02I'm really happy.
33:09I'm really happy.
33:11You fought really hard to get those aprons.
33:14But now we are turning up the heat.
33:17Only three of you will go through to the quarterfinal.
33:22This will be a huge decision to make.
33:25And that's why we've invited three very important guests to taste your food and help us make that decision.
33:34Previous finalist, Pookie Treadle.
33:36And not one, but two previous winners.
33:41Drew Baker and Natalie Coleman.
33:46You have to prepare two courses in an hour and 15 minutes.
33:52Start cooking.
34:00It's quite tough because you have not much time, isn't it?
34:07So who's this little guy on your bench?
34:09What's he doing? Is he bringing you good luck?
34:11Yeah, it's my daughter Toy.
34:13She called Emma.
34:14This is how Grace looks at me when she doesn't agree with me.
34:19What's cooking today?
34:21I'm going to bring you something from the Amazon forest.
34:24But it's going to be a fusion with French cuisine.
34:27I'm going to do a prawn tartar with raw plantain and tucoupi voluté.
34:32What's your second course?
34:34The Brazilian favourite is picanha.
34:36Top rump.
34:38Which I am trying to smoke it because I couldn't have the barbecue.
34:43So I get the wooden taste.
34:44And then I'm going to grill it with rice and broccoli.
34:48Some vinaigrette and roasted cassava flour.
34:52This is a Brazilian Sunday roast you're giving us.
34:54Yes, Sundays. We love the barbecue.
35:01I have had a prawn tartar before.
35:03I've had voluté before.
35:05I haven't had one on top of the other and certainly not with the addition of tucoupi.
35:11Gianni is celebrating Brazil.
35:14But it's also got quite a classic French feel to it.
35:18I don't know if French and Amazonian food marry together but I had a dream about it.
35:26So I woke up and I said, oh, I am going to do that.
35:31I actually love the sound of experiencing what is a Brazilian Sunday roast.
35:37She's taking the time to smoke the beef rum.
35:40I want to taste it.
35:46So for my starters, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed with some onions, peppers, spices, cheddar cheese.
35:52I'll be serving with walnut and dried pomegranate chutney.
35:55My main course, I'm cooking a very staple Punjabi maize flour flatbread.
36:00But at the same time, I want to keep my in-laws happy.
36:03So I'm making something from Kerala.
36:05It's called pepper fried chicken.
36:06I'm going to serve it as a bite-size tacos with mildly spiced yogurt slaw.
36:11You're clearly a very inventive cook.
36:13How many times have you made this?
36:15So I'll be very, very honest.
36:16I've tried my main course.
36:18I've not tried my starter.
36:26Muckel's first course is mushrooms and breadcrumbs.
36:29Stuffed with a really spicy mix full of lots of herbs, vegetables.
36:34I'm hoping that he's going to have a really good crispy mushroom.
36:40Muckel's second course is Kerala-style chicken.
36:45I want to see lots and lots of black pepper inside that chicken.
36:50I want juicy, spicy chicken.
36:52I want a soft, fluffy maize taco.
37:00So the inspiration for tacos obviously comes from Mexican tacos.
37:03So I can really call this tacha as from Punjab to Kerala via Mexico.
37:14With this challenge, you have to be the third best at the very least.
37:17But I really want to be the best there.
37:21I'm making a Polish steak tartare.
37:24Polish steak tartare is generally a bit more coarse cut.
37:27I think it's tastier that way as well.
37:29With a soy cured egg yolk served with dill pickle flavoured crisps.
37:33And then for main course, I'm serving pork and buckwheat cabbage rolls with a teriyaki glaze, miso mash and a
37:41sake and red onion gravy.
37:43What inspired you to introduce Japanese flavours to Polish food?
37:47I think cabbage and Japanese flavours really marry well together.
37:51Please tell me you have made this dish and eaten it all together.
37:54Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, loads.
37:55I'm so sick of cabbage rolls.
38:00A really good beef tartare has got a great balance of your onion, your pickles, your spice and the creaminess
38:08of your egg yolk.
38:10For Antosh's second cause, he was making teriyaki glazed pork and buckwheat cabbage rolls.
38:16I don't want dry, chewy pork.
38:19There's a lot of flavour going on.
38:21Sweet tanginess of the teriyaki, as well as miso going inside the mash.
38:26Big, bold flavours.
38:28He's got to be careful that he creates balance with them.
38:36To get the apron, one part was just relief.
38:40And one part was really excited.
38:42It kind of gave me the confidence boost that I have a reason to be here.
38:47My starter is a roasted cauliflower and preserved lemon soup with charred florets and za'atar oil.
38:55Where did you get the idea?
38:56Working in the Middle East.
38:58Fell in love with the culture and the flavours.
39:01Tell us about your main course.
39:02A rasal hanout seared duck on celery act puree, chicory, pickled raisins with a pomegranate juice.
39:10That's a lot of work.
39:12A lot of pieces, but hopefully they all go together really well.
39:19Preserved lemon in this soup can be very overpowering, so he needs a light touch when it comes to that.
39:26It doesn't want to be too sharp. It needs a tiny bit of sugar just to make it sing.
39:31For Garrett's main course, I want that duck skin rendered down to a crisply, beautiful texture, and I want that
39:39duck blushing pink in the centre.
39:46Giana, you have 20 minutes left.
39:49We're going to get it done.
39:58Always an absolute pleasure and a joy to come back to MasterChef.
40:01Never eat breakfast before this because the food gets better every year, the standard gets higher, so I'm hoping to
40:07have delicious stuff today.
40:09I would like to see something new, so the flavour from around the world to try on this table would
40:16be amazing.
40:18Yeah, I'm really excited for these guys because, you know, it did change my life.
40:26OK, Gianni, your first course in 10 minutes?
40:2910 minutes?
40:29Yes.
40:30OK, everything's good?
40:31Yeah, everything's fine.
40:36Corn and plantain tartare, I never try.
40:39I want to see the texture when it comes together.
40:45Tukupi velouté.
40:47Tukupi velouté.
40:47I've never had tukupi, but I believe that's a fermented cassava juice.
40:52Good velouté, you want it to be thick, sort of creamy on the palate.
40:57Happy?
40:58Yes.
40:59Go feed our guests.
41:07I made, like, a bronze and plantain tartare and tukupi velouté.
41:14And I hope you guys like.
41:16That was good.
41:23I quite like it. It's different.
41:26The tukupi, it's reminding me a bit of, like, off-potato mixed with a bit of corn.
41:32The texture is perfect.
41:34The level of heat and the chilli through the prawn is spot on.
41:38It's there, but it's not overpowering.
41:40The plantain, I never thought that I would go with the prawn, but I don't mind it.
41:45The prawns are sweet, the plantain is sweet, but it's a different type of sweetness.
41:50Oh, that's pretty good.
41:54OK, 15 minutes to go.
41:57Yeah.
41:59Next is medium red pecan hat, vinaigretta salsa, broccoli rice, and toasted cassava flour.
42:08So, with the steak, I'm looking for the perfect searing.
42:12I mean, they look the part right now.
42:14Outside is the way I want it to be.
42:19Broccoli rice and then the toasted cassava flour.
42:22So, that's something that I've never had before.
42:24So, really looking forward to that.
42:30How are you feeling?
42:32Oh, nervous.
42:33Go bring it to our guests.
42:34Let's see.
42:34Come on.
42:38Giaani's main is her take on a Brazilian BBQ Sunday Roast.
42:43Wood smoked pecanha, or top rump of steak, served with vinaigrette salsa, fried rice and broccoli, and a side of
42:51roasted cassava flour with bacon and egg.
42:56The pressure was on, so, yeah, I'm exhausted.
43:05For me, the beef is delicious.
43:08It's well cooked on the outside.
43:09The fact that she's lightly smoked it,
43:11I think, adds an element of flavour.
43:13The vinaigrette salsa, I think, is fantastic.
43:16You've got that crunch. It's delicious.
43:18I'm struggling a little bit with the cassava flour
43:22because I find the texture too hard,
43:24but the actual flavour is incredible.
43:27It tastes a very good dish.
43:29I think it's really rather nice.
43:32I think the vinaigrette adds a really welcome amount of acidity to it.
43:37The toasted cassava flour, for me, is too hard.
43:40It's not bringing anything to the dish.
43:43Muckle, just ten minutes left.
43:47Yeah.
43:51Breaded mushroom stuffed with spicy, cheesy vegetables.
43:56Texturally, you want that crispy exterior from the mushrooms.
43:59You want the mushrooms to be cooked properly.
44:01That's your mint and walnut chutney on.
44:05I definitely need the chutney to lift the whole dish up.
44:10Time to get your mushrooms on.
44:16Deep breath.
44:18Yes.
44:19Go.
44:23Today, for my starters, I have made braided mushrooms
44:26filled with some onion peppers and some Indian spices.
44:30With mint and coriander, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds chutney.
44:40The flavour of the mushroom and the stuffing inside, that's incredible.
44:45I love that mint, coriander, walnuts, pomegranate seed, chutney.
44:49There's quite a bit of heat.
44:50It was a very, very tasty starter.
44:54I really quite like the flavour of the mushroom and the chutney together.
44:57This is a joy.
45:03OK, Muckle, you've got 15 minutes for your next course.
45:06Sure.
45:08Muckle's main, this is a kind of India meets Mexico
45:11by way of taco with chicken and the sauce.
45:14The taco, he can't cook them too long
45:17because otherwise he can end up burning them
45:19and they go a bit bitter.
45:21We've got three minutes, Muckle.
45:22I think those Indian tacos are looking wonderful.
45:27Kerala-style chicken, so curry leaf and black pepper.
45:31You'd expect that to deliver quite a punchy flavour profile.
45:34Looking to have the nice texture of the slaw, crunchy, full of flavour.
45:42Feeling good?
45:44Feeling all right now, yes.
45:45OK, let's go.
45:48Good luck.
45:52For the main course today, I've made Kerala-style pepper chicken,
45:55served on maize flour bread
45:58and have topped it with pickled cabbage and onions.
46:02Smells amazing.
46:07That was one of the most stressful things I've done ever in my life till date.
46:11But I'm pleased.
46:18That pepper chicken, oh, it is just outstanding.
46:21That heat element comes from pepper.
46:24It's got the curry leaf.
46:26It is genuinely exceptional.
46:28The little flatbread that he's made is really delicious.
46:31It's not greasy.
46:32It's just perfect.
46:34The red cabbage slaw, it just adds on the flavour to this already fantastic dish.
46:45His chicken tastes of black pepper, curry leaves, really, really vibrant.
46:51It is street food.
46:53It's absolute best.
46:56Five minutes left.
46:58You need to start plating.
47:03Antos, your starter.
47:04I love a beef tartare.
47:05You want that rich, beefy flavour.
47:07And then spike that with a bit of heat, a tiny bit of acidity.
47:14The soy cured egg yolk.
47:16This is where the nervy part happens.
47:18I know, you only did four.
47:20It won't be that cured because, obviously, he's only got so much time,
47:24so it will still be quite runny.
47:32It's just...
47:33Even I can't look at this one.
47:35It's quite impressive that he's making his own dill pickle crisps,
47:39so you'll have the pickle element to scoop it up with.
47:44We have one minute.
47:46To go.
47:48I'm ready to go.
47:50Hold your head up high.
47:51I will.
47:52This is a big moment.
47:52I'm really delighted with it.
47:58So, what I've made for you today is a Polish steak tartare
48:01with a soy cured egg yolk and dill pickle flavoured crisps.
48:07I'll see you back in 15 minutes.
48:16The beef tartare.
48:18I love the flavour.
48:19You've got the acidity and the saltiness.
48:21It balances perfectly.
48:23I love the soy marinade egg yolk.
48:25This is absolutely yummy.
48:27The dill pickle crisps.
48:28I really love dill and it packs a punch.
48:33He's done a really good job here.
48:35The steak tartare is really tender.
48:37It's nice.
48:39The star of the show here is the dill pickle crisp.
48:41Just lovely.
48:44The egg yolk survived.
48:47OK, now the fear starts.
48:4915 minutes.
48:49I think I can do this.
48:53Teriyaki glazed pork and buckwheat cabbage rolls.
48:57Cooking pork can be a tough one because it can dry out
49:01or you can undercook it and give us all food poisoning.
49:05The miso mash, a little bit more miso in the mashed potato
49:10that can ruin it because it will be extremely salty.
49:16There is a lot to balance.
49:17You've got the teriyaki, miso mash, onion and sake gravy.
49:21Big flavour, big flavour, big flavour.
49:23You have about 35 seconds.
49:26Go and wow our guest.
49:28Here we go.
49:30Thank you very much.
49:35What I've served for you today is
49:37teriyaki glazed pork and buckwheat cabbage rolls
49:41with a miso mash, a sake and red onion gravy.
49:44And I hope you enjoy.
49:46Yeah, thank you. Thank you very much.
49:51That went really well.
49:52I really kind of locked in.
49:54Yeah, I couldn't have done much better in there.
50:02The cabbage roll, the pork, it's moist.
50:05It's delicious.
50:06Everything's been balanced perfectly.
50:08It's worked really well.
50:09The miso mash, oh my God, that's so sexy.
50:14Amazing.
50:15I love this dish, this is perfect.
50:18The colour of his gravy isn't to get it done in that time.
50:21Boy's got proper skill.
50:23Yeah.
50:24The cabbage leaves are beautifully wilted and soft.
50:27I think the pork's wonderfully seasoned.
50:29It's Japan and Poland high-fiving.
50:32OK.
50:40Gareth's doing roasted cauliflower and preserved lemon soup.
50:43I'm a bit worried about preserved lemon because it's quite a dominant flavour.
50:48There's sweetness, there's acidity, plus the za'atar.
50:53So it's how does he choose to do that with that flavour of that roasted cauliflower come through as a
50:57soup.
50:57With a few seconds to go, you just need to get that oil on.
51:02OK.
51:03Awesome.
51:09For your first course, I've made a roasted cauliflower and preserved lemon soup with charred florets, hibiscus pickled cauliflower, and
51:18za'atar oil.
51:20Great. Enjoy. Thank you.
51:26I think this dish is beautiful.
51:29Just the taste, unfortunately, doesn't match the look.
51:33The lemon, preserved lemon, is just too strong in this.
51:37The pickled cauliflower is all right, but still, mixed in with the soup, it's overpowered by the lemon flavour.
51:44It's a well-made soup, there's no lumps.
51:46I just think dialling down that preserved lemon element would let those other flavours come through.
51:53The preserved lemon, it is far, far, far too strong.
51:58I can't taste vata oil or hibiscus, which are two big flavours.
52:04OK, 15 minutes.
52:06You got it. Thank you.
52:09Rasao ha new duck. The duck needs to be cooked perfectly.
52:13How does your duck look?
52:15It's a nice pink and, hopefully, crispy enough skin.
52:20The salurac puree, when it's been nice and creamy, you still have that earthiness.
52:26OK, we're about one minute now.
52:28One minute. OK.
52:29We really have to move.
52:30Moving, moving, moving.
52:35There's a pomegranate jus, there's raisins, which will be sweet.
52:38So, for me, the key here is to balance all of those sweet elements without them overpowering the duck.
52:43Ready to rock.
52:45OK.
52:47This way.
52:51For your main course, I've made a rasal hanout seared duck breast, braised chicory with a cumin-celery act puree,
52:59and pickled raisins and pomegranate seeds, and a pomegranate jus.
53:05Hope you all enjoy.
53:06Thank you very much.
53:15I like the kind of smoky spice crust on the duck breast. I wish it had had longer skin side
53:21down just to render out that fat, but it's been cooked beautifully otherwise.
53:24I quite like the puree, and I like the bitter chicory as well, but the pickled raisins, for me, just
53:32are not working. I think they're over-pickled.
53:35The sauce itself, it needs to be a lot thicker.
53:41The duck is the best part of this dish. It's nicely cooked. The sauce is quite tart. The pickled raisins
53:48are very heavy on vinegar. In general, I think there's an overkill of acid on this plate.
53:57That was something else. The time just sneaks up on you, and suddenly you're just scrambling.
54:06Four very different cooks. We were impressed, and the dining room were delighted by some of those dishes.
54:14The dining room had a cook of the day, and that was Antos. His Polish steak tartare was delicious.
54:20Those dill pickle crisps I thought were a stroke of genius.
54:23Those beautiful Japanese-influenced Polish cabbage rolls. It was really, really marvellous. I loved what he did.
54:32Antos goes through to the quarter-final.
54:36I think Muckle has an incredible palate. The mushrooms were well cooked, and I really did enjoy the vegetable spice
54:43mix that was in it.
54:44I loved Muckle's Carola chicken on the Indian tacos. It was moist, it was full of spice. Muckle bags himself
54:52a quarter-final place.
54:53So that leaves us with Gianni and Gareth.
54:57Gareth's soup fell down in the tasting. By putting too much preserved lemon, it dominated.
55:04Main course, his duck was nicely cooked, but the pomegranate sauce and the pickled raisins for me, they were a
55:12problem.
55:13Gianni, her prawn tartare with te cupi veloute was really gorgeous.
55:20When it came to her Brazilian Sunday roast, her beef was tender, but the toasted cassava flour, for me, was
55:28inedible.
55:29To stay in the competition for me will mean the world. It keeps all the fingers crossed.
55:35I would love to have the chance to continue on, because it's been a great experience, and I would be
55:41sad if it ended here.
55:51Thank you so much. You have cooked your socks off.
55:57But as you know, only three of you can go through to the quarter-final.
56:03One of you will be going home.
56:06We have made our decision.
56:10The cook leaving the competition is...
56:19Gareth.
56:22Gareth, thank you for your enthusiasm and your passion.
56:25You have been an absolute joy to have in the kitchen.
56:28Thanks for the opportunity.
56:33It's a heartbreak. It is tough. It's a real shame.
56:37But I can still go home with an apron. A dirty one.
56:46Congratulations.
56:48The three of you are now quarter-finalists.
56:54I can't believe I'm a MasterChef called a fire. No, I can't believe that.
57:02I'm very proud of myself. I just feel so happy. I have no words to express.
57:08There's fire in my belly already, but I think this has turbocharged that, and I really think I can do
57:14really well.
57:18I think I'm going to go nuts.
57:18Next time, it's the quarter-final.
57:21And Joyce, Daniel and Jamie join Mukul, Antosh and Gianni.
57:30I think I'm going to go nuts.
57:32To face two demanding challenges.
57:35Whoa.
57:36As they battle for a place in knockout week.
57:39That is an absolute winner. Gorgeous.
57:42As they battle for waves.
57:45All right.
58:10And there's a struggle to be.
58:11Let's go nerd.
58:11Cheers.
58:11Cheers.
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