- 24 minutes ago
2026.Season 18 Episode 45 - Elimination Challenge: International Ingredients
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00:00.
00:12Whoo!
00:15Yeah!
00:16Whoa!
00:17Thanks!
00:18What are you doing?
00:20Interesting.
00:21Oh, is that countries?
00:23Portugal.
00:24Sweet.
00:24Oh.
00:25Back around the world.
00:27Get upstairs, mate.
00:28Get out of here.
00:29Good luck, guys.
00:33Walking into the kitchen today,
00:35and there are five countries.
00:37There's Italy, Vietnam,
00:39Portugal, Japan,
00:41Sweden.
00:43Sweden!
00:44So, I'm very excited to see
00:47what we're in for today.
00:49Ooh, ooh.
00:50Morning.
00:50Ooh.
00:52Today, we've brought you some truly wonderful ingredients.
00:56Ingredients so unique,
00:57you'd travel the world for them.
01:00This is what makes me so passionate about food.
01:03It's how we explore and connect
01:05with different cultures and cuisines around the globe.
01:08Each of these ingredients represents a country.
01:11They're loved by locals
01:13and have a huge influence on their country's cuisines.
01:16Ready to find out what you're working with today?
01:18Yeah!
01:19Yeah!
01:21Ooh, what's Italy got?
01:23What does that thing look like?
01:25What does it say now?
01:25It might be matcha and hojicha.
01:28From Italy, we have Bataga.
01:30It's a cured, salted mullet roe,
01:33and it has a 3,000-year ancient history
01:37in the Mediterranean.
01:39From Japan, we have Sancho pepper.
01:45Sancho pepper.
01:47A fragrant spice known for its citrusy aroma
01:50and a slight tingling sensation on the tongue.
01:57From Vietnam, we have banana blossom.
02:01Banana blossom has a subtle, sweet, bitter flavour
02:06and an unusual flaky texture.
02:10From Portugal, we have aliera sausage.
02:14This is a traditional smoked sausage
02:17made with cooked, shredded meats.
02:20Cooked, shredded meats.
02:22And from Sweden and across Scandinavia,
02:25we have juniper berries.
02:32These have a sharp, piney flavour
02:34with woody notes
02:35and have been used since the time of the Vikings.
02:40Ba-la-la.
02:42Like, has anyone used these ingredients?
02:47Wow!
02:49No-one has used any of these five ingredients
02:53from around the world.
02:56Whoa, this is going to be good.
02:58Very level playing field.
02:59Or bad.
03:01You have 75 minutes to cook a delicious dish
03:05that features one of these ingredients.
03:08You'll find all these ingredients in the pantry.
03:11The garden is also open.
03:14Unfortunately, the least impressive dish
03:16will see its maker eliminated from the competition.
03:21But...
03:23we want you to aim for the top.
03:25So we're giving the dish of the day a huge prize.
03:29You ready for it?
03:32Top Dish will win...
03:35a $10,000 travel voucher...
03:39to taste the world.
03:41Oh, my God.
03:42Thanks to Trafalgar Tours.
03:45What?
03:46That is, like, literally the prize to win.
03:48$10,000, that will get you so far.
03:50I would love to have that $10,000 travel voucher
03:53to experience the world of food
03:56and to learn more about these dishes that I'm cooking.
03:59$10,000.
04:00Now, Caspate, you feel a little left out up there?
04:03I think the FOMO just went through the roof there.
04:06Um...
04:06Would I...
04:07Would I trade...
04:08this for $10,000?
04:09Like, a chance at $10,000?
04:11I don't know.
04:12Like, I like...
04:12Well...
04:13That is the question.
04:15Because I...
04:16am gonna give you the choice.
04:17Oh!
04:18Oh!
04:29You can choose to cook today
04:31and be in the running for that $10,000 prize.
04:36But if you cook, you will forgo your immunity
04:40and you'll be at risk of elimination like everyone else.
04:48No, don't be silly.
04:50Nah.
04:51We'll stay up here.
04:52We'll stay up here.
04:53Oh!
04:54Really?
04:55All right, Caspate,
04:56you are staying safe on the gantry, mate.
05:00All right, guys.
05:03Massive stacks today.
05:06Locking and good luck.
05:09Because your time...
05:12...staff...
05:12Now!
05:13Come on!
05:14Let's go!
05:16Don't get in there, mate.
05:17Come on, mate!
05:22I'm like a deer in headlights, these ingredients up the front.
05:25I haven't even heard of most of them before.
05:27But I have had the odd gin in my time
05:30and I do know that it uses juniper berries, from what I've heard.
05:33So if I can put two and two together, that's the flavour I'm looking for.
05:37And I feel like I can do something with that.
05:41Hm.
05:41OK.
05:43I have eaten banana blossom when I was in the Philippines.
05:48I know that it takes on flavour really well, so I'm leaning towards using the banana blossom.
05:54Let's go, Em!
05:56And cooking up something really nice, I think most likely Filipino.
06:01Oh dear, I've made a mess, I'm sorry.
06:03Today I've chosen to cook with the juniper berries.
06:06It's an ingredient that I am semi-familiar with the taste profile.
06:11I'm thinking if I can pair that in a sauce with it, that might pair really nicely with the gay
06:15meat.
06:18Oh!
06:21I am ultra-excited for this, because there's so many layers to what's about to unfold out there.
06:27I mean, none of our cooks had used any of these ingredients at all.
06:33At all in their cooking, which really blows my mind to be honest.
06:37But I also feel like it's a sign of a good cook.
06:40It's what gets my juices flowing.
06:41It's also one of those things that's so great when you're actually travelling.
06:45You know, when you go to a market, you stay somewhere, and then you get to take home ingredients that
06:50you haven't used before and experiment with them.
06:52So, think about how much fun it is.
06:54If they can cook like that, that'd be amazing.
06:57The thing that's so different about Elimination today is that there's not just a bottom dish, but there's a top
07:02dish.
07:03I think that push-pull effect of the prize and it being a Black Apron Day is an interesting one,
07:08because I think it'll help them not cook with fear.
07:11Yeah.
07:12I think they'll cook with a little bit more enthusiasm because there's that prize as an alternative ending.
07:17I would have assumed Casper will say, you know what, ten grand, why not?
07:21Yeah.
07:22And it shows that it's still a very hard competition, you know, where we are today.
07:27Well, I can't wait to be taken on an adventure with these dishes that they create.
07:31Same.
07:31Should we go check them out?
07:32Yeah.
07:35Ah, I feel good.
07:37This is a cool challenge.
07:38I like cooking with stuff that I'm not super familiar with.
07:42I think it's really fun at this point in the comp.
07:44Today I'm cooking with Bataga from Italy because I love sort of funky, umami, fishy flavoured things,
07:50so I'm going to try and lean into that.
07:52So I'm going to do like a whipped Bataga and then do a glazed charred octopus tentacle on top
07:58and then like a beautiful zingy, um, salsa verde.
08:02I feel like charred octopus, something like creamy and like fishy and umami
08:06and that's kind of like what that smells like.
08:10Um, yeah, so that's where I will go lean into the sea today.
08:14I think today's going to be a tough one because I've never made this dish before
08:17and I have never cooked with Bataga before.
08:20So I'm going to do a relatively simple dish and make sure I can execute all of the flavours and
08:25hit the breathe.
08:26I'm going to pressure cook the octopus to cook it initially
08:30and then finish it on the hibachi to get that beautiful char.
08:34And for my whipped Bataga, I'm kind of picturing like a tarama salada,
08:38but more with like Spanish flavours.
08:41So I will follow the process for an ajo blanco, which is a white sauce made from bread and almonds
08:49blitzed with sherry vinegar and a little bit of garlic and some salt
08:52and then I'll whip the Bataga through that.
08:55I'm like loading it with Bataga.
09:00Because I do not want to miss the brief today.
09:02I want to make sure that that tastes like Bataga.
09:10It's like subtle. I want it a little bit more zingy and like Bataga forward.
09:15So I'm just trying to work on that now.
09:17I feel good. Yeah.
09:18So good.
09:25Juniper grows everywhere in Estonia, so it's really connecting me back to home.
09:31So I'm kind of going like dessert route.
09:34I think I'm going to make juniper berry ice cream with some berry poulee and I'm going to make a
09:42twill with juniper berry powdered sugar and top.
09:47I know it's going to be complicated to get that really florally piney juniper flavor right.
09:55If I'm going to push it too hard, it's going to be bitter. It's going to feel like you're eating
10:00a Christmas tree.
10:01It's just not going to be pleasant at all.
10:03If I want this 10,000 Trafalgar voucher, I have to nail that perfect tartness that will support that sweet
10:13but piney peppery ice cream.
10:17I'm thinking like blackberry, blackcurrants, raspberries.
10:21I'm going to make blackberry coulee.
10:24I'm going to make macerated berries with some liqueur, chambord, maybe a little gin in it.
10:31Just added a little bit of sour cream in my ice cream to get a little bit of that tang
10:37as well.
10:37It's just the flavors that I love.
10:39So hopefully that's going to help me today to get the top dish.
10:44OK, guys, keep flying. You've got 60 minutes to go.
10:49Keep hustling, guys. You're looking good.
10:52Let's go, Em.
10:55I've got the bataga today and I'm trying to make a seafood pasta but with a little bit of pizzazz.
11:02So I'm going to try and make a handkerchief pasta that hides the seafood underneath.
11:05And I'll be sitting on a bed of silken tofu that's got the bataga through it, some prawn head oil.
11:10I've always loved Italian food and if I win that voucher, the first place I'll probably go to is Italy,
11:16so...
11:19I am using the alqueta today.
11:22It's a Portuguese sausage. I've never used it before. I've never tasted it before.
11:27But I'm going to be pairing it with octopus.
11:29Then I'm going to make her white bean dip.
11:33The goal is to stay safe but having the prize from Trafalgar, that $10,000 voucher, that would be an
11:40absolute dream.
11:44I'm feeling pretty good.
11:47Definitely not the ingredients that I'm super familiar with, but you know what?
11:51I'm just going to stick to my roots.
11:53So today I have chosen bataga from Italy.
11:57Shock.
11:58But, you know, I just thought I'm not really super familiar with it, so at least I can come up
12:03with some flavours that will probably go together with it.
12:06I'm definitely feeling a little bit uneasy about having to use a bataga today.
12:10I feel like, you know, when we haven't used this ingredient, it's very difficult.
12:15You can make an ingredient shine and being at the pointy end of the competition, everyone now is really, really
12:20good.
12:21So it often comes down to the finer details.
12:25It's just like added stress.
12:29I'm just thinking as I'm going.
12:31I'm thinking some form of stuffed pasta like a prawn ravioli or an agnolotti.
12:37We'll see.
12:39I've got my pasta dough done.
12:41Now I'm just thinking how I can layer this bataga throughout my dish to actually make it taste like bataga.
12:46I'm thinking about putting it in between my pasta layers as I'm laminating it so it actually has some bataga
12:52in the pasta as well.
12:53But I want to do a tester on that.
13:01That's a smart way to use it.
13:03Yeah.
13:05Like, it looks alright.
13:07Yeah.
13:08See if it actually makes a difference.
13:11It does look cool.
13:13You can definitely see it in there.
13:14You can see it like streaks through.
13:22As I taste this dough, I literally cannot taste bataga at all.
13:26It's making zero difference.
13:31I don't know.
13:36I'm definitely feeling very stressed because I don't have a clear dish idea.
13:41Let's do this pasta.
13:45If I can't figure out what I'm making, this could be my last day in the Muschip kitchen.
13:55These are new ingredients to all of you.
13:57Make sure you taste as you go.
13:5945 minutes left!
14:02Good job guys.
14:03Doing great so far.
14:14Going by feel right now.
14:16So I have chosen the banana blossom and I'm going to make a Filipino fresh spring roll.
14:23Filipino fresh spring roll is basically a spring roll that has a crepe like pancake as the wrapper with banana
14:30blossom pork prawns inside.
14:31I've never actually made this before.
14:34So this is a really interesting thing.
14:36Sometimes you have to cook based on memory.
14:39I've had this dish when I was in the Philippines with my partner and it was so delicious.
14:46Hopefully I can deliver today.
14:48I want to really get that 10 grand powder if I can.
14:51But yeah, definitely very good to make sure that I stay in the game.
14:53I think it's more important to make sure that you perform as well as you can to stay in the
14:58game first.
14:59I'll definitely be tasting as I go and making sure that I put as much flavour as I can into
15:04everything that I'm cooking today.
15:08Today I'm going to do a barbecue kangaroo loin on the hibachi and it's going to have a juniper jus
15:16and a pom puree and some gin pickled beetroot as well as some charred asparagus is the plan.
15:25The first thing I want to get onto today is the sauce.
15:27It's kind of the thing that is going to carry that main juniper flavour.
15:31So at the start of my sauce I get the kangaroo tail bones and beef bones into one pot and
15:37in another pot I'm getting mirepoise.
15:39I've got some grapefruit peel in there, pepper berry and some juniper berries and that's just cooking down slowly.
15:46I've been fairly comfortable with sauces throughout the competition but the team challenge with John Christophe really showed me some
15:52new skills which I want to show today.
15:55With this dish, even though it's food that I've cooked similar dishes in the past and using new ingredients that
16:01I've never used before and a few new techniques, I think it'll show another side of me and show that
16:06I'm developing in the competition.
16:11Eyebrows are overrated, right?
16:18I still don't really know what my pasta is going to be.
16:21My filling is going to be prawns, some parsley, some lemon zest in there and maybe some bittaga as well.
16:29I'm going to make like a prawn shell sauce with the bittaga in that, folded through.
16:34I'm trying to infuse the bittaga in some oil so I can fry some breadcrumbs in it.
16:38See how it goes.
16:40Yeah, it's definitely a work in progress this dish, yeah.
16:44I'm still not feeling very sure about what I'm making.
16:47So, what's this going to be? This?
16:49I'm definitely starting to stress a lot.
16:53I feel like especially cooking an Italian dish, I should be absolutely smashing this and I'm not feeling that way
16:58right now.
17:01Come on, buddy boy.
17:04Today I'm going with the juniper berries.
17:06I think in terms of the dish, the only thing I'm not there is juniper berries.
17:10Absolutely no idea how this will go but I think that's part of the fun.
17:13I'm going to be cooking a dish inspired by the only juniper thing I've tasted, a gin and tonic.
17:18My dish has got a few elements. I'm going to do a gin and basil granita.
17:22I'm going to serve it with a gin and blackberry sorbet.
17:25I'm going to do little pieces of cucumber.
17:28I'm going to do a little sherbet on the side of raspberry sherbet.
17:31The first thing I want to get done is I want to get my sorbet and granita in the blast
17:34freezer as soon as possible.
17:35Into my granita today, throwing basil, sugar syrup.
17:38I'm also throwing in a few juniper berries into my granita to just reinforce that juniper flavour.
17:42I'm putting it in the blender with some gin.
17:46I'm about to put my sorbet on so I'm happy with that.
17:49My granita is in the freezer setting.
17:51Into my sorbet I'm throwing in blackberry.
17:54I'm not putting gin into the sorbet because I won't set properly.
17:57It might turn a little bit icy.
17:58So I'm just throwing in a lot of juniper berries and just blitzing them up nice and fine.
18:02The most exciting part of this dish is the sherbet idea.
18:05I'm pretty fired up about it.
18:06The idea is that I create this sherbet with bicarb, citric and a bit of icing sugar.
18:11And when you put it in your mouth and you get a reaction and it kind of fizzes in your
18:15mouth just like the tonic in a gin and tonic.
18:18It's a fun idea and I hope the judges can appreciate that.
18:23Those creative dishes should be on the go.
18:25You've only got 30 minutes to go.
18:27Woo!
18:29Let's go guys, keep pushing.
18:30It's looking great.
18:35So I've chopped up the banana blossom and I've cooked it with some of the garlic, the ginger and the
18:41shallots and the onion.
18:42And basically I've added in some of the water, chestnut and carrot for texture and also the pork and the
18:48prawns and make sure that the spring roll filling is all dry.
18:52Yeah, it's going fine.
18:53I just need to make sure that I get the filling done and I don't make it too wet.
18:57If not, it's going to soak through the pancake butter and that's something we don't want.
19:03Emily, I think you've chosen the banana blossom.
19:07So what are you making?
19:08So I'm making my own rendition of Filipino fresh spring rolls and they use the banana blossom in it as
19:15one of the main fillers.
19:16What else is in there?
19:18Water chestnut, prawns and some pork mints.
19:21Do you think you're featuring the banana blossom in it?
19:24I think because banana blossom is a central part of this dish, then I think I'm featuring it as much
19:30as I can.
19:33Just make sure the banana blossom doesn't get lost with all those other filling ingredients.
19:38OK.
19:39The aim of the game.
19:40Good luck.
19:43Feeling a little bit stressed.
19:47So I'm thinking about what else I can do to add more flavour into the dish itself.
19:54So, you know, you've got to think on your feet right now.
19:57If my dish doesn't sing of banana blossom, I could be the one that's eliminated today.
20:13So right now I've peeled my prawns, I've cooked my pippies and my crab.
20:16That's the seafood element.
20:18All I've got to do now is work on my prawn head oil with the bataga, do the silken tofu
20:22as the base, and then make my pasta.
20:30OK.
20:31Puree is good.
20:32Sausage done.
20:33Almonds done.
20:35Charred grape salad.
20:37That's done.
20:39I've got to pickle my octopus.
20:42It's all coming together.
20:48Poe's worried that I'm not going to be able to feature the banana blossom enough.
20:54Banana blossom itself doesn't have much of a flavour.
20:57So it's about making sure that there's enough texture in there of the banana blossom.
21:02So basically my aim is to fry up the banana blossom so that there's a crunch element as well.
21:08I'm hoping that they will be enough to actually feature the banana blossom in my spring roll.
21:1420 minutes left, everybody!
21:24OK, I can see a lot of adventurous dishes out there.
21:28I'm going to give our contestants a bit of praise here because they've never used these ingredients before.
21:33You know, like, this is going to take a lot.
21:35I'm going to start with Emily.
21:36She's doing a Filipino-style spring roll.
21:38She's chosen banana blossom as her ingredient.
21:40But then she's got pork and prawn.
21:43And I'm just worried about the flavour.
21:45It sounds like it's going to be really hard to differentiate the banana blossom from the other ingredients.
21:49Yeah.
21:50Vinny's doing a prawn-filled pasta.
21:53He's thinking, you know, will it be ravioli or will it be anglinotti?
21:56Then where it gets interesting is the application of the bataga because he hasn't worked bataga out.
22:01He just needs to get the thing done.
22:03And I feel like now this dish should firm up.
22:07Yeah.
22:07There should be a finish line.
22:08You should know how your chosen ingredient is going to react with others and make a smashing dish.
22:13Yes.
22:16My octopus is just releasing slowly from the pressure cooker.
22:22My whipped taro is just in the fridge.
22:24I'm just getting onto my salsa verde.
22:26So, yeah, we're on track.
22:28Today I'm making a salsa verde to put on top of the octopus and the whipped bataga.
22:32So I'm using parsley and mint and basil, capers, some shallots, some chilli, red wine vinegar, some lemon, and I'm
22:40using some of the bataga in the place of an anchovy.
22:43I just want this to add, like, some brightness and some acidity and some herbaceousness to the dish.
22:48I'm opening my pressure cooker and my octopus looks cooked.
22:52And then I just want to finish it on the hibachi beef just to get a little bit of char
22:55and smoky flavour into it.
22:57While the cook's going well, my only concern is just getting that bataga flavours, like, really amped up.
23:05So, juniper ice cream's done.
23:08I'm making tuile, made my coulis, and I have this beautiful powder that's going to give this nice aroma of
23:15juniper berries when you kind of crunch into it.
23:20Trying to piece it all together.
23:23So I'm trying all these elements together.
23:27Definitely a lot of juniper.
23:28I'm tasting it, and it just brings me back home.
23:31It really gives that nice, woody, kind of herpy, piney sort of situation.
23:36It's like a beautiful misty forest.
23:39Where these juniper berries are coming from.
23:41It just takes me home.
23:43Even with my plating, I want the judges to look at the dish and be transported.
23:49There's a lot riding on this today.
23:52It is elimination day.
23:54There is potential for a top dish, but there's also so many memories of home.
23:59So, I really, really hope I can do well today.
24:07Ah, yeah, I'm okay at the moment.
24:10I think there's enough richness in my dish with my juniper sauce on puree.
24:14And the kangaroo, obviously, is really meaty, so it needs an element that's going to be really fresh and break
24:19through that.
24:20So, I'm going to pickle some beetroot using gin and more juniper berries.
24:24I'm also going to have some spring onion mayo to dress the asparagus, give it that fresh hit.
24:29There's a huge amount of elements going on today.
24:33I need to obviously cook this roux.
24:36Kangaroo loin can be extremely hard to cook.
24:39So, you have to keep it on the rare side and really keep you eye on it.
24:44I've still got to finalise my sauce.
24:48Tastes really good.
24:50So, yeah, a lot of hard work and multitasking.
24:52But if I can get every element on the plate, I think it's going to be really good.
25:00I feel like I'm doing well for time.
25:01I've got my sorbet on, so I'm happy with that.
25:04My granita is in the freezer setting.
25:06So, I've put the juniper berry in the granita and the sorbet.
25:11I've had an idea to do a tuile.
25:12I've got basil in the granita, and I feel like I want to double down on that a little bit
25:15by chucking some basil in the tuile.
25:18So, because I have a ginning tonic, I like a bit of basil in it.
25:21This dish today is theatric.
25:23It's got the sherbet.
25:24It's now got a basil leaf in the form of a tuile.
25:27It's going to be a fun dish, and I hope it all works together.
25:33Ten minute to go!
25:34Come on, everybody!
25:35Come on, guys, start cleaning up.
25:52I'm feeling very overwhelmed.
25:54I'm trying not to let it show, and I'm just trying to push on to try and get a dish
25:59up.
26:02You're not doing the bataga in the dough?
26:05It didn't really make a difference.
26:07Yeah.
26:07You can't taste it.
26:08And just grate it on the top anyway, I guess.
26:10Yeah, I'll grate it.
26:11It's way too late to come up with something extravagant, so I'm just going to keep it simple and try
26:16my best to make that bataga shine.
26:19Vinny, we made some decisions.
26:21I have to, so yeah, we're amazing.
26:22What do we got?
26:23At this rate, there'll be ravioli.
26:26My feeling's going to be cut up prawns, a bit of my prawn reduction there, and then the crispy bataga
26:31all in there.
26:32Yep.
26:32And then some parsley, a bit of lemon zest in there too.
26:35I'm just doing a really simple sauce, like a brown butter sauce, a bit of lemon zest in there.
26:40And you know what the best thing is?
26:41You've worked out bataga.
26:43Yeah.
26:43The unfortunate thing is, it's taken you...
26:47An hour.
26:48An hour to do so.
26:50Yeah.
26:50And that's really, like, put you under the pump.
26:53Yeah.
26:53Time is not on your side right now.
26:55No, not at all.
26:58I'm definitely not feeling great.
27:03At this point, I really have absolutely no time left, and I don't even know if this dish is going
27:08to be good enough to get me through today.
27:10Lot to do.
27:20Prove you belong in this competition!
27:22Five minutes to go!
27:23Here we go!
27:24Come on!
27:24Come on, guys.
27:25Final push!
27:36I've got all my elements surrounding me. I need to start wrapping it up and plating up right now.
27:41I have a very beautiful little crepey pancake going on. I'm adding in my hawk and prawns filling extra.
27:50And I'm putting in my beautiful little crispy banana blossoms and then I'm wrapping it up and they're coming together
27:56and they're not tearing apart so they look quite beautiful.
28:00I know that I really had to force myself to think of a way to bring the banana blossom out
28:05a little bit more.
28:06And I'm just hoping to go, is this going to be enough to cool me through today?
28:11What do I need?
28:12What do I need?
28:12I need to get a grip.
28:15Cutting into the roux, it looks perfect.
28:20It's really nicely crusted on the outside and the inside is really rare.
28:25Looking at my sauce, it could be the best consistency sauce I've ever made.
28:28It is like really thick and glossy and luscious, so I'm just hoping that that juniper berry flavour is strong
28:35enough in there.
28:38I'm starting to get some very good feelings happening here.
28:42Everything's kind of coming together at the right time.
28:45All that hard work is paying off and each element's kind of starting to land.
28:51It's down to the wire! 30 seconds to go!
28:54Alright guys, finish it up.
28:57Come on little guy.
29:03Here it is! 10!
29:055!
29:068!
29:087!
29:096!
29:105!
29:114!
29:123!
29:132!
29:141!
29:15That is it everybody!
29:19You okay?
29:21It's the juniper!
29:23Well done!
29:24You okay?
29:26Nah, I'll see you next year.
29:28No!
29:29No!
29:30Really?
29:31I don't know.
29:32That was not my finest work.
29:34Vitago is like deceptively hard to make shine.
29:42We'd love to taste your dish.
29:44Aliona!
29:46I really enjoy my cook and I'm really hoping the judges are going to love the flavour and understand where
29:54this dish truly came from.
29:56Mmm!
29:59Aliona, what have you made?
30:02I brought you a little taste of Scandinavia.
30:04So it's a juniper ice cream with some blackcurrant coulis, blackberry and raspberry macerated berries and the twill that's been
30:14dusted with juniper icing sugar.
30:17In the little bowl is just my palm.
30:21I don't know.
30:37Aliona, you are definitely a contender for the $10,000 travel prize.
30:49When I eat it, I feel like I am in the forest.
30:52It really takes me there because the juniper has that medicinal pine flavour.
30:59It stands up against those beautifully macerated berries.
31:02And the way that the ice cream just carries it because of that fat content is just divine.
31:08Well done.
31:09Oh my gosh, thank you Sophia.
31:10You remind me of home that morning with the freshness of the piney things.
31:16Yeah, I haven't been. I've never been.
31:18But you know, you just took me there a little bit, so thank you.
31:22Aliona, the ice cream is exquisite.
31:27It's got a bit of a medicinal flavour and you've also managed to balance the berries with it really, really
31:33well.
31:34It's absolutely fantastic.
31:35I mean, the way Sophia described the dishes, I don't think I have to say more.
31:41I actually think that this was such a smart idea.
31:45Like, garnishes can so many times be overused and there for nothing.
31:48But it really gave a link to that place and that moment and then that dish was the thing that
31:54tied it all together.
31:55You could be going on a holiday.
31:57What up?
32:00Oh my gosh, that feedback is incredible.
32:04I am so glad that they've been transported.
32:11You're up, Annabelle.
32:22Annabelle, what have you made?
32:23I have done a barbecued octopus tentacle with some whipped bataga and a salsa verde.
32:47This is an interesting one.
32:49Annabelle.
32:51The puree.
32:52It's really tasty.
32:54Your octopus is cooked beautifully.
32:57And then your salsa verde.
32:59It's well seasoned.
33:00It's got that acidity.
33:02But because it's so powerful, when I have everything together, I definitely cannot taste bataga.
33:11It's only when I'm spooning a bit of that puree and having it by itself that I can taste it
33:15a little bit.
33:16At the end, you do get a little bit of the bataga, but that is it.
33:22This is a tasty plate of food, but I feel like this is kind of a pretty safe dish, you
33:28know?
33:28See, I'm a bit different to everyone else.
33:31I can taste the bataga because I don't eat it much.
33:35But I kind of just feel a little bit like, it's okay, you know?
33:41Okay.
33:42Thank you, Annabelle.
33:47An okay dish.
33:49You can't be putting okay dishes up at this point in the con.
33:54I definitely think I could be the one going home today.
33:56And that's like a really scary thought.
34:07Okay, please, next one, Pat.
34:11Woo!
34:15I'm super excited to serve this dish to the judges.
34:18I am nervous cooking with an ingredient I've never cooked with before, but as far as the sauce is concerned,
34:23it's something I'm really excited to serve.
34:30Pat, you've used juniper berries. Tell us, what have you made?
34:34I've named this dish juniper root. I've barbecued the kangaroo, and I've done a pom puree, some barbecued asparagus, pickled
34:44beetroot in gin and juniper, and then juniper sauce.
34:48Okay, we're gonna test your dish.
34:56It's like butter.
35:20Pat.
35:24It's fantastic.
35:27You are absolutely mean that.
35:31Look at that.
35:32How can it not be perfect? Look at this.
35:34So punctual, so lovely, so shiny, but it is superbly tasty.
35:41Have you got a passport?
35:43Make sure you keep that ready, because I've got a good feeling that you could be a lucky winner there.
35:49Thank you for making juniper jus enbreu a thing.
35:53It was so, so, so delicious.
35:56The roux was like a butter when I cut through it.
35:59Such stunning work on the hibachi.
36:02Oh, the sauce, Pat. The sauce. It's so good, truly.
36:07But I think the clever thing you did was choose roux over anything else in that pantry to pair with
36:13juniper.
36:15Mate, that is right up there. That is right up there.
36:18The cook on every single element is elite.
36:23Let's see if you get the voucher. It's the last piece of the puzzle. Well done.
36:26Well done.
36:30Save some of the prizes for us, eh?
36:33For the award.
36:34Next dish we'd love to taste is Emily.
36:40I feel confident. My dish tastes really delicious. And it's really nostalgic. It's reminding me of, like, my travels in
36:47the Philippines.
36:49The only thing I'm really worried about is whether the judges feel I have featured the banana blossom, particularly when
36:56there's not much flavour coming from a banana blossom.
36:59So, I did a fresh Filipino spring roll. Inside I stir-fried banana blossom, pork, prawns, and then I added
37:08some fried banana blossom.
37:10Sauce. What is the sauce?
37:12So, I stuck with the Filipino sweet sticky sauce. So, it's basically brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce.
37:36Emily.
37:38Yep.
37:39I love a fresh spring roll.
37:42I love your little syrupy sauce and your filling is really yum.
37:48The only problem, there's not much evidence of the banana blossom.
37:56I don't know if they're featuring at all.
38:01And the other little problem was, with the skin, it just needed to be a bit thinner.
38:06Because they were so thick, they just sort of started to unravel.
38:10Yeah.
38:10So, they were quite loose and a little bit difficult to eat.
38:14Emily, this is a really tasty dish. It's really fresh.
38:18Your sauce is delicious as well. I love that little kit of vinegar in there. Very Filipino.
38:24But I totally agree with Poe.
38:27You've turned your chosen ingredient into a filler instead of a feature.
38:32As delicious as it is.
38:35Like, the banana blossom may well not even be in the dish.
38:41So, that's the problem that we have here.
38:44It's all good, guys.
38:45We'll have to see where that leaves you, Emily. Thank you.
38:48Good luck. Thanks, Emily.
38:50It's a weird feeling because they said that was really flavourful.
38:55It was a really hard one.
38:56But I haven't hit the brief.
38:59So, I don't know what this means, but I hope it's not what I think it means.
39:05Next up, Aaron!
39:08I've made a seafood pasta using Vataga.
39:11I've got some silken tofu.
39:13On top of that, I've got some prawns, some pippies, and blue swimmer crab as well.
39:17Ooh.
39:18For hidden treasures.
39:19I really love this dish.
39:23Very modern, very you, very where you want to go.
39:26Well done.
39:29Petro.
39:32Aliera sausage with a white bean puree, marinated octopus, and a great salad.
39:41Petro.
39:42Too many things on this plate.
39:44And while it is really tasty, it's kind of just this delicious mess.
39:50Next dish we'd love to taste is Luke's.
39:56I chose the Jennifer berries.
39:58I've done a gin and tonic inspired dessert.
40:01So, I've done a basil gin granita, a blackberry and Jennifer berry sorbet,
40:07a basil with fresh cucumber cubes, and a raspberry sherbet.
40:17What was it doing?
40:22Luke, intriguing to look at and intriguing to taste.
40:26I think it's worked, but I felt like the sherbet took it over the edge a bit.
40:31I don't know what you guys got, but was it really hard for?
40:34It was intense.
40:35Yeah, it was quite intense.
40:37Take me over the edge, baby.
40:38I loved it.
40:40I agree that the sherbet was really intense, but it's so much fun to eat.
40:45I thought the juniper was there in a really interesting way.
40:49Yeah.
40:51Thank you, Luke.
40:55Next up, Vinny.
41:01Looking at my dish, I am devastated.
41:05This is far, far, far from my best work.
41:09I feel like I should have knocked this out of the park and I just haven't.
41:15I'm really worried that this plate of food could be the plate that sends me home.
41:37Vinny, what'd you make?
41:38I made a prawn and bataga ravioli.
41:43Mate, I can feel and hear in your voice a level of nervousness.
41:48Yeah.
41:49I'm not very happy with this dish.
41:52I feel like I let down myself.
41:57Do you feel like this is the last dish that you could have cooked in this competition?
42:01Yeah.
42:07You know, I just feel like I've come so far with, like, my finesse and it's just not really there.
42:19Mate, for your sake, I hope this isn't as bad as you're making it out to be.
42:24Me too.
42:28I'll taste your dish.
42:51Vinny.
42:54This is not your best dish.
42:57You've definitely featured Bataga
43:00I love these little fried Bataga nuggets
43:04I just think there's too many of them on the plate
43:07Your brown butter is beautiful
43:09But it just needs more lemon
43:11You've got beautiful flavour in that filling
43:15And the pasta work is nice without being your best
43:21So, I don't know where this leaves you mate
43:25In terms of pasta work, because I think you are an expert
43:30It's not the greatest
43:32What was clever is not using cream
43:35But to keep the brown butter
43:39This is unapologetically Bataga forward
43:43But it's not a balanced dish
43:46We'll just have to see where this one lands you
43:47Thank you
43:48Good luck Vinnie
43:49Thank you
44:00Today was all about getting those creative juices flowing
44:05We handed you unique ingredients from all corners of the globe
44:11Despite stepping into unfamiliar territory
44:14Some of you absolutely amazed us
44:19Alyona
44:21As soon as your bowl hit the table, we were transported
44:25Your use of juniper berry in the ice cream was exquisite
44:28The whole dish was simply divine
44:32Pat
44:35Your juniperoo could not have been more perfect
44:40Two incredible dishes
44:44The winner of the $10,000 voucher
44:50Is
44:54Pat
45:02I have been very lucky to win some prizes in the myself kitchen
45:06But $10,000 from Trafalgar is just nuts
45:09You don't have to get Frankie to the post office to get herself a passport
45:12Because you know we're going on a family holiday
45:14Well done Pat
45:15Thank you
45:16You are cleaning up in here
45:21With some lesser known ingredients from around the world
45:24You had your work cut out for you today
45:26We weren't just looking for a top dish
45:29We were also looking for a bottom dish to send home
45:34I'll call your name
45:35Please step forward
45:40Vinnie
45:43You knew this wasn't your best dish
45:45We could taste the Pataga
45:47However, the dish lacked balance
45:51Emily
45:54We enjoyed your dish
45:55But you needed to feature the banana blossom
45:58And that was missing entirely in flavour and in texture
46:04Annabelle
46:07You brought us a simple but tasty plate of food
46:11And at this point in the competition
46:13That's something that could send you home
46:21Three tasty dishes
46:25But each of them
46:29With flaws
46:32So it came down
46:34To the flow
46:36That we could not overlook
46:42I'm sad to say
46:46You are leaving the competition
46:52Emily
46:56I'm very sorry
46:58I'm sorry
47:02I'm serious
47:03Emily
47:04It has been a privilege
47:06And an honour testing your food
47:08Here
47:09In MasterChef
47:11Kitchen
47:11Thank you
47:14What are you going to take away from this experience?
47:19I've learned so much about myself
47:21My resilience
47:24The fact that there's so much more for me to learn
47:26And how quickly I can learn as well
47:28And I really thank all of you guys here
47:31I feel as though everybody was always willing to give me a lot of feedback
47:34And teach me
47:35And I think there's no other place like MasterChef
47:39I had the most fun
47:40And most every time of my life
47:56I've learned so much in this journey
47:58I really want to take what I've learned
48:02And really apply it to help people
48:07This whole journey has taught me that
48:11As long as you keep working
48:16I think I'll get there
48:18I'm quite confident
48:19Give it up for Emily everybody
48:25Tomorrow night
48:26A special delivery
48:29Sorry I'm late
48:30Could lead to immunity
48:33We want you to create a dessert
48:35Inspired by the flavour of your ice cream
48:37Immunity is up for grabs
48:39At this pointy end of the competition
48:41It's more valuable than ever
48:42So
48:43Something sweet
48:44Will be their saviour
48:47Whoa
48:47Holy moly
48:50I think we might have some stiff competition today
48:54Sorry
48:57I don't know
48:58Oh
48:58Oh
48:59Oh
48:59Oh
48:59Oh
49:01Oh
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