Original subtitles

(CHEERING) ANDY: Here we go!

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Come on!

Come on down, everybody!

You got this! Go!

What is happening?

OLAOLU: Have they got black aprons on? Yeah, they do!

Eliminations for everyone.

ANNABEL: Oh, what?

I can see all the judges

standing behind these little prep station workbenches.

Surprise!

And I'm like, are we having a MasterClass today?

This week is all about family favourites.

Yesterday we celebrated breakfast.

Today we're celebrating dinner!

(CONTESTANTS MURMUR)

We all know the feeling -

it's a weekday,

you come home after a long day

and you need to whip up something for dinner,

but time is not on your side.

Well, we're here to help. (CHUCKLES)

These are our quick carbs.

So, this is my lovely oven-baked pilaf rice.

You need a pan.

You need some oil.

Then you add an onion, slice through it.

Oh, that goes straight in? That's it.

Then the same with the garlic.

Crack them up. Oh, here we go.

(LAUGHTER) Leave the skin on.

Maybe one or two.

Very important, garlic.

A bit of salt, a bit of black pepper,

and then, straightaway, your rice.

When you cook your rice in the oven,

the rice remains intact and separated, and is fantastic.

Then you get your wine.

Then add your stock.

Bring it to the boil for a good two minutes,

so what happens is the rice is swimming lovely,

it's thickening, this and that,

then you put the lid on...

..in the oven at about 200 degrees.

For the ten minutes, I've got time

to decide what I want to do.

Yes. Amazing. Good luck. Take the tip.

Thank you.

Jean-Christophe's got his pilaf in the oven.

I'm gonna do a two-ingredient flatbread.

I've got 200g of self-raising flour here.

That's obviously going to give it a little puff.

And because we've got no yeast,

the Greek yoghurt, which is 180g,

that's gonna give it a slight sourness,

which you're replacing that flavour that the fermentation...

So, get it on high... (MACHINE WHIRRS)

..and you want to knead this until it comes together.

Definitely, Andy's flatbread is really catching my eye.

You're looking for a smooth dough,

but it'll still be a little bit craggly

because of the high hydration that we've used.

The thing that really interests me about Andy's flatbread

is, like, the speed of which he can make it.

A bit more flour just for dusting

'cause it is quite a wet dough,

and just roll it out.

From having nothing to a really nice fluffy flatbread

in ten minutes is really, really cool.

Into a pretty hot pan,

'cause we want the self-raising flour to hit

and immediately puff.

Alrighty, I'm making potato latkes,

which is basically like the Eastern European potato rosti.

All you need for about ten latkes -

two potatoes, cut them in half...

..put them through the grater on a blender.

And what I do is, for every two potatoes...

..I do one small-to-medium onion,

so it adds this beautiful umami sweetness

and just takes the whole thing to the next level.

LUKE: It's great fun to see the judges interacting with us,

sharing some of their skills for the first time

in the MasterChef kitchen.

I've got the drained potato and onion here,

you just crack an egg in,

and then just a little bit

of a binding agent, like some breadcrumbs,

a bit of flour, and then you just mix them.

Traditionally, you would eat latkes fried in olive oil.

You essentially just wait for those latkes

to start going golden brown around the edges.

It usually takes a couple of minutes when they're that size,

and then you just flip them

and it's about a minute, two minutes more.

Nice.

So, I'm going to make one of my favourite carbs - noodles!

We've got rice flour, tapioca flour.

And then I'm going to add boiling water...

..and one tablespoon of neutral oil.

There's no technique -

you just want all those starches to bind together, and that's it.

Wow.

I have never seen that noodle technique that Poh was doing.

I think it is genius.

ANDY: That's it?

So there's no, like... Nuh.

..knead, or anything like that? Nope.

It's just gotta come together? Yep.

So, that's the texture.

It looked like a marshmallow. You just wanna, like, squish it.

And I'm gonna get a ricer...

Ah! That's so clever. So smart.

(CHUCKLES)

That goes straight into the water.

(CONTESTANTS EXCLAIM)

(APPLAUSE)

I never realised that making rice noodles could be so easy.

And as soon as it comes to the surface -

I would leave it there for a few more seconds,

it's a bit like gnocchi -

it's done.

You can just imagine them in a bowl of broth

and just slurping them up.

They look beautiful.

Look at that.

So, obviously, you can add anything to those.

They're just waiting there for you to add flavour to.

ANDY: Whoo! JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Well done.

These are genius hacks.

Et voila! This is my lovely oven rice.

So I'm going to take every single quick carb

I learnt here today

and put it into my own dinner weekly rotation.

And there you have it - super easy, delicious, crispy latkes.

It's genius.

ANDY: Two-ingredients yoghurt flatbreads.

Can't get much quicker and simpler than that.

VINNIE: Watching the judges make their quick carbs

was really, really cool.

But it's still an elimination.

I can't imagine what they have in store for us.

I'm still really nervous.

I hope you were paying attention to the demos,

because we want you to use one of our quick carbs

to cook a midweek meal.

There's no time to muck around, though,

because you'll only have 36 minutes...

Not a lot.

..which is the average amount of time

that a family spends making a dinner on a weeknight.

LUCY: It takes me like 36 minutes

to even think about what I want to cook for dinner,

let alone actually cook it in 36 minutes.

Oof! That's nothing, that.

I've got some good news, though.

Pantry and garden - fully open.

The bad news is, though...

..one of you will be going home at the end of the day.

It's time to get dinner on.

Are we ready? Yeah.

Your time starts now!

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Come on! Good luck!

Oh, sorry. Go, go, go, go, go!

Whew!

Pot for the rice. Pot for the rice.

Can anyone see any rolling pins?

I can't even think what I'm doing.

VINNIE: It's really, really important

to make the right decision on which quick carb to pick.

You have to make sure that your carb goes well with your dish,

and you need to remember all the steps

to make that quick carb perfectly.

Oh, my God.

Have you done that combination before, in 36 minutes?

Yeah. I've done a 15-minute one.

In 15 minutes? Yeah.

What did you make? Dumplings, from scratch.

Wow. But I burnt every finger.

I didn't use any utensils.

Come on, Lucy! Go, Lucy!

Oh, I see some noodle ingredients in there.

Oh, yes.

For my quick carb today, I'm gonna be using Poh's noodles.

Always noodling. Always noodles.

AARON: Come on, Lucy!

Definitely pairing them

with Asian flavours that I'm familiar with.

And, yeah, I'm also thinking, like, quick dinner.

A lot of people just go straight to buying take-out for dinner.

So I'm sort of thinking of creating a dish

that's like a 'fakeaway'-style dish.

What's on the menu, sis?

I'm doing beef and mushroom noodles.

You got this. You got this.

This dish is quite simple.

So, there's only three elements,

which are Poh's noodles,

then I've got my crispy beef and my sauce.

The sauce is made with soy, honey, chilli.

Yeah, I really just want to pack it with lots of umami flavour.

And I really want that sauce to pack a punch.

If that sauce is dull or lacks flavour,

then, yeah, I'm probably going home.

Whoa! That's a big fish for 36 minutes.

I forgot rice!

I'm using Andy's flatbread.

I'm making garlic parmesan encrusted flatbread

to go with my squid puttanesca.

Whenever we're looking for a quick meal,

we always go to puttanesca, so that's where my mind went.

Hey, Bella. Hey.

I see a KitchenAid, self-raising flour.

Yep. Flatbread?

Yep, flatbread it is. OK.

What are you gonna do?

Um, today I'm gonna turn your flatbread

into a bit of, like, a pizza.

I'm gonna do, like, a goat's cheese whipped cream topping...

OK.

..and some caramelised fennel and caramelised cherry tomato.

It's what I would eat on a weeknight.

OK. If you like it, I'm gonna hopefully love it.

Good luck. Yeah.

(LYDIA WHEEZES)

You're OK, Lydia. Sorry.

Ignore my heavy breathing.

My body's got, definitely, a big adrenaline hit right now.

ANDY: Emily! EMILY: How we doing, mate?

What's your weeknight wonder?

I am doing garlic prawns with a lot of veg.

Got the flatbread going with some rosemary.

You're flatbreading as well? I am flatting.

Nice. Let's bring this home. Alright. Thank you.

DOT: Whoo! Come on, Belinda! AARON: Come on!

It's just great cooking in here every day.

And it's a challenge.

And today is, um... yeah, it's a great one.

(LAUGHS)

Today I'm cooking chicken and rice.

I do great chicken and rice.

Everyone eats chicken and rice.

I need some bowls.

I really love pilaf, and I think

that with some chicken and a really nice mushroom sauce

it would be a fantastic, really yummy midweek dish.

On a weeknight, I cook

for my partner, Justin, and my daughter, Willow.

I very rarely cook the same thing.

It's been about three minutes.

Just something really yummy and simple.

And it's good.

I've had many career paths

from recruitment, retail, bank manager,

cabin crew, marketing.

But I've been dreaming about being in the food industry

for 45 years.

It's never too late, and my food dream

is to open a cooking school.

And now it's my time to follow my dreams.

Oh, my God, that's gone everywhere.

The competition is very stiff.

I thought I knew a lot about food,

but these kids, they are amazing.

They are blowing my mind.

I'm concerned that my dish is too simple.

Far out. Having a total mind fart.

So it's like, oh, my God, do I pivot or...what do I do?

Far out. I can't even think what I'm doing.

You know what?

The flatbreads are really quick and easy and tasty.

Right.

Well, I've totally pivoted.

I was gonna do something and now I'm doing a flatbread burger,

smashed burger.

Belinda.

Hello, JC. Tell me, what are you doing?

I'm doing a smashed burger.

So you changed your mind?

I did. Why?

Because I thought chicken and rice would be too simple.

I just thought, "I'll make a burger."

A smashed burger? Yeah.

So, using the flatbread, putting the meat on,

then cheese, and then there'll be a pickle,

a burger sauce and some chiffonade lettuce.

Did you think you made the right decision...

I hope so. ..from my rice to Andy's bread?

Oh, well, we'll know soon, won't we?

Good luck.

The goal is quick and delicious!

Only 30 minutes to go!

(SPECTATORS APPLAUD AND SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

DOT: Smelling good, Casper.

Whoo! Come on, Olaolu! Whoo!

In my house with weeknight dinners,

it's me and my partner, Ashley.

So, if I'm cooking, I'm cooking for two people, usually.

I'm out on a walk with Ash... Hi! I'm Ashley.

..my partner and roommate. Yes.

Fiancee. Fiancee.

If I was to cook a weeknight dinner,

I would probably be cooking for an hour, minimum.

I obviously love to cook Nigerian food.

I'd make it leisurely, and I've got music in -

I'm not really trying to be that fast.

But not today.

I'm using Andy's quick flatbread.

I'm gonna do some lamb kofta with a tzatziki.

You got this. You got this. Plenty of time.

While the bread's doing its thing in the stand mixer,

I move on to the kofta.

I want to put spices

that are gonna take it into the Middle Eastern realm,

so I'm going in with some coriander,

with some cumin, with a little bit of paprika.

Olaolu, that looks amazing. It smells really good.

I look back at the stand mixer, and I look in

and there's just this, kind of like, sticky mess.

It's just...really wet.

I'm not sure what I've done wrong here.

I am starting to get pretty stressed.

I really wanted this bread to be resting by now,

but I don't even have anything to rest.

It's not coming together.

KANIKA: Oh, my God.

Olaolu. Hello, Andy.

Is that your flatbread there? Yeah, it's a bit wet.

Right.

And I'm hoping that it comes together.

Mate, you've got some problems to solve.

We're at the halfway point! No time to waste!

18 minutes to go!

ANDY: Yeah! Come on!

I went with Andy's flatbread, but it's not coming together.

It's just really wet.

I'm not sure what I've done wrong here.

There's 18 minutes left, we're halfway through,

and the dough doesn't look to be improving.

KANIKA: Come on, Olaolu!

The flatbreads are so popular today.

The person next to me, she's nailing the flatbread.

Looking good, Emily! EMILY: I'm trying!

And I'm starting to really worry.

This is an elimination cook, and now I have to start again.

But I'm way behind schedule.

At this point,

I'm wanting to really be focusing on the lamb kofta,

and so I'm now splitting my attention between two things.

Oh, my goodness.

I am starting to get pretty stressed.

I am making a prawn moilee with a flatbread.

A moilee is a southern Indian dish

from the Kerala region

and it's a really fresh, coconutty, lightly spiced curry.

AARON: Nice, Petro. Good pace.

The curry is one of the most important elements,

but they have put quite a big emphasis

on the quick carb today,

so I'm hoping to stick out from the crowd here

by incorporating my own twist to the flatbread.

And the flatbread's gonna have some cumin seeds

and some fenugreek leaves as well.

The flatbread is gonna taste great on its own

but, together with my moilee,

it's gonna make everything the better.

Nice, Petro.

I really need to start getting my move on now

with the curry.

Prawns - it's probably not the number one protein

used traditionally in this moilee,

but prawns have a super quick cook time,

so I'm going for it.

Aaron, tell me when there's ten. Yeah, will do.

ALITA: Miin, that smells divine.

Thank you, guys.

I'm making rice with Indian spices.

I'm gonna pair that with a prawn curry.

Weeknights is always rice and a dish, so...

That's what I eat,

so the rice makes complete sense to me,

and I love, love curries too.

Alyona. Yeah.

Tell me, what is your dish, and what is your carb?

I am making flatbread and some soup.

It's gonna be some white bean, cavolo nero.

Wow. Good luck, yeah? Thank you.

Lots of flatbreads.

Oh, we've got latkes over here.

LUKE: I'm gonna be making Sofia's fritter things.

I'm gonna pair that with a romesco,

a tahini yoghurt, a chimichurri,

some roasted pine nuts and some fresh pomegranate.

I'm hoping to kind of use the potato

a little bit like I'd use a steak.

I'm trying to build my dish around the latkes.

I really like the style

that it's kind of a base that you can build from.

I think that's what all the best carb meals are.

They're not there to star the show,

but they're there to elevate all the other elements in the dish.

Ooh!

That's alright. Adds flavour.

Yeah. True.

Whew!

Weeknight dinner at Annabel's house

looks like a lot of people in the kitchen

all trying to compete for space.

We've got my brother cooking his high-protein dinner,

we've got my sister cooking her meal,

and then I'm sort of, like, tagging into that.

Cup, cup...

Come on, Annabel!

It's usually something simple -

protein, a little bit of veg on the side

and maybe some kind of carbohydrate.

Yes, Annabel. Come on.

Rough chop, rough chop.

Today I'm making pan-fried barramundi and Sri Lankan sambal

and Jean-Christophe's pilaf rice.

Rice is my Kryptonite,

so I don't know why I'm actually cooking it today,

but it went with my dish idea,

so I was like, "I've got no choice."

Now I'm working on my aromats

to go in my spice paste for my sambal.

Shit.

There's lots of different sambals in the world.

Today I'm gonna be using a coconut sambal

that I've had in Sri Lanka.

So, it's, like, toasted coconut

that's tossed through this beautiful spice paste

that's got lemongrass,

it's got ginger, it's got garlic, shallots,

got a bit of heat from some chilli.

It's really yummy.

So I think it'll go really nicely with the barramundi.

That's it, Annabel. Nice.

I'm filleting that fish, and far out,

I've never filleted a fish so quickly in my life.

It's crazy what a bit of time pressure

and determination will do.

Yeah. Beautiful. Beautiful.

I get a couple of fillets off that I'm really happy.

I have a feel, there's no bones in it,

and I just whack them in the hot pan.

I've never cooked a piece of barramundi this thick,

and I am praying that that is enough time

to get this fish cooked perfectly all the way through.

ALITA: That flatbread's looking good, Bella.

Ooh! It smells so good.

Smells great, Vin. Yeah.

VINNIE: I'm making some spiced lamb cutlets

with a tzatziki-style sauce

and a rocket and walnut and grape salad.

LUCY: Learning from the best.

If I was at home, cooking a family dinner,

I'd probably be using, like, a barbecue or something

that's really high heat and really quick.

To go with that concept,

in my lamb marinade, I've got some smoked paprika in there,

some oregano,

just to try and get those smoky flavours in there.

POH: Hi, Vinnie. Hi.

What carb are you using?

So, I'm using Andy's flatbread today.

I love both your carbs, but, um... (CHUCKLES)

Thank you.

Um, I'm also putting a bit of smoked cheddar

in the flatbread too.

I love that you're customising it,

but you're comfortable with adding the smoked cheddar?

You know how that will behave? Yeah.

I just know I've gotta watch the dough.

You know what I mean? Like, make sure it doesn't go too gluey.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Vinnie, we know you know flatbread.

Let's just hope that this one is good enough

to keep you from going home.

Thank you. Yeah.

Good luck. Thank you.

My dream is, open up a panini shop

and, like, having cheese in bread.

If this works out, it'll be really, really cool.

AARON: Nice, Vinnie! Thank you.

I want to get my lamb and the flatbread

really nicely charred on the outside

and still cooked really well on the inside.

It should taste like a barbecue.

DOT: Yes, Vinnie. Get that char going.

OK, guys! Eight minutes to go!

Keep on going!

DOT: If you could sell that smell, you'd be very rich.

Come on, Petro! Come on!

PETRO: Shit!

I've only gotten one flatbread out,

and I've only got eight minutes to go.

I haven't even gotten started on my curry sauce yet.

And I'm thinking I might run out of time here.

Oh, my God! This is do or die now.

Go, go, go! This has to work.

Otherwise I'm not gonna get a plate up.

ANDY: Oh, a little speed run!

That was fast. I didn't even see him.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: We forget it's an elimination.

Yeah.

Come on, Petro! Come on!

Ooh! Ooh! Be careful, Jackie!

Whoa!

Time is flying, people are running,

there is a lot going on, and I'm nervous.

Let's go, Olaolu!

I've got the tzatziki and the lamb kofta

pretty much good to go.

Uh, but I didn't get my bread dough together.

I had to start again.

And I'm hoping that it comes together.

And that second batch of dough also looks rubbish,

and it's no better than the first.

I definitely don't have time to make a third dough.

I've got to go with what I have.

I'm adding some flour to it, seeing if that helps.

I'm getting the flour on the rolling pin,

I'm getting it on my hands,

I'm trying to knead the flour in,

and it's starting to actually resemble

something like a regular flatbread.

Yes!

I start to maybe have a little bit of hope.

OK, guys! Five minutes to go!

ANDY: Come on! Let's go! POH: Five minutes!

(SPECTATORS SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

Oh! Look at Grace's monster flatty!

AARON: Oh, good colour on them, Lukey. Come on!

LUKE: Uh, I'm still doing the romesco and the chimichurri,

but I'm really pushing for time here.

So little time, it's incredible.

Look at you go, Luce! Come on!

LUCY: For my fakeaway dish, I've got my beef,

which is coming out of the oil.

It's really nice and crispy, which I'm happy with.

My sauce is coming along really well.

To be honest, when I make noodles at home,

I just throw in whatever sauce is in my cupboard.

But I'm in the MasterChef kitchen

and cooking for my life to not go home,

and so I need to pay attention to this sauce

and really balance all those flavours.

That perfect balance of, like,

umami, salty, sweet, sour as well,

and then just, like, a nice chilli hit.

Alright, Aaron, you ready? I'm ready. I'm ready.

The last thing that I need to do...

Come on, use them muscles. Use them muscles!

..is to make Poh's noodles.

A little bit more! I'm not strong enough!

A little bit more! A little bit more!

I'm, like, literally using all of my body

to try and push this through.

Come on! KANIKA: Go, Lucy!

Go, Lucy! Come on, Lucy! Aaagh!

Good work, Lucy!

Before I came here, I cancelled my gym membership.

But now I'm realising I should have probably kept it. (LAUGHS)

That was way too hard.

Where is my goddamn brush?

Here. Right.

And there's still so much to do.

And it's just like, where did that time go?

It's crazy.

OK. I'm getting my flatbeds...

Flatbeds? Flatbreads ready.

So I start cooking my burger patty

and I get my flatbread on to start cooking that as well.

You got this.

I am really worried

'cause I really want to get some colouring on this beef

and it's just not happening.

Have I got everything?

I don't even know if I've got everything.

I'm trying to get everything on the plate,

so I want the chiffonade lettuce on there,

I'm picking up the pickles and draining out the liquid,

I'm scraping the burger sauce into a bowl.

I know I had a brush somewhere.

I am getting so stressed.

My time is running out

and I just want to get this dish done.

You're racing the clock. Two minutes to go!

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Two minutes! Come on!

DOT: Guys! Not long! Whoo!

Oh, looking good, Lydia.

Deep breaths. Bella. You've got this.

Holy shit.

AARON: How is it?

More.

More stock or longer in the oven?

Um, longer in the oven? Or maybe just stand.

Yeah, let it, like, steam and, like, do its thing for a bit.

Yeah.

I'm really happy with the flavours of the sambal rice.

I'm just gonna leave it in the hot pot

and hope that residual steam gets it to perfect

'cause it's just al dente at the moment.

Alright.

I'm looking at my fish in the pan,

and I've got a test piece, which I take out.

I'm hoping to see perfectly cooked flesh...

Whoa!

..and it's still raw.

It's not even close to being cooked.

Holy shit.

Alright. Let's go do my salad and plate up.

So, I'm looking at my bread.

It's got a really good char on the outside,

which I'm pretty happy with,

and I want it to be fluffy on the inside

with those oozy pieces of cheese that I put in there,

so when you rip it, it's got that nice stretch.

DOT: Yum!

Oh, yes.

But, at this point, I'm like,

is that going to be cooked on the inside properly?

It was a really wet dough.

You know, it didn't have a lot of time in the pan

'cause I hit it so hard with that heat on the outside,

so it would overcook if I left it any longer.

So I'm just hoping that it's cooked all the way through.

Final push! 30 seconds!

AARON: 30 seconds!

Get it on the plate!

PETRO: This cook has been absolutely crazy.

I don't know how I've managed it,

but I've gotten two flatbreads and my curry done.

I just hope I've done enough.

Time's up in ten!

ALL: Nine! Eight!

Seven! Six!

Five! Four!

Three! Two!

One!

That's it everybody! Whoo!

Good work, Vin.

(LAUGHS)

Oh, man. That was... that was a hectic one.

Right.

Got it all done?

Yeah. Good job. Good job.

That was definitely super chaotic.

Um, but, yeah, I got everything on the plate.

But the reality is someone is going home today,

which is really scary.

Just fingers crossed it's not me.

BELINDA: I'm looking at my burger.

I'm thinking, why didn't I just go with chicken and rice?

I should have just gone with my gut, straight up.

(SIGHS) I didn't get the cheese on.

The meat's not how I want it.

Um...

Yeah. Not good.

(TEARFULLY) No words.

Yeah.

I just want to stay.

Having so much fun with everyone and learning a lot.

And, yeah, it'd be good to stay.

First dish we'd like to taste...

..Annabel!

(CHEERING)

I feel sick walking up to the judges.

I'm just unsure about my rice.

And I'm just dreading them to cut into this fish

and it be raw.

I am preparing that maybe I will be going home today.

Right. Annabel, tell us, what have you made?

I have made a pan-seared barramundi

with Sri Lankan sambal and your pilaf rice.

So, why did you use my rice idea?

I'll be honest - I don't know why I did that,

because when I was filling out my MasterChef application,

it was like, "What is your weakness?" And I wrote, "Rice."

(LAUGHS)

I trust your recipe.

I think you did a really awesome demonstration...

(CLEARS THROAT) Say that again? ..and you're a fantastic cook,

and I think you would not... Sorry, I can't hear very well.

Can you say that again? (LAUGHTER)

Do you think the fish, looking at the thickness,

is gonna be perfectly cooked?

I'm a little worried about the fish, to be honest.

I think, if anything, it might be a bit under.

Um, it was, like, a big piece.

The quickest way to find out

if your fish will be perfectly cooked.

It's just to take off the skin like so

and see if it's removing without forcing it.

And if it does...

POH: Perfect.

Look at this.

(APPLAUSE)

I've gotta give you

that barramundi's not my favourite fish.

What's your favourite fish?

(LAUGHTER)

My favourite fish?

You want to know which one it is?

Please. It is today.

Oh!

(CHEERING)

That is unbelievable.

This is extraordinary,

how you managed to end up with a rice cooked so well.

(LAUGHS) Really?

Yours is chewy, it's soft,

it's taking on all the flavours together,

and your fish is cooked perfectly.

Annabel, if you served me that up on a weeknight,

I would be STOKED.

(LAUGHS)

It is so packed with flavour. Oh! Thank God.

And the sambal in that rice.

oh, my God, it's blowing my mind.

It's so delicious.

And I love that you used something

that was so wildly different... Mm.

..to what Jean-Christophe demoed

and just did your own version of it.

That coconut sambal and rice combination is...is legit.

And I'm thinking, like, you could have that

with so many different things.

Super versatile, midweek or not midweek.

I'm seriously stealing that.

Yeah. Thank you.

(CHEERING)

I thought I was in trouble! (LAUGHS)

Pat, we'd love to taste your dish next.

PAT: I've made a pan-fried squid on a puttanesca sauce

and garlic and parmesan crusted flatbread.

Pat, squid is like butter, mate.

You could not have executed that better if you tried.

I loved it. Thank you.

Alyona!

I've made white bean and cavolo nero soup

with pancetta and flatbread.

36 minutes is actually not a long time

to make a bowl of soup,

but the amount of depth you've packed into that is amazing.

It is so delicious, so hearty.

So, well done. Thank you.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Casper.

CASPER: I've done a baked pasta and some garlic flatbread.

Casper, really tasty pasta bake.

I love all the different layers of spice in there.

It's quite fiery. It's got a bit of a kick to it.

And I like that, because you've got the carb of the pasta

to sort of balance it out.

POH: Jackie's!

I've made a sesame peanut noodle with pork,

and I've obviously chosen to use your noodles today.

Jackie, the noodle work was really lovely.

You've got a really good length on them.

They're really nice and bouncy.

And I really loved your pork topping as well.

Thanks.

Luke!

(CHEERING)

LUKE: I've made your latke

with a romesco sauce, a chimichurri

and toasted pine nuts.

Middle Eastern latkes - is that what we're going with?

Yeah.

OK.

Well, apart from chimichurri being from Argentina...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. ..and romesco being from Spain,

it is so delicious!

(LAUGHTER)

No, but in all honesty, mate, like,

I don't care where you get things from,

as long as it is delicious,

and you've come up with

a really, really tasty weeknight dish.

SOFIA: You've kind of bridged a whole bunch of cultures

in a way that I think is actually really successful.

Your romesco sauce is delicious.

I love that nuttiness to it, the texture of it.

Thank you very much.

Petro, your cooking, mate! Let's go!

This cook has been absolutely crazy.

I only had about eight minutes to make my moilee.

I just hope that there's been enough time

to develop the flavours in this curry

to save me from elimination.

Petro, what have you cooked for us?

I've made a prawn moilee with flatbread,

which I've spiced with toasted cumin seeds

and fenugreek leaves.

Ooh!

Should we taste? Yes.

Let's break this down.

The prawns -

like, unbelievable cook on the prawns.

Oh! Jeez.

(LAUGHTER) I...

I wasn't expecting a massive twist there, I'm not gonna lie.

The sauce - that is a weeknight wonder

if I've ever, ever had a curry sauce.

The flatbread - beautiful, beautiful cook throughout.

Put that all together, Petro,

your dish is an absolute cracker.

Oh, my God. Far out.

Petro, this moilee is unbelievable.

Rich, gentle at the same time.

Very well seasoned.

The turmeric is really giving that look -

you know, "Take me! Take me!"

So, basically speaking,

holy moilee.

(LAUGHTER)

Thanks, guys. Thank you.

Oh, my God. Good job, mate.

Olaolu, you're next.

OLAOLU: Having to start again with the flatbread,

and my kofta,

which I'd been kind of half paying attention to,

I haven't even really had a chance to try it.

I'm just hoping that I have done enough today.

Olaolu, what have you made us, and which carb did you use?

I've gone for Andy's flatbread

and I've made you some lamb kofta with tzatziki.

Olaolu, I think the bread's actually fine.

I think the texture is actually fine.

Mine's quite fluffy, so I think all your struggles paid off.

I think, for me, the problem in the dish lay in the kofta.

The mince that you've used is just very lean.

It's very unforgiving.

So, if you overcook it a little bit,

it ends up very kind of grainy and dry.

It's probably not your best work.

It's not.

You struggled with the recipe for the flatbread,

and I feel like it's just been this domino effect

into every other element.

The kofta - there's hints of flavour there,

but I think it just got absolutely annihilated

with the cook on it.

I'm really worried for you today, mate.

Thank you. Good luck.

Next cook, huh?

Miin.

MIIN: So, I've made you

a Malaysian mamak-style prawn curry and pilau rice.

Your prawns are cooked lovely...

..but your rice is just a little bit undercooked.

Yeah. I agree.

ANDY: Bella!

Today I've made you caraway flatbread

with a whipped goat's cheese, caramelised fennel

and cherry tomatoes.

POH: Bella, first savoury cook? Yep.

I thought that everything was quite sweet,

but you've got a really good palate

so you've managed to balance it all.

If you had hit it with a little bit more acidity,

it would have just lifted it a little bit.

SOFIA: Emily!

EMILY: I've made garlic prawns with an Asian twist,

and then I made a flatbread with a little bit of oregano.

Your prawns are pretty well cooked.

You've butterflied them really beautifully.

The bread's got a nice flavour to it.

I'm just not sure that it has a purpose, here with the prawns.

I think, if they were saucier,

then, yeah, I can absolutely get around the mopping.

POH: Grace!

GRACE: I've made a tagliata beef salad on flatbread.

(LAUGHS)

Hefty!

ANDY: I'm kind of here for, like, the open sandwich,

Italian burrito bowly-like thing

that you've just put in front of me.

I think the cook on the steak is beautiful.

Maybe a bit more seasoning next time

would send it through the roof.

Thank you.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Lydia.

I'm calling that steak and onions.

We've got a horseradish labneh and we have the flatbread.

The cuisson on the beef is perfect.

Where I'm not sure about the dish is the sauce.

I do feel it's a little on the sweet side.

Next dish we'd like to taste is Lucy!

(CHEERING)

It's really scary to serve Poh's noodles to Poh.

Yeah.

this is my fakeaway noodles.

My elements for this dish are Poh's noodles,

then I've got my crispy beef

and my salty and sweet and sour and spicy sauce as well.

Lucy, you've done a great job of the noodles.

They're really nice and springy,

and I love that you dredged the beef and deep-fried it,

so that gave that another extra texture.

And then you get to the sauce...

..which is...

..amazing!

(APPLAUSE)

You're stressing me out, Poh!

You've just done such a great job

of balancing all the sweet, salty

and nice hit of vinegar as well.

I...I think you've done a brilliant job.

OK.

Lucy...

Do you know what I just did? No.

Hammer, you've nailed the brief.

Oh, thank you!

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

Everything is well balanced.

There is a kick. It's sweet enough.

It's very well seasoned.

Thank you for this beautiful dish.

Wow. Thank you, guys.

Thank you.

Next up, Belinda!

I had envisioned a really juicy, tasty burger,

something you bite in

and the juice literally drips down your face.

But...

..I feel like mine is not right.

But I'm still walking up there with a big smile on my face

and hoping that something, somehow,

is gonna make this taste great.

Belinda, 36 minutes on the clock.

Yep. What did you make?

I've made a flatbread smashed burger

with a pickle and a burger sauce and some lettuce.

Right.

SOFIA: Alright, should we dig in?

I'm gonna start with the positives.

I think your bread was done pretty well.

Thank you. It was quite thin and pliable.

Although the bread's good, it didn't make me wanna

go down the flatbread alley for my next burger.

So I'm struggling with the conception of the dish as well,

and I'm struggling with the execution.

What's let it down for me is the patty.

Yeah. You know?

A smashed burger lives and dies

on hard caramelisation of the beef,

and there was little to none, unfortunately.

Oh, Belinda, this is a bit of a toughie for me.

You know, you want to go hard and fast with a smashed patty

to get that caramelisation.

Without that hard-and-fastness,

it makes the meat taste a bit like it's been steamed,

and there wasn't heaps of seasoning in there either,

so it was quite tough, quite rubbery, and also a bit dry.

Yeah.

I am sad.

And I've got to be honest with you,

I'm very disappointed.

Yeah. Me too.

Thanks, Belinda. OK.

Next up, let's go, Vinnie.

VINNIE: Looking at my plate, it looks really, really good.

If I got served that for my weeknight dinner,

I'd be pretty happy with that.

But there's always the doubts in the back of your head,

especially on a black apron day.

The most underwhelming dish is gonna go home today.

I really hope it's not gonna be me.

Vinnie, what's the dish?

I've made some quick spiced lamb cutlets, a yoghurt sauce,

a rocket, walnut and grape salad,

and your flatbreads.

I put some smoked cheddar in there

just to give it a bit of a smoked barbie vibe.

Right. Shall we taste? Yes.

It's interesting texture.

Let's see how your lamb's cooked.

SOFIA: It's quite pink.

That one will be OK, I think, 'cause it's littler.

That one's good.

Vinnie, some smashing flavours on this plate of food.

I think the herb and yoghurt sauce, with that dill, cucumber,

it's really fresh, really light - perfect for midweek.

The lamb -

there was one smaller cutlet and it was cooked really nicely,

more to medium.

The bread?

It's really doughy.

OK.

I thought, "Oh, smoked cheddar inside a dough -

"that makes sense."

It's added more moisture and more fat content to the dough,

which is a real worry.

Visually, and in terms of flavours,

it really does look like

something you've made on the barbecue.

Like, you've got your char down.

But then you've just suffered a bit on the actual cooking.

And as it stands, your lamb's a little under

and your bread's a little under as well,

So, it's gonna be interesting to see

whether flavour's enough to keep you here.

My heart just sinks.

Two of my elements are undercooked.

I'm thinking this is probably gonna be

my last cook in the MasterChef kitchen.

Before we get into the bad news...

..we want to give a special mention

to the weeknight wonders that impressed us the most.

Annabel.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

Lucy!

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

And...

..Petro!

Excellent job, you three. You are not going anywhere.

Sadly, some of your dishes missed the mark.

If I call your name, please step forward -

you're at risk of going home.

Olaolu.

Belinda.

And...

..Vinnie.

All your dishes, they had flaws.

So it came down to the quick carb you chose

and how well it went with your dish.

And, unfortunately, that means you're going home...

..Belinda.

I'm so sorry. That's OK.

I didn't cook good today, so I feel I deserve it.

Um...

And that's hard, because I would really love to have been able

to cook a really good dish today... (SNIFFLES)

..that I could go out and be proud of.

Belinda, this is never easy.

You've shown us heart, and you've really pushed yourself.

I really hope you're proud of what you've achieved here.

Have you loved being in the MasterChef kitchen?

I have. Meeting you guys, meeting everyone here,

it's been fantastic.

Watching what everyone's doing has just blown me away.

Like, if I had to pick anyone who was to win right now,

I honestly wouldn't be able to pick, because the talent,

and it...and it goes like this, it's such a curve ball.

So, yeah, it has been fantastic.

Belinda, I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye,

but please keep that dream alive.

Promise. Yes.

Thank you, Poh.

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

Thank you.

I've been watching MasterChef since series one.

Well, hell, I'm on the show,

so, um, you know, dream accomplished.

And to all of you, thank you.

And I've learnt that I would like to now try

and take my cooking to another level.

Oh, I'm so glad you two are still here.

I'm gonna miss you. Yeah.

I don't think you're ever too old to start again.

Give it up for Belinda, everybody!

(CHEERING)

I've had eight career paths

and, you know, let's make it number nine.

ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow night...

Lift your lids now!

(ALL EXCLAIM)

..their first team challenge will be an enormous feat.

We want two mains, three sides,

plus something sweet.

Can they work together...

This is craziness!

..to pull off

a MasterChef-worthy family feast?

We're not at home anymore.

No.

We're in the MasterChef kitchen.

KANIKA: I'm so sorry.

I don't want me to be the reason

you're going home.

Captions by Red Bee Media