- 2 days ago
MasterChef Australia - Season 18 Episode 38 -
Immunity Challenge: Tom Sarafian
Immunity Challenge: Tom Sarafian
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😹
FunTranscript
00:00.
00:00.
00:13Hey!
00:16Here I am!
00:17Morning, y'all!
00:18What a beautiful morning.
00:22It is Masterclass Taiwan.
00:24Oh, wow!
00:25Oh, oh, oh!
00:27Pizza!
00:29What's that?
00:31First in our spot are these pizza ovens.
00:34And whatever the challenge is, I'm going to be using them.
00:38Morning!
00:39Morning!
00:40This week, you have been lucky enough to have an incredible master.
00:45Each day.
00:47And today, is no different.
00:52The legend who has set today's challenge
00:55started cooking at an early age.
00:58By 18, he was cooking at the Stoke House
01:01before heading to London to cut his teeth as a young chef.
01:05Now, he's one of Melbourne's hottest chefs,
01:09having won Good Food's Best New Restaurant
01:11and earning a chef's hat after being open for just 10 weeks.
01:20Please welcome, from Zare,
01:24Tom Serafian!
01:29Tom Serafian.
01:32Another king.
01:33He is, like, such a big deal in Melbourne right now.
01:38His restaurant, like, I have been trying to go for weeks.
01:44Tom Serafian.
01:45This is unbelievable.
01:46I love Tom.
01:47I've already been to his restaurant twice.
01:50I love his food.
01:51I love the vibe.
01:52I love everything about him.
01:57Tom, mate, welcome to the MasterChef kitchen.
02:00Great to be here.
02:00Hey, let's get into your love of food.
02:02Where did it first start for you?
02:04Through my family.
02:05My grandfather was a chef.
02:06My father was a chef.
02:07After school, go and hang out in my dad's restaurants
02:10and kitchens and be on a milk crate
02:12peeling prawns and potting peas after school.
02:15Most kids start, like, with the cookie dough
02:17and you're there peeling prawns on a milk crate.
02:19It's amazing.
02:20And then that's got you all the way to opening Zare,
02:24which has just been absolutely pumping.
02:26You cannot get a table there.
02:27Yep.
02:29Under that cloche is something very, very special.
02:33Something that took Tom over three years to perfect.
02:38It is his signature dish at Zare.
02:44Tom, why don't you show us what they call you the master of...
02:48Tom?
02:55Hummus!
03:10Hearing that Tom took three years to perfect this hummus,
03:14I don't think I've ever spent three years on one individual thing.
03:16That just sounds like a lot of time.
03:18So this is my signature dish of hummus with a sauce on top
03:23made of spanner crab and king prawns.
03:26I wanted to show how good hummus can actually be
03:30and how it's much more than a dip in a plastic container
03:34that comes from the supermarket.
03:37So I travelled to Lebanon and ate what I consider to be
03:40the best hummus in the world.
03:42And I also saw hummus being served with ground lamb
03:46with spices and nuts fried in butter or lamb fat again on top.
03:52And then I went on to recreate that.
03:55Use seafood instead of lamb,
03:57but with the same flavours and characteristics.
04:00Who wants to taste?
04:02Come on, let's do it!
04:05I really want to try Tom's dish.
04:07It looks amazing.
04:08Let's have enough bread.
04:09There's more bread here.
04:10Oh my God.
04:11That is ridiculous.
04:13This is like no other hummus I've ever tried before tasting Tom's.
04:16It's like a completely different dish altogether.
04:18It's just so creamy and light.
04:21I want to bathe in it.
04:22Oh my God, Pat.
04:24That's ridiculous.
04:25Pat's gone silly.
04:27Are you having a spiritual experience right now?
04:29Yeah.
04:30I've never thought of mixing crab and prawns with hummus
04:33and it's incredible to see how he's been managed to
04:35harness all those flavours and deliver it on that dish.
04:38Yeah, it's incredible.
04:39We want you to take inspiration from Tom's incredible signature dish
04:44and create your own based on the same principles.
04:47Something luscious and dippy with an irresistible topping
04:51and a little something to mop it up.
04:53To put it simply, we want a dip with a topper and a mopper.
04:59You have 60 minutes.
05:02The pantry and the garden are open.
05:04Plus, if you need high heat fast, we've got some pizza ovens in the charcuterie.
05:11Good luck because the four least impressive dishes will go into tomorrow's pressure test.
05:18Good luck. This dish took me about three years to perfect and you guys have got one hour.
05:26Your time starts now.
05:28Oop!
05:38Dip with a topper and a mopper needs to be something super luscious and super luxe and delicious and the
05:46mopper needs to be crunchy.
05:48And then you need, like, some really interesting textures and flavours and pops.
05:52Like, it can't be boring.
05:53We can't just do, like, hummus and crackers here.
05:55I think people can definitely underestimate the average dip, right?
05:59Because we're asking them for a dip that has to be amazing, a topper that has to be amazing and
06:03a mopper.
06:04Something to scoop it all up with.
06:05So, there's actually a lot to do and we've only given them 60 minutes.
06:09Today, like, go extra on that topper.
06:12I think so, yeah.
06:12You know, like, look at something in that pantry that you're like,
06:16I would never dare to put this on top of a dip, but today is the day.
06:21Yeah, yeah.
06:21Absolutely. Break the rules.
06:22Yeah, break the rules.
06:23Yeah, and turn it up.
06:26Under the pump with only 60 minutes on the clock.
06:29So, need to get these mushrooms on.
06:32My style of cooking, I think I'm learning, is definitely leaning into, like, the classics done with a spin.
06:37So, my thoughts with coming up with a dip idea is trying to do a riff on, like, a beef
06:42wellington.
06:45G'day, Pat.
06:46G'day, mate. How are you going?
06:46Good, mate.
06:47You were, like, losing your mind when you tasted that hummus.
06:51Yeah, it's unreal.
06:52I live in a very small town and so the best hummus I get from a supermarket,
06:57which I still really love, but that thing was just up its head.
06:59Awesome.
06:59What are you going to do today? That's the question.
07:01My dip is called Beef Wellington.
07:05So, it's a really kind of unctuous, mushroom-heavy puree mixed with cream cheese and sour cream.
07:11Okay.
07:12And then it's going to have a cut patch of beef on top.
07:14Wow.
07:14And a puff pastry and diva.
07:17Right.
07:17What do you reckon?
07:18Yeah, it sounds delicious.
07:20Yeah.
07:20I love your idea of taking a class with flavours that you know are really, really complementary to each other.
07:25Good luck, mate.
07:26Alright, thanks, guys.
07:27I think these flavour combinations definitely work.
07:30Mushrooms, beef, puff pastry, can't go wrong.
07:33So, when they taste it, they're getting all the different flavours of a beef wellington.
07:38Caspar!
07:38Hey, how are you going?
07:39Hey, Caspar.
07:40Nice to meet you.
07:40What is it?
07:41I'm going to do a spin on Mapo tofu.
07:44Oh.
07:45Yeah.
07:45A pair of dishes.
07:46Oh, really?
07:46I love it.
07:47Wow, good to hear.
07:48Yeah.
07:48With tofu on the bottom.
07:50With Mapo topping.
07:51So, just fry us some more.
07:52The mince with the aromats.
07:53And then for the mopper, I'm going to go for like a fried rice cracker.
07:55That sounds awesome.
07:57Bruce.
07:59How are you?
07:59Hi.
08:00I'm good, thanks.
08:01So, I'm doing a labneh and beetroot dip.
08:05With a tuna tartare.
08:07Ooh.
08:07And potato chips.
08:09Very interesting.
08:10If you can pull this off, that would be fantastic.
08:13Good luck, bro.
08:14Well done, by the way.
08:15Well done.
08:16Hey, Emily.
08:17How are we?
08:18Deep fries out.
08:19Yeah.
08:19What have we got going on?
08:20Some Thai-style capsicum dip.
08:23And then I'm planning to do squid on top.
08:25And then using one-toned wrappers as a mopper.
08:27Yeah.
08:27Awesome.
08:29Feeling pretty good.
08:31Just got a lot of things to do.
08:33So, I'm doing a laksa-inspired dip.
08:36And then the mopper will just be a roti.
08:37I'm planning to make the base of the laksa.
08:42Fry that out.
08:43Get it really aromatic, punchy, full of flavor.
08:45And then add coconut cream.
08:47But bulk it out by adding macadamias to it.
08:50I'm going back to my Malaysian heritage, my Malaysian roots.
08:53And trying to refine it, but also make it a bit, yeah, a bit different.
08:57You know?
08:58I was born in Malaysia.
09:00And I only moved here when I was five years old.
09:04But we'd go back every year during the school holidays
09:07and just trying and eating all the various foods from around the areas.
09:11So Malaysian food was a staple for us.
09:15This type of food excites me.
09:17It's innovation.
09:18This is like the baby steps towards the chef I want to be.
09:21The style of food that I want to incorporate.
09:24And just the ideas that I want to bring into the food scene
09:29when I do become a chef.
09:33Don't dip into that bottom four!
09:35You have 45 minutes to go!
09:39Oh, whoops!
09:50I'm going to chuck this in the head drummer.
09:55I guess we're just making dip, but it can't just be any old dip.
09:58It has to be like a proper nice one like Tom's.
10:01So I'm trying to be as quick as possible, but also as smooth as possible.
10:0660 minutes compared to three years is definitely a bit of a jump.
10:09But Tom really inspired me today with how he's formed this dish around his roots.
10:15So I'm cooking something today that my nona would make when I was growing up.
10:20Today I'm going to be making a caponata style dip.
10:23Caponata is like an Italian side.
10:25It's got eggplants, tomatoes, capers, olives,
10:27really nice Mediterranean flavours.
10:29And then I'm going to make some focaccia on the side.
10:31I remember when I used to make caponata with my nona.
10:34We'd be in the kitchen in the garage
10:38because a lot of Italian families have two kitchens.
10:42We'd be sitting in this little chair watching her fry
10:44every vegetable separately just to make sure they're all perfectly cooked.
10:48And then the smell of the eggplant and the tomatoes and everything
10:50would just fill the room.
10:51I don't have two kitchens.
10:53I don't have my nona.
10:53But I have the memories and I have the knowledge to try and pull this off.
11:00The most important thing to focus on when making focaccia from scratch
11:03is that it needs time to rise and it needs to be nice and fluffy
11:06but also really crisp to get that dip.
11:08This isn't the first time I've tried to make focaccia
11:11in the MasterChef kitchen.
11:12The last time it didn't rise properly nor did it cook all the way through.
11:18It's still a bit soft in the middle.
11:21I don't know if I'll be able to really use it.
11:27So this focaccia recipe is very different than normal.
11:31I've adapted this to be able to make it in a much shorter amount of time.
11:34And I've done that by substituting out some water for beer.
11:39There is a huge risk.
11:41I've got less time and if it doesn't work out again, it will put me in the bucket.
11:54I've got less time and then I'll be able to make it in a bucket.
11:54Don't hold back.
11:55No skinny dipping allowed.
11:5730 minutes to go.
12:06We've got to get going.
12:12I am loving the energy in here, and I'm personally really excited
12:16because I think dip is one of my favourite things in the world.
12:18I mean, everything sounds awesome, but Vinny's caponata with focaccia and sardines
12:23I think sounds like a really beautiful idea.
12:25It's clever.
12:26It's a nice twist on some classic things going on there.
12:29Focaccia in 60 minutes.
12:30That's a huge job.
12:31That's a huge job.
12:32Really excited about Aaron.
12:34He's doing a laksa dip.
12:36A laksa dip?
12:37Yeah.
12:37So he's got seafood as the topper served up with a roti.
12:41I love the idea of it, and I want it to work.
12:43He's very determined.
12:45He's so confident about this dish.
12:47That's what I love.
12:47Everyone is absolutely sending it with their ideas.
12:50Like, they're just going all out.
12:52No one's playing it safe.
12:53Like, it is on.
12:55Amazing to have Tom here today.
12:57You know, I love his food.
12:58I love his restaurant.
12:59I love his whole philosophy.
13:02I'm a chartered accountant by day, but after work, I make batches of halloumi just as a side hustle.
13:09And I was reaching out to chefs and getting them to try my halloumi, and Tom is one of those
13:15chefs.
13:17When I met up with Tom, I realised that I just want to do more than halloumi.
13:21I want to create amazing food.
13:23And here I am now, and Tom Seraphian's in the kitchen.
13:26It, yeah, feels crazy.
13:29Petro.
13:30Hello.
13:31How's it going?
13:31Good, mate.
13:32I just found out something.
13:33Yeah.
13:34Tom said for an accountant, you make bloody good halloumi.
13:37Yes.
13:37You can do some of the best he's tried.
13:38Absolutely.
13:39The best.
13:39Thank you so much.
13:41Are you making halloumi?
13:41No, no, I wish.
13:43No, I'm going to go down the Greek route, though.
13:46Right.
13:46I'm going to make taramo salata.
13:48Nice.
13:48Lovely.
13:49And it's actually going to be, like, to take an inspiration from your dish, actually,
13:53I'm going to pair it with some prawns and scolts, and I'm going to have some sesame-crusted
13:58bits of bread, which I'm going to do in the pizza ovens.
14:00In terms of, like, iconic dishes, though, taramo salata has to be pretty close to hummus
14:05in everyone's had it.
14:07Yes.
14:07So there's high expectations.
14:09Yeah, it's a much-loved dip, which definitely puts the pressure
14:11on.
14:12I'm excited to try it.
14:13All right.
14:13Let's see how we go.
14:14Good luck, mate.
14:15Wise words.
14:17Taramo salata.
14:18It is my favorite dip.
14:19It's made out of various types of fish roe.
14:22Oil, shallots, garlic, lemon, bread or potato, but I'll be using potato today.
14:28And with Tom in the kitchen.
14:30There actually is a little bit of added pressure.
14:32I'm not going to lie, because I feel like I have to prove myself here.
14:35So I really hope that I can impress him.
14:39I need to get the cauliflower on really early, because we only have 60 minutes, which is
14:43not a lot of time.
14:44I'm going to do a, like, cannellini bean hummus on the bottom with, like, some crispy cauliflower,
14:49and then I'm going to do some za'atar crisps to mop it all up.
14:53Oh, I just got to catch my breath.
14:56I am making a white bean and herb dip with a charred octopus and little, like, breadstick crackers.
15:06Yeah, having Tom in the kitchen is great.
15:08And to be able to taste his food when you can't even get into his restaurant, I'm, like, stoked.
15:16Yesterday was a really tough day, and I think it really derailed me.
15:20I almost got eliminated.
15:22Your dish ate okay as a whole, but your individual elements had problems, and your steak was overdone.
15:30So I'm doing everything in my power to stay in the competition, and I'm making something
15:36that takes me back home.
15:38I am going to make a twist on salad that's called herring under fur coat.
15:46You make it in the morning on the 31st of December, and then you have to put it in the
15:50fridge,
15:51and you're not allowed to touch it, which is the most annoying thing.
15:54And then you eat it with everyone together, where you have a celebration of the New Year's.
15:59It is a little bit bizarre for some people.
16:01So today I'm going to try to refine it so that everyone actually likes it.
16:08So in my dish I'll have a beetroot dip with some sour cream, then I'll have some cured kingfish as
16:16a topper.
16:16And then to kind of, like, juge it all up a little bit, I will add a little bit of
16:21pickled apple, walnut, crumb,
16:23a little bit of dill oil, and la boche.
16:28I have pretty much seven elements that are going to go into this dish, so it's a lot to do.
16:34I just need to make sure all the elements work together.
16:38I'm pretty inspired today by Tom.
16:40I like the way he goes about food.
16:41Yeah, his dip, which packed a real punch with flavour, but also it's all that, like, homely vibe.
16:47So I'm hoping to kind of recreate that today.
16:49Hey, Luke.
16:50Hey, how are you today?
16:51How do you feel about having Tom in the house?
16:52Pretty excited.
16:53Like, best new restaurant in Melbourne is pretty sick.
16:56In Australia, though.
16:56Yeah.
16:57Yeah, even better.
16:57Tell us what you're thinking.
16:59Today I'm going to do a beetroot dip and then a bit of a goat's cheese cream on top of
17:04that.
17:04And then I heard him talk about, like, the spiced lamb mince, and so I'm thinking that would go beautifully
17:08on top.
17:08Yeah.
17:09And then I'm hoping to do some roast potatoes.
17:12Yep, and chips, essentially.
17:14Yeah?
17:15I'm thinking that more like roast potatoes.
17:16All right, Luke, just make sure this absolutely packs a punch.
17:20Okay.
17:20Good, Luke.
17:21Today, more than ever, I really want to do well.
17:23I'm one cook away from the top ten.
17:25Today, that's going to be fired up to just make sure that I smash out of the pot.
17:34For my taponata-style dish with focaccia, my eggplant's done, my sauce is pretty much done.
17:39I just need to finish seasoning it and get the texture right.
17:41I've got my focaccia in the oven, which I will go check on.
17:44There is a lot of pressure riding on this focaccia.
17:47I feel like the focaccia to me is more important than my whole dish at this moment.
17:50It's going to be definitely a push for time today.
17:52I really don't want to be in tomorrow's pressure test.
17:56Let's dip it and rip it!
17:5814 minutes to go!
18:15I might luxe a dip with seafood.
18:17The flavours come through and it's really tasting like a laksa dip.
18:21I think we can focus on the seafood and the bread now and just, yeah, pump it.
18:25My dough is resting and that's chilling out.
18:28I've got prawns, mussels and clams.
18:30And I'm cooking them in a bit of a coconut broth that has that laksa paste in it.
18:36I've got all my processes in place and I'm in a good spot.
18:40Everything's working to the timing that I intended.
18:46I've literally dropped the entire roti dough on the floor just as I was about to start portioning it out.
18:54Aaron, the dipper!
18:56I know.
18:57What happened?
18:58It fell on the floor and, yeah, just one side hit the floor but I can't guarantee it'll be food
19:02safe so I'm not going to serve you floor dough.
19:04No, we don't want floor dough.
19:06So what are you doing?
19:07Just making it again.
19:08Remaking because I've got most of my elements done already so I'm just going to spend my time on this
19:11dough.
19:11Can you do that in 12 minutes?
19:13I don't know.
19:13Never done it.
19:14But you don't want to be in the bottom four because the rest of your dish, it sounds amazing.
19:27I've dropped the entire roti dough on the floor and I literally have to start something again from scratch.
19:40It takes quite a while to get roti done because of the resting time that's needed.
19:44So you get all those beautiful layers and it won't be flaky with the ghee.
19:48This roti isn't going to be perfect but it needs to be there so that I don't miss out on
19:53it.
19:54Yalla!
19:55Ten minutes to go!
19:56Let's go!
20:01Let's go!
20:14My Mapo Tofu inspired dip is almost done.
20:18The pickled mushrooms are done.
20:20So I'm just going to make my whipped tofu.
20:22That doesn't take too long and then fry off some of the rice crackers as well and that should be
20:26pretty quick too.
20:27I'm just like a full pedal to the metal now.
20:30I just want my cannellini bean dip to cool down so then I can whip it up again and just
20:35make sure it's like super, super smooth and then pass it through a sieve so it's like the smoothest dip
20:40ever.
20:41We provide Thai style capsicum dip with fried squid.
20:45I have decided to use one ton skins as my mopper so I'm trying to get them done as soon
20:49as possible because I don't have much time.
20:51I still have to make sure that my squid's done and also my dip's on the plate.
20:58I am making white bean and herb dip with the charred octopus.
21:03I'm trying the hibachi today.
21:06I've never done this before.
21:08I'm so scared.
21:09Don't be scared.
21:11Whack it on there.
21:12It's on.
21:15I am under the pump.
21:17My darama salata dip is not done.
21:19I've got to do my bitter bread and I've got to plate up my dish so I've got a lot
21:24to do.
21:25Everyone likes their darama salata slightly differently.
21:27There's some thicker ones.
21:28There's some looser ones.
21:30It's a much-loved dip.
21:32Everyone's got a reference.
21:34Basically, the bar is very high and I have to try and meet that bar.
21:38I'm going for a very silky, creamy dip.
21:41But I'll be topping it with a prawn head and Aleppo butter.
21:45And I don't think the judges will have ever eaten a darama salata like this before.
21:51My prawns and scallops are coming along really nicely.
21:54So now I really need to get onto my bitter bread.
21:58And I have no idea how long these pizza breads are going to take.
22:01I've never cooked in these pizza ovens.
22:03I don't know how hot they are.
22:06So it's anyone's guess at the moment.
22:10I don't know where I expect it to be, but I'd like to be further down the track.
22:13I'm really pushed for time today for my beetroot dip with spiced lamb mints.
22:19I'm just cooking my beetroot on the stove.
22:21It just didn't cook in the oven at all.
22:23I don't know what happened there.
22:24My dukkah I'm just finishing up now.
22:26I need to cook my mints.
22:28I need to finalise my potatoes and get them really nice and roasty and beautiful.
22:32And I also kind of just need to bring the whole dish together.
22:37Ideally for my mints, I would have loved time to sort of watch it like a hawk on the stove.
22:41But I just don't have time to watch it like it needs.
22:46It just feels like the time has disappeared.
22:48Yeah, it's pretty devastating because I feel like I'm in a bit of strife at the moment.
22:51Yeah, big time.
22:52Whip that dip.
22:54Five minutes to go.
23:00Oh, this is a push.
23:07Whoa, Grace has lighting the place on fire.
23:14There's a little bit of a problem with this lab nair with beetroots.
23:18Just went over to the pizza oven and my beetroots had completely burnt.
23:25It's obviously ridiculously hot in there.
23:28So I am going to remake that using canned beetroots and hope that it works.
23:38For my beef wellington dip, I'm super happy with the texture and flavour of the dip.
23:44It's really silky and smooth and tastes heavily of mushroom.
23:47The carpaccio of beef will add a really beautiful flavour and some texture to the dish.
23:51It has the charred outside of the beef.
23:56I'm tasting some of the puff pastry shards and they are beautiful and crispy, but fingers crossed I've done enough,
24:03but I'm super happy with my dish.
24:10I take my focaccia out of the oven hoping that it's crisped up really, really well.
24:15Nice, nice, nice.
24:18Yes!
24:21And it is beautiful and golden brown.
24:23It's got this beautiful char on top and it's risen really well exactly how it should be.
24:27For 60 minutes I think that's pretty good.
24:29I am wrapped.
24:31I have blitzed together my caponata dip.
24:34I'm warming through the sardine, raisins and pine nuts from my topper and I'm really, really happy with how it's
24:41looking and how it's tasting.
24:42I feel like the rich tomatoes and the salty briny capers and olives pair really, really well with sardines and
24:49the sweetness from the raisins will just round all that out.
24:54I can't believe I have pulled off a focaccia in 60 minutes and also stayed true to my hair.
25:00I've made a dip that is quintessentially me.
25:07I get my crackers out of the oven for my herring under fur coat.
25:12And they look super crispy.
25:14I have beetroot dip on the bottom and on top I have some cured kingfish.
25:22Also green apple, crunchy walnuts and just lightly pickled shallots.
25:29I've tried everything together and it tastes exactly like the salad that I'm trying to recreate, which is, yeah, it
25:35just took me back home.
25:37So when I have that moment, it always works out pretty good.
25:43Um, yeah, very emotional dips.
25:45You have one minute to go!
25:58There we go!
26:03Time's running out.
26:04Time's literally slipping away from my fingers.
26:06The roti is just in the pan.
26:08It's going for as long as I possibly can.
26:10But I just got to start plating up everything else.
26:14I have to play the lux of dip.
26:17I have to try and portion out the seafood well.
26:20I've got to motor get something on the plate just to hit the brief.
26:2230 seconds left.
26:24Come on guys!
26:27Come on guys!
26:38My hands are shaking.
26:4410!
26:459!
26:478!
26:477!
26:496!
26:505!
26:514!
26:523!
26:532!
26:541!
26:55That's it everybody!
26:563!
26:571!
26:581!
27:00Oh man, that was rough.
27:02Yeah, me too.
27:03Well done.
27:05I hope it's balanced.
27:06I hope it's balanced.
27:07It looks good.
27:08Are you true?
27:09Yeah, but I just ran out of time for that.
27:14I'm feeling pretty...
27:15I don't know really how I'm feeling.
27:17Like I got on the plate which I was happy about.
27:19I felt like everything was going wrong.
27:22But yeah, I just ran out of time to be a time at the end to season everything,
27:24which is a bit of a shame.
27:25And my hand is burnt.
27:28Um...
27:29Yeah, burnt it really bad in the last couple of minutes.
27:31And I think that's part of who I didn't get the chance to put on the finishing touches.
27:35So, I think I definitely could be at the bottom today.
27:38But, um...
27:38Who knows?
27:39We'll see what the judges say.
27:51We had the master of hummus, Tom Serafian, in the house.
27:54And we asked you to create a dip with a mopper and a topper to keep you out of tomorrow's
28:00pressure test.
28:02The first dish we'd like to taste belongs to...
28:05Vinnie!
28:10I'm feeling really proud of myself for making this dish today.
28:14I have pulled off a focaccia in 60 minutes.
28:17And I've taken a memory from when I was a kid and made it MasterChef worthy.
28:23I'm really hoping that the judges are kind of transported back with me to my Nanda's house,
28:28sitting around with the caponata in the middle, some nice crusty bread and just some good laughs going around.
28:35Vinnie!
28:36What's going on over there?
28:38I made a caponata dip with some sardine topper and some focaccia.
28:45Last time you cooked a focaccia in this kitchen, you were that close to be eliminated.
28:53Yes, I do remember that.
28:54So how do you feel you went today?
28:56I feel like this was also like a bit of a...
28:59me trying to redeem myself, like to see that I can still do it.
29:03I hope it's up to scratch, but yeah.
29:22It feels and it tastes comforting.
29:25It tastes old school, tastes like caponata and agrodolce,
29:29and it tastes like flavours that you're definitely familiar with.
29:32But you've communicated them across to us in a way that is fun and exciting and new and interesting.
29:40You've learnt the rules and you've broken them.
29:42And that's awesome, that's inspiring.
29:44It's a really, really beautiful dish.
29:48Vinnie!
29:50Wonderful!
29:52Bonne au revoir!
29:53Et c'est reparti!
29:54It is just on the...
29:58I'm sorry for the refinding.
30:01Your bread, the focaccia, I think there is enough air inside, which is great.
30:05I love the colour, the crispiness all around, which is what we want.
30:09The flavour is great, it's very well seasoned.
30:11Bingo, you're with him, you're safe.
30:15Vinnie, such smart cooking.
30:17As soon as I put a spoonful of that caponata in my mouth,
30:21my shoulders kind of just slumped and I felt like, even though I'm not Italian,
30:25I felt like, oh, this is home.
30:28This is the flavour of home.
30:30I love the sardines on top.
30:32That was just such a lovely idea.
30:34And it just really makes me think that you're thinking about setting yourself apart from the others.
30:41Vinnie, there is so much of you on that plate.
30:44And when you lean into your Sicilian roots and you have your food that has a sprinkle of that in
30:54it,
30:54that is your sweet spot, my friend.
30:56Well done.
31:03That's great.
31:06Pat!
31:10I'm really proud of what I've created.
31:12I think it's a great spin on the Beef Wellington.
31:14I'd love to eat this dish, so I just really hope the judges think the same way.
31:19Pat, what'd you make?
31:21So the dip is a mushroom dip.
31:24It's topped with beef carpaccio, crispy and pickled shallots.
31:29And then the mopper is a compressed puff pastry.
31:47Yeah, beautiful work.
31:49I think there's a lot of work in that plate.
31:52Every element was seasoned and executed incredibly well.
31:57I love that you can taste each component by themselves,
32:00but the harmony and the balance with the textures and the flavours and the layers of it is really impressive.
32:07Pat, that is unbelievable, mate.
32:13That mushroom dip is off the charts good.
32:17The texture of it is like silk and it's beautifully caramelised mushroom,
32:23but also you've retained that freshness in it as well.
32:27It's really deliciously done.
32:29Puff pastry, was it right?
32:32Bloody oath it was right.
32:35It really did give you that sense of the beef wellington
32:39and it just wouldn't have hit the same mark without the puff pastry.
32:43It actually reminds me a lot of like a chicken liver parfait, but also maybe a beef tartare.
32:49And those things together work so, so well.
32:52And I think the best thing about eating a beef wellington, other than that cross section,
32:56is when you get golden, flaky, crispy bits of pastry.
33:00And by having this as a dipper, you still get that without any of the sogginess.
33:05Oh, I love it.
33:07Just fabulous.
33:09It's one after one.
33:10It's just great.
33:12So, if you want me to love you more, just keep cooking like this.
33:17Well done.
33:25The next dip we'd like to taste belongs to Annabelle.
33:31Pannellini bean dip with some crispy cauliflower on top and some za'atar crisps.
33:41I kind of just want to keep eating that.
33:43The harmony, the textures, the cauliflower, the way that that crisps up with the lamb fat,
33:47I think that was like just spot on.
33:49It's a really, really nice, well-balanced, well-thought-out fish.
33:53Next up, Kashbar.
33:56I've done a bit of a riff on Mapo tofu.
33:59So I've got whipped tofu on the bottom and then the Mapo mix,
34:04some pickled mushroom on top and then fried rice crackers.
34:08With the whipped tofu, I really love how you've kind of bridged the gap
34:12between the real umami richness, fattiness, sweetness of the Mapo with the seasoning.
34:19Big ups from me, mate.
34:21Hana!
34:23So I have a white bean and herb dip with charred octopus
34:27and my mocha is a, I like to call them breadstick crackers.
34:32It was fantastic.
34:34It was like incredibly tender, a beautiful textural balance.
34:38Um, I kind of just wanted more of that white bean.
34:40It was really delicious. Yeah.
34:42Next up, Emily.
34:45I made kind of like a Thai-style capsicum dip
34:48with fried salted pepper squid on top
34:50and then I made wonton wrappers and just deep-fried them as a mopper.
34:54Yeah, I love the wontons. They do the perfect job.
34:57I love the flavour of these Thai notes that you've got in there.
35:00For me, it's more of a sauce than anything else.
35:03The squid, it is a little bit chewy
35:05and you've got really big chunks in there.
35:08I'm sorry.
35:09Thank you so much, guys.
35:10Grace.
35:12So I've made a Lubna and beetroot dip
35:15with tuna tartare, pickled beetroots and some chips.
35:20I don't think there's enough complexity there
35:22compared to some of the other dishes we've tasted.
35:25I feel like the tuna is just incompatible with the dish in general.
35:29It kind of gets lost. I don't really taste it.
35:32And one of my main issues is the chip. It's too thin.
35:38The next dish we'd love to taste belongs to... Aaron.
35:45I'm looking at my dish and I'm definitely worried.
35:48I've got a half-cooked roti
35:51that I think might be doughy in the middle.
35:53To be quite frank,
35:54I feel like I'm going into tomorrow's pressure test.
35:58I really hope I've made a dip
35:59that's good enough to keep me out of that bottom four.
36:14I've made a seafood curry laksa-inspired dip
36:17with a roti on the side.
36:20We've got to talk about the roti.
36:21We do, yes.
36:22You did get one on the plate.
36:23I did get one on the plate.
36:24I'm not super happy with it
36:26because I don't think it's going to be flaky
36:28or I think it's going to be a bit doughy.
36:30It might be a bit under,
36:30but I knew I had to get something there on the plate
36:32and I'm happy that I did get something on the plate.
36:35So...
36:50This is really ambitious for today's challenge, I feel like.
36:53I think you had the hardest task was to transform laksa
36:57into a dip, a topper and a mopper.
37:00Flavour-wise, I don't have too much of a problem.
37:02For me, it's more the texture.
37:04While I thought it was smart putting the macadamias in there
37:07to thicken it up,
37:08it is still quite gritty from the macadamia.
37:12And then, yeah, I think you've hit the nail on the head.
37:14With your roti, it is undercooked,
37:16so it just hasn't had enough time to do its thing.
37:21It's tasty.
37:22Yeah, it's tasty.
37:23I like the nuttiness.
37:25I like the heat, the spices,
37:27but I have to agree that it does not sort of come together as a dip.
37:33You have to think about the fact that a dip is all about texture,
37:36and because it's quite a little bit of an unorthodox idea,
37:41you had to get us across the line, and that's with texture.
37:43So if you had made that seamlessly silky,
37:46we would have just scooped that up and went,
37:48yes, amazing.
37:49But because it's quite mealy, because of the macadamia,
37:52it feels like an almost over-reduced curry.
37:55Like a satay.
37:56Yeah, like a satay sauce.
37:57You know when it's got too much peanut in it?
38:00It needed to be looser and silken
38:02to just modernise it and get us across the line.
38:05Thanks, Aram.
38:10You're up, Alyona.
38:15I'm walking with my dish up to the judges,
38:17and it actually looks so beautiful.
38:20I wanted to take this Russian salad
38:23and give it my own twist,
38:25and I've achieved that today.
38:27I really hope the judges can understand my story and my dish.
38:32Alyona, what have you made?
38:35I've made herring under fur coats.
38:38It's a Russian salad reimagined.
38:41So it's beetroot sour cream dip,
38:45cured kingfish served with some green apples
38:48and toasted hazelnuts with lavosh crisps.
38:53I actually tried the dish altogether,
38:55and it got me actually quite emotional.
38:58It took me back to all the New Year's Eve that I had with my mum.
39:21It's such a beautiful, delicate dish,
39:24full of the sensitivity that you usually cook with in here.
39:27But I think what you've done is created a dish from your memories
39:32and made it Australian.
39:34Substituting herring, which is such an aggressive fish flavour,
39:38for a lightly cured kingfish, which is such a, like, subtle sweet flavour,
39:42it's actually perfect.
39:43Very beautiful cooking. Good job.
39:46Beetroot is the absolute star of the show.
39:50It is silky, sweet and luscious,
39:54and feels rich in the way that a lot of Russian food does,
39:58but without leaving you, you know, heavy.
40:00Those tiny little juicy cubes of the apple in there as well,
40:04which just add extra pops of sweetness.
40:07Yeah, I also really loved it.
40:09I think it's an awesome, awesome concept.
40:13And to turn it into something so beautiful and elegant and delicate,
40:18with so much texture and flavour going on,
40:21that's really impressive.
40:22And, um, the lavash was really, really beautiful.
40:26Aliona, we love it.
40:29Because when you are like this,
40:31you are dangerous in a competition.
40:34Well done.
40:38Oh, my gosh, this is so amazing.
40:40The fact that they love the flavour so much,
40:43I actually think I have a chance at immunity today.
40:50Luke, we'd love to taste your dish next.
41:04Luke, how'd you go?
41:06Uh, not great.
41:09Well, tell us what you made first.
41:10Yeah, I made a beetroot and goat's cheese dip.
41:13My topper is a spiced lamb with some dukkah,
41:17and then my mopper is roast potatoes.
41:20Uh, it was definitely a hectic one.
41:23Um, I think I just, like, ran out of time,
41:26and some things went wrong,
41:27and I was just playing a bit of ketchup.
41:29What went wrong?
41:30The beetroots, like, I had them in the oven for,
41:32I don't know, like, 35 minutes in, like, small chunks.
41:35It just didn't cook at all.
41:36I don't know what I did wrong there.
41:37I think maybe the oven was a bit overcrowded.
41:40All right, let's taste and see.
42:00I'm actually a little bit surprised,
42:01because it's actually okay.
42:04I really love the seasoning on the dip.
42:06I think you've done a really good job on that.
42:08And it's quite full-bodied.
42:09There's a nice bit of heat going through there.
42:12I think the main issue for me is this.
42:14I think it's just a little clumsy,
42:17because it's the wrong shape.
42:20To mop, you kind of think of something that you can kind of,
42:23you know, scoop or...
42:24And it more...
42:25It eats more like a strange meal.
42:29Yeah, I think, um...
42:32I can see the idea and the flavours.
42:34You know, they do work.
42:36The lamb with the spices, with the dukkah,
42:38the beetroot, the potatoes.
42:42And, for me, the second best thing next to bread,
42:46to go with hummus, is actually chips.
42:48It can be really, really awesome.
42:51I think it was just the execution of it.
42:54I just want to challenge you to just be, like,
42:57just a little bit better.
43:00Like, I could pick out five or six different shapes in here,
43:03and that's not the Luke that we saw at the start.
43:06I want you to try and get back to, like,
43:08looking at every component and every ingredient
43:12that you take a knife to or you put heat to
43:14and make it the best you can possibly make it.
43:17Because there's cooking with fear,
43:20and then there's this lack of, like, kind of care
43:23that's going on with a few different steps,
43:25and that, like, starts with chopping a potato.
43:28Um, and it's starting to creep in,
43:30and I don't want you to go home off the back of it.
43:33Cheers, mate.
43:34Thanks, guys.
43:42We'd love to taste your dish next, Petro.
43:47I'm really happy with my dish, my flavours, my concepts.
43:52I think it's a very original concept.
43:54I don't think the judges will have ever eaten
43:56a dalamo salata with prawn scallops, a prawn head and Aleppo butter.
44:02It would mean so much for Tom to like my dish,
44:05and he's a master of his craft.
44:07He's a master of dip.
44:07I've really tried to push the concept on this one.
44:12So if he ends up loving this dip, it would mean so much for me.
44:30So tell us what you've made.
44:31I made a dalamo salata with sautéed prawns and scallops
44:37with a little bit of lemon zest and lime,
44:39a prawn head and Aleppo butter with some flatbreads.
44:48Oh, that's good.
45:08You know, when you first announced your dish to us,
45:10I was actually concerned because of the richness, the oiliness,
45:13that tarama being just that, fishy, oily, strong in flavour,
45:18to then go and add more, you know, strong seafood,
45:21such as prawns and scallops on top, is risky.
45:25But you definitely pulled it off.
45:27It's fantastic.
45:29It took me three years to perfect a dish,
45:30but it took you an hour, so well done.
45:32That's really good.
45:35Uh, Petro, forget slinging that backyard halloumi stuff.
45:40Start slinging tarama salata, mate.
45:42Like, cos that's where it's at.
45:44The sweetness of the seafood, of the scallops and prawns.
45:48Like, who dares to put, like, scallops and prawns
45:51on top of tarama salata?
45:52And then the richness, but the smokiness
45:56of that Aleppo and prawn head butter.
45:58Again, who dares to, like, spoon more fat and more richness
46:03all over tarama salata?
46:04You're on a hot streak, mate, and I honestly think
46:07it is just because you are focusing
46:09on making the food delicious.
46:12That is, like, no tarama salata I've ever had.
46:15There's all sorts of secrets going on in there
46:17that I don't even care to know about,
46:19but this is, I think, potentially the best mopper of the day.
46:22Easily!
46:24You have got so much beautiful chew.
46:27Um, it's beautifully, you know, burnished.
46:31It's just amazing.
46:32Like, beautiful, beautiful work on the bread.
46:35I think this is one of the nicest dishes
46:38I've ever had in this kitchen.
46:39You're obsessed.
46:41Better finish it, then.
46:43I will.
46:44Not if I get there first.
46:47Well done.
46:47Thank you so much, guys.
46:51I'm kind of lost for words.
46:53I just love being able to serve people good food.
46:55I want to make people happy with my food,
46:58and the fact that I've been able to do that
47:00means everything.
47:07It's been an absolute pleasure to be here,
47:09um, and to see all of you chefs, cooks,
47:14some really fantastic, really exciting,
47:16really intelligent dishes.
47:17So, thank you very much.
47:20Give it up for Tom Serafian, everyone!
47:27Today, we asked you to take something
47:29that is often served on the side
47:31and make it front and centre.
47:33There was a lot at stake.
47:36The bottom four will see themselves
47:38in the Masters Week pressure test tomorrow.
47:43There were so many strong dishes today.
47:49But Petro, yours was the dish of the day!
47:59It was fantastic!
48:02Congratulations!
48:03Thank you so much.
48:04I never thought I would be knocking on the door
48:08of top ten, and also producing Dish of the Day.
48:12I would never have picked it, but it's amazing.
48:16There were some wins and some wobbles.
48:20And four of you had clear struggles.
48:26Luke.
48:29Emily.
48:32Aaron.
48:34Grace.
48:36Unfortunately,
48:38all four of you will be cooking
48:40in tomorrow's pressure test.
48:42It ain't gonna be easy, guys.
48:45Rest up, and goodnight.
48:51Tomorrow night...
48:52Please welcome...
48:53Kirsten Tibble!
48:56She's the chocolate master.
48:59It's one of the greatest chocolate creations
49:01I've ever made.
49:02And her pressure test is the mistress
49:05of mind-boggling complexity.
49:10Oh, my God!
49:13Chocolate iris.
49:15That doesn't belong in a kitchen.
49:16That belongs in an art gallery.
49:19This recipe is over 100 steps.
49:22I'm freaking out.
49:24Oh, my God.
49:26There's no way I'm ready to go home,
49:27and I'm not gonna let today be the day.
49:28Oh.
49:30I can't even get it remotely close to Kirsten's.
49:34This is killing me.
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