All language subtitles for MasterChef.S19E14.1080p.HDTV.H264-DARKFLiX

It's the final week
of the MasterChef heats.

Last time, nine passionate
home cooks auditioned

for a place in this year's
competition.

I'm actually sweating.
Can you imagine?

What's inside this pastry cup
is a bundle of brilliance.

What a fantastically flavoured dish.

Thank you.

Only seven earned themselves
a MasterChef apron.

It is overwhelming.
It is daunting.

This is my chance,
so I better grab it now.

I think everyone's still got to prove
themselves and I'm no exception.

So that's going through my mind
all the time.

It's a very different ball game
when you get in the kitchen here.

Anything can happen.
There is jeopardy afoot.

Tonight, they continue their quest
as they face two tough challenges.

First, they will have
to cook a dish to a brief

set by one of the country's
top food critics...

My mouth is on fire and I love this.

...before cooking off for a place
in this week's quarterfinal.

You have an ace palate.

Now they're in the competition,

they've got to show us
that they've got star quality.

Who's got the talent?
Who's got the skill?

All of you have your aprons.
Congratulations.

No time to rest on your laurels.

This is the MasterChef competition.

We are going to keep on
challenging you.

You have been set a brief.

This brief was set
by a well-respected

restaurant critic and food writer.

Can I introduce you now
to the incomparable Grace Dent.

Hello. Welcome, Grace.

Today's brief is to create
the ultimate potluck supper dish.

This is something that you might
take along to a gathering,

put on the table
with everybody else's dishes,

but yours is the star of the show.

So I want something hearty
and delicious,

but it still has to have finesse,
high standards,

and be enough to impress me.

Ladies and gentlemen,
one and a half hours.

And at the end of this, we will
only take the best cooks with us.

Let's cook.

Potluck is a word that's
much more common in America.

It means that a group of people,
maybe all from the same street,

are going to get together
and they can bring a dish each.

It's potluck. You never know
what you're going to get.

It might be chilli con carne,
it might be baked pasta

or a pie and a massive jug
of custard.

It can be just something
quite straightforward,

but made with love and tradition
and will serve a lot of people.

It's going to be a bit nerve-racking,
I think, cooking for Grace today.

Very, very daunting.

Right.

Chicken.

38-year-old travel consultant Diya

is inspired by the flavours
of her African and Indian heritage

and won herself an apron

with a knockout interpretation
of a traditional street food dish.

I could bury myself in that really
happily and have it all afternoon.

Thank you.
I'm really happy to hear that.

The potluck supper is actually
the kind of thing I do at home

because I literally put everything on
a board and we all assemble and eat.

So I could relate to that.

What are you cooking for us today?

I'm making Tex-Mex tacos.

So I'm actually going
to make my own tortillas.

Chicken mince, mango salsa
and guacamole.

I think that's my idea of potluck. You take
a little bit of this, a little bit of that.

This is what I do and this
is what everybody likes.

What is it about your tacos that has
people wanting to go to your dish first?

I love to play with spices.

So it's going to be fiery,
it's going to be spicy, hot, sweet.

Don't mess it up! I won't.
I'll try not to.

Diya is making a soft taco shell
using masa flour,

which is cornflour.

You have to mix it with warm water

and then it needs to be squashed out
into being a lovely, thin tortilla.

It's a workout!

If they're not wet enough,
they dry and they crumble...

Don't break on me, mate. Come on.

...and if they're too wet, they go
sloppy and they don't cook properly.

And they're really
difficult to get right.

Everybody likes a taco,
but I'm worried about chicken mince.

Mince can just go very watery.

Diya is going to have to work
four times as hard

to make chicken mince
taste delicious.

SHE EXHALES

30-year-old sports journalist Jack
learned to cook when he was 11.

He's impressed so far with
crowd-pleasing, flavoursome food.

Pork, mushroom, sage, nuts,
all cooked really well together.

That's delicious.

What are you making for us, Jack?

What kind of things do you eat when
you go round and there's a big group?

You eat carrots and hummus, that
kind of stuff. Do you know what I mean?

So I've tried a twist on that,
but taking it to another level.

I'm making a herb-crusted
rack of lamb with hummus,

cumin and honey glazed carrots
with crispy sumac onions.

Are you all out to feed us today?
Yes.

I know a thing or two
about a good, decent portion

and one of those is coming up today,
absolutely, yeah.

Jack is absolutely going for it

and we are going to get
huge amounts of flavour.

A pistachio-crusted,
harissa-spiced rack of lamb.

Harissa, which is a North African
chilli paste, sweet with peppers,

dipped in hummus, which is made from
chickpeas, olive oil and lemon.

The sweet carrots and sweet pine
nuts could be absolutely delicious

as long as that lamb
is cooked really well.

Cooking the rack of lamb,
it can go horribly wrong.

So, yeah, I just have
to be on the ball today.

A cutlet of lamb dipped into hummus
doesn't scream to me potluck dish.

Nobody ever walks
out of a party and says,

"Wow, that hummus,
that made the night.”

Exciting. Exciting, yeah.

I like feeding people, yeah.

So... So that's it.
I like feeding people.

Indonesian-born Endang lives
in Scotland and owns a gift shop.

In the last round, her spicy Asian
broth really packed a punch.

Oh!

Your balance of flavours really
are quite incredible. Thank you.

Endang is going
completely Indonesian.

We have got chicken thighs
marinated with lime juice

and then she's going to grill them
with more lime juice across the top.

With that, we've got cassava chips.

Cassava is a root vegetable.

She's coated them in some
paprika and cumin.

Then you deep-fry it.

It's served with a sambal,
which is a cooked chilli sauce,

usually with limes and lots
and lots of chilli.

And then a peanut dressing, which is
going to go with the vegetable salad.

And she's serving it as a platter.

This whole thing sounds wonderful.

This lady loves a chilli.

Music to my ears.

How do you feel about dishes
that you put on a plate to share?

It feels like home.

Everybody just licking their finger and
coming back again for the second plate.

I'm halfway living in Indonesia,
halfway in Scotland.

So, yeah, home.

Are you thinking about your family
and taking this for... Yeah.

Yeah, it's emotional. Yeah.
Are you OK? I am OK.

You need to take all of this emotion
and the love and nerves...

To the food, yeah.

Endang is cooking with so much
passion and there's a lot going on.

I worry about her cassava chips.

Cassava can either be dreamlike
and delicious,

or it can just be a stodgy,
tasteless thing.

Ladies and gentlemen,
you've had 40 minutes.

You've got 50 minutes left.

Right, my next thing
to blend is this.

Health and safety specialist Fannata
from Peterborough

grew up on a farm in Ghana

and dreams of running her own
eco-friendly restaurant.

She impressed the judges with the
ambition she showed over two rounds.

I admire the work you've done here,
I really do.

This is, like, the most intense
thing I've done in my life.

I've learnt that pressure
can get to you.

You just need to keep
a cool head, really.

You just need to sort of keep your
eye on the target and just try and deliver.

So I'm making a Ghanaian
potluck supper.

We're going to have
groundnut soup,

which is, like, my
grandmother's favourite soup.

I'm going to make it with chicken.

We're going to have
goat's mince koftas,

spiced with typical
Ghanaian flavours.

Jollof rice, some fried plantains,

because you can't have jollof
without fried plantains.

Everyone that makes jollof
thinks that theirs is the best.

What special thing
are you doing with yours?

Goat meat is very popular in Ghana.
It's like... We love it, right?

So I'm going to use goat stock
to cook it.

I really want to execute it properly

because my mother
wouldn't forgive me!

I don't think I've had a goat's
meat kofta before. It's a first.

This is why I come here.

Goat meat is really difficult
to get absolutely right.

It doesn't have a lot of fat on it.

It can go dry really quickly.

On the side of that, Fannata's making us
a chilli sauce to go with that goat kofta.

Then there's lots of Scotch bonnets in there
and Scotch bonnets are ferociously hot.

There's not a lot of space,
is there? That's the thing.

Painter and decorator John
likes to cook sugar-free meals

for his daughter with diabetes.

He surprised the judges
with an indulgent,

artificially sweetened
chocolate tart.

John, everything you made
on this plate tastes great. Thanks.

Without any sugar, I'm really surprised,
because it's sweet enough for me.

If I was going to do a street party
at my place

and everyone was bringing a dish,

we'd bring our standard
lasagnes, moussakas.

But obviously
it's MasterChef kitchen,

so you've got to try and think
outside the box a little bit.

So today I'm doing chicken curry,
cardamom and saffron rice,

some sourdough flatbreads,
sugar-free mango chutney

and a coriander
and coconut lime dip.

Why are we getting a curry?

It's one of the family favourites
because obviously feeding

four young girls is quite
a mean feat, you know?

Sugar-free mango chutney.
Sugar-free.

So I use a little bit
of the fake sugar.

So your challenge is to take out
all of the good stuff

and replace it,
but for it still to be good.

Yeah, I know.

John is making us his version
of a chicken curry.

Quite a juggling act,
cooking with substitutes.

I hope it works.
I hope it's delicious.

I'm always excited to see a curry.

And yet, it worries me that John's
reference for this curry

is feeding small children.

They do not like strong flavours.

They do not like chilli.

Retired tour guide Cristina
owns over 140 cookbooks

and went straight through with
her accomplished sea bass dish.

We both can clearly see that you are
a knowledgeable and skilful cook.

That's very kind.
That's lovely to hear. Thank you.

Getting the apron straight off
was a validation

and it was just uplifting.

You're never too old
to do something brilliant.

I can stand in front of the mirror
in the buff with an apron!

Cristina, you are a woman
on a mission. What's going on?

I'm making meatballs with tomatoes
and red onions in ras el hanout

with spiced cauliflower fritters,
a yoghurt dip,

with a sweet chilli sauce.

Cauliflower is one
of my favourite things.

Fried cauliflower, even better.

What's the inspiration behind this?

Big family, lots of mouths,
lots of interesting food.

Kids are really critical,
so I've had to up my game.

Cristina, she's got a little stick, she's got some
peppers and some onions and a meatball in the middle.

The whole thing covered in ras el hanout, that lovely
rich spice, which will be smoky and chilli hot.

And it looks like
she's going to grill them.

Those little meatballs are all-important
because they need to be really moist.

It's a waiting game, isn't it?

She needs to get the consistency
of that cauliflower right.

Oh, shoot!

They need to be light
and moreish and not too oily

and delicious
and perfect for dipping.

Guys, your dish is due at the party
in 25 minutes.

It's going well.

I think I'm on track, but you
never know with the time here.

South Indian born
IT consultant Vijaya

lives in Dunfermline
with her husband and two children.

After an issue with her curry
in the first round...

The only problem I've got here is there's a
couple of bits of chicken that are undercooked.

...she came back fighting with
an ambitious vegetarian thali.

The array of spices and flavours

that go through these dishes
is amazing.

Vijaya is making for us
what she calls Chana chaat.

It's made of chickpeas and cooked
with a lot of different spices

and it is served with
a crispy papad,

that is kind of a cracker
made with pastry bread.

We've also got
a mixed vegetable bhaji,

which needs to be soft in the centre
and crispy on the outside.

And then something which is called
Manchurian cauliflower,

which is deep-fried
bits of cauliflower,

served with soy sauce and ginger.

And then we've also got
three different chutneys.

I have so many ingredients
on my table.

It's so confusing to see so many,
but I think I'm OK.

I am really excited about the
different flavours she's got going on.

I hope Vijaya
is not doing too much.

How are you feeling
about the competition now?

Confident, but at the same time,
because of the timings

and the pressure and a lot
of elements, I'm very tense.

So on an average night at home,

would you do so many
different little dishes?

Yes, I do. Normally I do.

It's never one, for sure!

I've got no doubt
that Vijaya can cook,

but there is so many different
components to this dish.

I'm stressed even
thinking about this.

You have five minutes, everybody.

If you're not plating up,
you should be.

OK. Let's go, let's go.
Let's go, let's go.

Come on, baby. Don't let me down.

I'm happy with the cooking.
Yeah, the lamb's come out nice.

Fannata, you've got
three minutes left, please.

Oh, what a plating mess.

Vijaya, come on. Is that the last
touch? Nearly done. Just this one.

That's it. Stop.
Finished. Time's up.

Absolute bombsite!

This is what my kitchen looks
like on a regular. Absolute bombers.

Oh... BLEEP.

My soup, my soup, my soup.

I forgot my soup, so I'm upset.
It's sat right there.

It's a shame.

Diya, please.

First up with her potluck dish
is travel consultant Diya.

She's made cornflour tortillas,

served with cumin, paprika
and chilli spiced chicken mince,

guacamole, pickled cabbage,
mango, tomato and pomegranate salsa,

feta cheese and a lime cream.

The way this is presented
is absolutely beautiful.

Thank you.

Diya, my mouth is on fire
and I love this. I love it.

The chicken, beautifully seasoned,

loads and loads of spice
and flavour. Delicious.

This is really confident,
clever cooking.

And from now on, I'll be looking
for tacos at the potluck.

Thank you so much.

Your tortillas are great.
Lovely and thin.

Sweet, lovely, luscious,
quite sour avocado.

A bit of crunch from that pickled
cabbage. It's really good. I like it a lot.

Thank you. Thank you.

You got some great flavours here.

If you want sweetness, you've got the sweetness
of the mango, but that also comes with chilli.

Bitter, salty, feta. That's great.
That's proper party food.

Well done. Thank you.
Thank you very much.

Grace Dent liked my food.

I can't believe it.
That for me is amazing.

Gift-shop owner Endang has served
an Indonesian-inspired potluck dish,

grilled chicken thighs marinated
in lime, coriander and sesame

with cumin and paprika
cassava chips,

vegetable salad dressed
in chilli, tamarind and peanut oil,

and a Balinese chilli
and dry anchovy sambal.

I love your chicken, and the thighs
have stayed lovely and moist,

which I'm really pleased about.

Your salad with that peanut
dressing is absolutely delicious.

Your cassava chips,
they need to be cooked more.

That cassava is quite hard
and chalky.

I find this really exciting.

That sambal is absolutely ferocious.

I like the sourness
you're getting in there

and I really like the heat.

Allied that with a bit of really good,
well-cooked barbecued chicken, it's great.

Thank you.

Endang, some of it was so hot
that it blew our heads off.

But it was undeniably Indonesian.

You didn't hang back.

You gave us it from the heart.

Food is just about soul,
bringing back memories.

But, yeah, I'm happy.

I'm happy that I show this is...
This is why I cook.

Sports journalist Jack has cooked

spicy harissa herb and pistachio
crusted rack of lamb,

topped with crispy sumac onions
on home-made hummus

with cumin and honey glazed carrots,

garnished with pine nuts
and pomegranate seeds.

When you described what you
were going to do, I thought,

"How is that a potluck dish?"

And look at it.

Bang!

Boozer, beauty, bingo.

Absolutely brilliant, mate.

This crust around the outside of the
lamb, which is cooked beautifully,

is sharp with that harissa, but sweet
with lemon and the pistachio nuts.

The fat has been rendered.
Sweet meat. Like it a lot.

Thank you.

That hummus has got as much
tahini as it's got garlic.

And it's delicious.

On the lamb, on the carrot,
even on a piece of toast.

I would have you round just to make
me vats and vats of those onions,

just to put into sandwiches,
because they are incredible.

It's one of those dishes people
would say for the next party,

"Can you just do it again?"

And that's as good as it gets
with party food.

Unbelievable comments
from the judges.

Wow,

I'm very, very happy, yeah.

Health and safety specialist Fannata's
West African-themed potluck dish

is goat meat koftas
brushed in curried butter,

jollof rice made with goat stock,
fried plantain,

cucumber, tomato and herb salad
and a green chilli sauce.

What happened to the nut soup?
I forgot to plate it.

I was under a lot of pressure.

I love the kofta. I think
they're absolutely delicious.

I think with the plantain,
it's a little bit soft.

It's not very seasoned.

However, that is very
memorable jollof.

The stock is in there
just singing and it's hot.

You know what you're doing there.
Thank you.

Your green chilli relish,
chutney sauce.

Put it in a bottle, call it
Fannata's Special Sauce and sell it.

It's vibrant, it's sweet,
it's sharp.

Really delicious.

I'm really impressed
with this goat kofta.

You've kept that pink
and really moist.

However, if you're going to put your
love and attention into something,

it's got to end up on the plate.

Just a bit disappointed, you know,
because I got flustered.

Definitely feeling the pressure.

Painter and decorator John

has cooked his daughters'
favourite chicken curry

with saffron and cardamom rice
topped with crispy onions,

sourdough flatbreads,
sugar-free mango chutney

and a coconut and lime dip.

Your curry, it's really creamy.

Your bits of chicken
are cooked perfectly.

You cook for four little girls?

So your food is more sweet
than it is spicy.

And I really like it.

I like your flatbreads.
They're really good.

The rice itself
is cooked really nicely.

I like that little bit of saffron
running through it.

But I'm finding it very difficult
to get much spice out of the dish.

I'd just like to give it
a bit more oomph.

OK.

I would be incredibly happy if you
cooked this for me at a party.

To pull a chutney out of the bag

with no actual sugar,
using substitutes,

I'm really, really impressed.

OK, that's good.
It's absolutely delicious.

To please everybody with spicy
food is difficult.

I knew it wasn't
spicy enough for him,

but hopefully it will be
good enough, we'll see.

Retired tour guide Cristina
has made cauliflower fritters

flavoured with parsley,
cumin and cinnamon,

ras el hanout spiced meatball,
tomato and onion skewers,

a sweet chilli sauce and a yoghurt,
cucumber and mint dip.

The meatballs
with the ras el hanout,

I think the flavour is really good.

But the problem for me
is those meatballs are really dry.

The bits of onion amongst them
is just not cooked enough.

It's really sharp and raw,
which I think is a bit of a shame.

I love the sweet chilli sauce.

It's almost jam sweet,
but it finishes with hot chilli.

I like that.

These fritters, you've got a nice
crispy coating on the outside,

but they're a little bit wet
in the middle.

I like the flavour of cumin,
but it feels uncooked.

I love how the fritters look.

I love the parsley
that's coming through them.

But I wanted more seasoning.

And you are getting bits
of raw red onion.

I had a tomato that still
had a stalk in it.

I think that you're
kind of missing the detail

and the devil is in the details.

Disappointed. It didn't work.

| tend to rush at it.
I'm a bull in a china shop.

I'm always trying to do things
quickly and that was my problem.

A bit more time, a bit more care
would have been a good thing.

Finally, it's IT consultant Vijaya
with her Indian sharing feast.

She's cooked a spiced chickpea
Chana chaat with papad bread,

mixed vegetable bhajis,

deep-fried cauliflower in a sticky
ginger, chilli and soy sauce

with a green chilli
and coriander chutney,

a tamarind chutney
and a sweet yoghurt dip.

You need credit for how much
you managed to pull off

in such a short amount of time.

You have layers of flavour running
through everything you do,

whether that is tamarind sharp,
whether it is toasty cumin.

The chickpeas have
a slight sweetness to them,

flavoured with coriander and garlic,

and then they build in
a mild, chilli pepperiness.

This tastes great.
Thank you so much.

That cauliflower, it's sweet
and joyous and it's got a kick.

You've thrown everything at it,
but it's still cauliflower.

Delicious.
And I'm just very, very happy.

Vijaya, what you can do
with chickpeas, a cauliflower

and a bit of carrot is astounding.

I love the fact I don't
have to travel to India

to actually taste
the authentic flavours of India.

Thank you so much.

When you cook your heart out

and people enjoy it so much,
it's amazing.

It's one of the best.

That was an incredible experience.

You cooked with your hearts
on your sleeve.

Thank you so much.

John and I obviously
have a lot to discuss.

We cannot take everybody through
to the next round. We can't.

Go and take a well-earned break. You
did brilliantly well. Off you go.

I thought that was delightful.

Plenty of passion, really big
flavours. John, I loved it.

And the people who didn't hold back

are the ones who I think
I'm going to fly the flag for.

Jack, I think, did an amazing job.

Did a dish which was inspired
by carrots and hummus.

Lamb chops across the top.

It was good fun, it was exciting, it
was generous and it was delicious.

I think Diya had one
of the dishes of the day.

We've all had tacos
and the guacamole,

but hers was something
a little special.

And she took the gamble,
making her own tortillas.

They were great.

Vijaya used a cauliflower, carrots,
spinach and some chickpeas,

and we end up with a feast.

An array of textures,
an array of flavours.

Really, really good.

John's dish.

Those breads made really well,
the dips made well,

and that buttery chicken

inside that coconut-flavoured sauce
was delicious.

It just needed a bit more oomph
for me, but you guys loved it.

We've got a conversation now
about Endang, Fannata and Cristina.

Cristina's dish, the little
meatballs were really dry

and in between we had bits of onion
that weren't cooked enough.

I really liked the flavour
of those fritters,

but they were a little
too wet inside.

Endang came in here
and walloped to surround the chops

with a huge amount of chilli,
beautifully cooked chicken,

but cassava that was really dry.

I know it's not perfect,

but I liked Endang's food,
I thought it was quite exciting.

Fannata definitely had
a timing issue today

in that she ran out of time.

But I did love
some of the flavours.

She did those koftas brilliantly.

Who's shown you and I
they've got what it takes

to fight it out for the next round?

If the judges took me to the
next round, I'd be shocked.

I'm just being transparent
with myself. It is what it is.

Of course I would love to stay,

but it's a competition
and the competition is hot.

Hopefully, they can pick up
that Endang can go through

because she knows what
she's doing, you know.

Fingers crossed.

Well done, all of you.
You really stepped up.

But we can't take everybody
through to the next round.

There were two cooks
that we all felt

were absolute shining stars
in this round.

Jack...

...Diya, congratulations.

You guys are going through
to the next round.

Thank you. Well done.

There were two other people
who just didn't hold back.

Vijaya...

.John, marvellous job.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

Endang, Cristina, Fannata...

...the first person leaving us is...

...Cristina.

Cristina, thank you.
Lovely to meet you.

Great fun. Thanks very much
for the opportunity. Had a blast.

Good. Take great care.
Good to meet you.

I mean, when you're up against
competition like that, phew.

I'm going to take away
a really positive vibe.

I've got a grandson
who's three weeks old.

I'm going to teach him to cook.

And I think we'll start
not with cauliflower fritters!

Endang, Fannata...

...as we've said, we can only
take the best cooks with us...

...and that's why both of you
are going through to the next round.

Well done, mate.

Congratulations, guys!

Unbelievable. Unbelievable.

I cooked from the heart.

So that's why I'm so emotional.

I'm shaking.
Like, I'm very surprised.

I thought I was going home.

To get straight through,
incredible feeling.

It just fills me with confidence
that my flavours are good.

Hopefully I'll sleep
really well tonight.

I'm loving it.
I honestly love it.

It's fantastic.

It's a really big day
in the MasterChef kitchen.

Quarterfinals are just
around the corner.

That means we are looking
for a fabulous four.

They have really stepped up
and these six right now

are getting stronger
with every challenge.

MasterChef quarterfinal

is something that I have never
even dreamt of reaching.

Time to prove yourself,
so ready for battle.

Excited, nervous,
because it's a roller-coaster.

Up, down, up, down. My tummy churns,
it's just all over the place.

Just going to try and concentrate,
get my head down

and cook to the best
of my ability if I can.

Welcome back here
to the MasterChef kitchen.

The last round was fantastic.

Keep that momentum going.

Your brief is an amazing brief,
an exciting brief,

and that is to celebrate
the world of spice.

From cardamom and cumin
to coriander and vanilla.

It's got to be delicious.

And it's got to look amazing.

There are just four quarterfinal
places up for grabs.

That does mean two of you
will be leaving the competition.

One hour and 30 minutes,
ladies and gentlemen. Let's cook.

Chickpea flour, chickpea flour.
Where did I put it? Where did I put it?

What I'm about to make,
I've made it before, lots of times.

I love it, so hopefully John
and Gregg feel the same way.

Fannata, how do you feel
about spice?

I'm super excited.
I can't stop giggling.

Why? Ghanaian spice
is very, very intriguing.

The way we mix it, the type
of spices we use, like,

it's all I've eaten growing up.

So I'm making a yaji spiced ribeye.

So yaji is essentially made
with very fine groundnuts powder,

allspice, salts and chilli.

I also have a spiced pommes Anna
with some coriander, fennel

and some nutmeg
because Ghanaians love nutmeg.

And then we'll have
a cumin-spiced chicken sauce.

whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

The yaji spice that I'm going to be
using is my grandfather's recipe.

Every family has
their own variation,

but I think my family's
recipe is the best.

Fannata fascinates me because
she seems to draw on the classic.

We've got a ribeye steak
with pommes Anna,

but we're also getting
the flavours of Ghana.

We've got allspice, which is
the flavour of jerk chicken,

which almost numbs your tongue.

We've got nutmeg,
which is also quite numbing.

But then we've also got fragrant spice
like cumin going through the sauce.

And then we've got fennel seeds,
which is aniseed.

Getting this balance
absolutely right,

I think, is going to be a real task.

How are you going to make sure
you finish on time today?

I've timed myself in terms of the
different elements I'm meant to make,

so I'm going to stick
to it, basically.

So hopefully, you know,
this round I'm able to ace it.

Best brief ever.

Spices is literally my sort
of comfort zone and my safe place.

Diya is making for us a thali,

a dish of lots and lots of different
things that you get in India,

a lot of the time served with bread.

We're being promised butter chicken.

The classic of cumin and coriander, lots of
garlic and ginger going through it as well.

Come on, come on. Give it to me.
Give it to me. Give it to me.

We've got jeera rice,
jeera meaning cumin.

Very, very smoky,
really quite strong.

And then we have a bright green
spinach curry

with sweetcorn running through it.

Crispy okra as well, raita, bread.

A huge amount of work going on.

I just hope the flavours
are big and bold.

Diya, why this dish?

Spices, colour, India.
That's just perfect for me.

Where are your family
from originally?

I was born in Malawi, but my
grandparents were originally from Gujarat.

All my life I've been
brought up with spice.

I think at the age of three,
I think I probably had

the spiciest curry that my mum made
and I fell in love with it.

I'm cooking a dish that I'm
very, very comfortable with.

But the nervousness of knowing that
two people will be leaving today

is what's really scaring me.

25 minutes gone.

I'm chilled with my recipe.
A lot of spices running through it.

But the pressure is what it means,
it means so much today,

and a quarterfinal spot,
so that's the pressure.

Have you decided to do a dessert?

Yes, I'm doing a coconut-spiced
rice pudding

with rum and caramel
glazed pineapple

and a caramel and cardamom snap.

Why a rice pudding?

I love cinnamon. I love nutmeg.
I love cardamom.

And how can you bring all those
things together?

Rice pudding, one of my favourite
desserts when I was a kid.

So hopefully I can take it to a new level from
what I had out of a can when I was a child!

We have got a tropical
rice pudding going on here.

Coconut, rum, pineapple.

He's got cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg,
all going together in one dish.

The rice pudding needs
to be lovely and creamy,

and Jack says he's going to flavour
it with lashings of vanilla.

Mmm.

Wow,

I love what Jack's going to do
and I hope it works for him.

One of my earliest memories was begging
for rice pudding in a supermarket as a kid.

As I've done with every round
so far, it's cooking what I like.

So hopefully,
the judges will like it.

A bit nervous, very much stressed.

It's spices, so the pressure is on.

Vijaya is making for us a biryani.

Not any biryani.

We are getting a Hyderabadi
dum biryani.

"Dum" means to steam.

The chicken is firstly marinated
with yoghurt and spices,

including chilli and turmeric,
cardamom, coriander seeds.

And then it's got to cook
nice and slowly,

so all the flavours
go through the rice.

And then we're getting
a salan gravy,

made of lots of different nuts.

Lightly spiced with turmeric,
more cumin, garlic and chilli,

and then little peppers
which have been roasted

and then simmered away
within the sauce.

The whole thing, for me,
sounds delicious,

but how does Vijaya
make it look good?

The biryani comes in a big pot.

I don't want just a pile of rice.

All my spices are from my hometown,
southern India, Hyderabad,

and they are all very,
very authentic and really yummy.

So I wanted to show them
what we eat at home

when there is a special occasion.

What do you love about biryani?

Everything about it.
The taste is just heaven.

Is this good enough to get
you a quarterfinal place?

I'm dying for a quarterfinal place.

But there is so much to do
and so little time left,

so a bit stressed out now.

I'm using ginger instead of flour.

I like playing with spices. I've been
playing with spices for the last 20 years.

At the beginning, obviously
they weren't so good,

but I've certainly got better
at using them over the years.

I've kind of designed something
that might not be perfect,

but I'm hoping that I can manage
to balance the spice in it

so that it all marries together.

A sugar-free dessert? Definitely
another sugar-free dessert.

I'm going to make a spiced sponge
cake with a spiced apple puree,

ginger caramel sauce
and a saffron and nutmeg ice cream.

Wow.

I understand your little girl
can't eat sugar? Yeah.

Are you making this competition
harder for yourself? Yeah, probably.

But it's showcasing what I've got
to offer. It's how I cook at home.

I just need to make sure that
I nail every element, I think.

John's dessert, it sounds to me the
flavours of a sticky toffee pudding

crossed over with
a Jamaican ginger cake. Yum!

All right. Stick that in there.

Then we've got a Granny Smith
apple puree.

And inside that, he has got
lots of different spices -

allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, all
going together with these apples.

I think this could be
a lovely dessert.

I hope there's enough flavour from
the actual cake itself and the apple,

that we don't just get
too much spice.

You have 25 minutes left.

The competition is exciting
and emotionally exhausting.

Because cooking involves your soul,
you open...

...for the people to see.

That is very challenging.

I should not open. I shouldn't
open. That's against the law.

Endang. Yes.
What are you making, please?

I'm making nasi longtong.

That's rice you cook
wrapped in banana leaves.

And you boil with baked cod
in sweet pepper sauce,

tamarind and cinnamon and ginger.

Cod on rice that's been cooked
in banana leaf. Mm-hm.

Anything else?

Crispy aubergine and glazing
with teriyaki sauce and ginger.

You have a Scottish husband? Yes.

When you met him,
did he like your spicing?

Did it scare him?

I think I buy his love by cooking.

Because when I met him, I cooked.

And that's it. The way to a man's
heart is through his stomach. Yeah.

Oh.

Endang is making for us something
she calls nasi longtong.

"Nasi" means rice in Indonesian.

So it's like sticky rice that when
it comes out of the banana leaf,

then it can be sliced.

That rice is flavoured with nutmeg,
a really strong spice.

She's making a sauce
from candle nuts,

which are like a macadamia nut.

We've got ginger, we've got
tamarind, we've got cinnamon,

we've got nutmeg all going together,

so that the whole thing goes
across the top of this cod.

All of them sound to me
almost like a dessert.

With cod? I'm fascinated.

If this works, wonderful.

You have five minutes.
We should be plating up now.

Cream, cream, cream, cream,
cream, cream, cream.

He doesn't want to come out.

No.

You've got about three minutes
to plate up.

I'm going to do it now.
Right now. Yeah. Right now. Yeah.

Just waiting for this.
Is that the pommes Anna? Yes.

It's like... It's nearly there.

Oh! There we are.

There we are.
You have just 60 seconds.

Get your biscuit on top.
Quick, on the plate. It's on.

If it's not on the plate, you're not going to
be able to serve it, so get it on the plate.

Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick.

Final, final touches.

No!

And that's it. Stop. Time's up.

Yeah, I'm good.

The last 30 minutes just, like,
flew by, like a second.

It's not as good-looking
as I want it to be.

Crossed everything right now!

Diya, come up.

With over 30 spices in her dish,

Diya has served an Indian thali
of butter chicken,

spinach and corn curry,

jeera cumin rice,

chilli and ginger
deep-fried okra,

vegetable kachumber salad,

cucumber raita
and a Gujarati roti.

Balancing the amount of spices
that you put in this dish

is always going to be
really difficult.

Actually, you've done that,
which I'm really pleased about.

Oh, my God, yes.

Really smoky cumin through the rice,

lovely amount of that mango powder going
through the spinach, giving it sharpness,

and then that wonderful richness
of the cream and the chilli

that's going through your chicken.

I like that a lot.

I've got a particular fondness
for okra.

That is perfectly crunchy

and it's got almost like a limey
chilli finish to it. Not red hot.

You're building layers of flavour
here that I find complex

and comforting at the same time.

I am really, really enjoying this.
Thank you. Thank you.

I can't believe it.
I gave it 100%.

I'm over the moon with that.

Fannata's dish is ribeye steak
rubbed in a Ghanaian yaji spice

of groundnut powder,
allspice and chilli,

with nutmeg and fennel
spiced pommes Anna,

sumac radishes and crispy onions

and a cumin chicken sauce.

I've never come across
this rub before.

I'm picking up pepper, a little bit of
chilli and a little bit of garlic. It's nice.

I've got an issue
with the cooking of the steak

because the flesh
is beautifully pink

but there's lots of uncooked fat.

Your chicken sauce
is made really well.

The issue is, chicken and beef
together on the same plate.

They're fighting against each other.

The cinnamon and the fennel
running through your potatoes

is fighting against the allspice.

And because they're of
different thicknesses,

the thick pieces need more cooking.

And they're hard, which is a shame.

People have different tastes
in what they like,

which is perfectly fine.

I mean, I'm not excusing, you know,
a steak that's underdone.

It's a very fair judging.

Vijaya has served a Hyderabadi
dum chicken biryani

with green chilli peppers
in a spiced cashew,

almond, groundnut and sesame gravy

and a cucumber raita.

This nut gravy, I think,
is absolutely delicious.

There's a sharpness coming
from tamarind in there

and then there's all
the smoky spices as well.

I find your chicken
a little bit dry,

which I think is a bit of a shame.

I feel that should be moister.

And also the presentation,

it's just chucked together
at the last minute.

It looks messy
and looks really rushed.

That rice is lovely
and it is heady with saffron.

However, you're not doing
yourself justice as a cook

if your dishes are rushed
and untidy.

I'm not, like, over the moon
or anything like that,

because I should have given myself
some time for a good presentation.

They just want to see the finesse.

Endang's spice dish is baked cod

in a sweet pepper, candlenut,
cinnamon, tamarind and ginger sauce

with nutmeg sticky rice and
deep-fried teriyaki aubergines.

My piece of fish is cooked
really, really nicely.

It falls apart,
which is really good.

I like the sharpness that's
coming from the tamarind

going through with the red peppers
in the sauce

and the nuttiness of the pine nuts.

I think that's really good.
Your rice is cooked very, very well.

I like the fact that
it's still lovely and sticky.

There's only a hint of nutmeg
running through that rice.

It's very subtle.

Your sauce is actually quite sweet.

It's got a little bit
of cinnamon in it,

which is unusual for a piece
of fish, but I like it.

Your aubergines are well cooked.

A bit of teriyaki.

A bit of sweetness in there.
A bit of saltiness.

But we're going to have to start
presenting smarter-looking plates.

Yeah, it looked a bit messy,
but I think it's OK.

They loved the fish and the sauce.

Unusual, but they love it.

Inspired by his favourite
childhood dessert,

Jack has made coconut,
nutmeg and vanilla rice pudding

with cinnamon, rum and caramel
glazed pineapple,

vanilla cream,

and a ginger
and cardamom snap.

I really like the look of this.

It's almost as if the pineapple
has got a sun hat on.

I love how much spice
you've put in this dish.

Nutmeg going through your pudding

and then cinnamon going
through your caramel.

And then, slowly but surely,
comes a bit of cardamom as well.

You have an ace palate.

The stuff I've tasted
from you so far in this competition

is absolutely bang on the money.

Thank you.

I find your flavours
absolutely delightful.

There's plenty of vanilla
in that rice pudding.

Really, really lovely.

The rum and the cinnamon
and the ginger in the biscuit

is just the flavours
of Caribbean sunshine.

And then all of that pineapple juice
comes flooding out.

It's just heavenly.

It was great.

Spice was at the centre
of absolutely everything I did,

so I'm pleased with that.

Done all I can.

John's sugar-free dessert

is a ginger, nutmeg,
allspice and date sponge

topped with roasted pecans,

cardamom, cinnamon and star anise
spiced apple puree,

saffron and nutmeg ice cream,

and a ginger caramel sauce.

I think it looks fantastic. Thanks.

I find that delightful.

Really, really comforting.

You've got the flavours of apple and
cinnamon and nutmeg, which I really like.

You've got a small amount of spice
coming through the pudding.

There's the sweetness of the dates.

You've got a tiny bit of ginger
running through that toffee sauce,

just enough that it starts
to tingle the front of the tongue.

I think it's really good work.
It's lovely. Really lovely.

That ice cream,
I'm very happy with that.

I'm clearly getting the saffron.

So I'll get that sponge and
I can dip it wherever I want here.

A bit of ice cream, a bit of apple.

That is light, delicate and
banging on the door of delicious.

Well done. Thanks very much.

I just can't believe the comments, to
be honest, especially Gregg Wallace.

You know, he's the man
who loves sugar.

He's thinking, you know,
it's a winner.

I'm really happy with myself.

It was all about spice today and
I've got to say, I was really impressed.

I don't remember the last time
my palate was so indulged.

John was the pick of the day,
dish of the day, cook of the day.

Lots of technique on show,
great flavours.

With or without the sugar,
that was a good dish.

Yeah, absolutely. John's got himself
a place in the quarterfinal.

Jack makes food that I want to eat.

Rum and pineapple,
vanilla, cinnamon,

nutmeg, ginger, all together
in a pudding. Beautiful.

You can't go far wrong with that.

Somebody who disappointed
today was Fannata.

I didn't mind the mixed spicing
across the beef,

but my piece of steak had
unrendered fat running through it.

The other thing for me is chicken
sauce with a piece of beef?

It was just a really odd
combination.

Fannata's time
in the competition is over.

I think Diya has done enough to get
herself a quarterfinal place.

I totally agree and I respect
her ability to be able

to use spices in different ways,
in different dishes.

That was what the brief
was all about.

We've got one more place to give

and that means either Vijaya
or Endang is going out.

Endang gave us a really
beautifully cooked piece of cod,

rice that had been subtly flavoured
with nutmeg

and then aubergines
that I found delightful.

But her presentation
is virtually nonexistent.

Vijaya made for us a biryani.

That gravy on the side
was really delicious,

but my chicken was dry
and it was thrown on the plate.

Endang and Vijaya
are both good cooks,

but we can't take
both of them through.

I am a bit worried,
but whatever John and Gregg decide,

I've enjoyed every minute
of this journey.

I love it.

I did my best, but it is the time
that gets you there in the kitchen.

So I hope that doesn't cost me
the place in the quarterfinal.

But let's see.

An absolutely incredible round,
full of indulgence,

full of spice
and full of celebration.

Thank you very much indeed.

We have just four
quarterfinal places

and that does mean that
two of you will be leaving us.

The first contestant
leaving us is...

...Fannata.

You've had a great competition.
Good to have met you. Thank you.

The second person leaving us is...

...Vijaya.

Thank you for the opportunity.
It was great to meet you.

Honestly, you can leave this
competition with your head held high.

All the best, everyone. Sorry to see
you go. Thanks for the opportunity.

It's mixed emotions.

I was hoping to get through to the
quarterfinal, but it is what it is.

I'm going to continue
my passion for food.

It's my heart that belongs to food.

It's been great.

It's one of the most challenging
things I've ever done

and I've done a lot of things.

But, you know, I'm so glad I did it.
I really am.

Congratulations. You four
are MasterChef quarterfinalists.

Well done.

Yes! Thanks very much.

Oh, my God!

It means the world to me.

I was just happy to be here in the
first round and the journey continues.

I am over the moon.
I'm so happy.

I think I'm actually speechless.

I normally never am speechless,
but today I am.

The competition here
is unbelievable.

So quarterfinal spot... Unreal.
Absolutely unreal.

I lost bet with John.

I have to buy him a drink now!

You made it.

I'm still here. So that's amazing.

Next time, it's the quarterfinal...

...and John, Jack, Endang and Diya

return to face their
toughest challenge yet

as they battle for a place
in knockout week.

I want to stop talking
and just keep eating.

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