Original subtitles

Hi, my name is Tim. I'm a home cook.

I cook for my family.

And I'm gonna do, um, a bit of butter chicken.

The way I kind of do it as a home cook.

So, I'm gonna make it up as I go.

I'm gonna use some fresh garlic, some fresh ginger.

ANNOUNCER: The way Australians learn about and share food...

The balance of flavours here is incredible.

..has changed...

I'm making pork dumplings,

which is probably one of the first dishes

I remember making with my mum.

..leading to an explosion...

MAN: To me, food is more than just what's on the plate.

..of passionate home cooks...

I really love the joy that I can bring to others through my food.

..wanting to be...

MAN: Like, oodles of noodles.

..the new superstars of food.

Welcome to the MasterChef kitchen!

We've scoured the country... Let's go.

..for the best home cooks

who'll now compete for a spot

in the world's greatest cooking competition.

If you want one of these, you'd better hustle!

I want the apron like crazy.

This new batch of MasterChef hopefuls

will be inspired by culinary legends...

ANDY ALLEN: Rick Stein!

Maggie Beer!

POH LING YEOW: Sanjeev Kapoor!

Curtis Stone!

What a nice welcome.

..the most exciting viral food creators.

These are my viral fruit desserts.

Today I'm going to show you guys how to make the OG dim sim.

Hey, babe! What do you want for breakfast?

Oh, my God! MAN: No, you're joking.

Andy Cooks.

The cooking will reach new heights.

POH: I've never had anything like that.

It's a phenomenal dish.

SOFIA LEVIN: That is dynamite.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI: This is probably the best

I have so far in my life.

ANDY: I am blown away.

The creativity shown in this plate of food is off the charts.

And...

The MasterChef babies are here, everyone!

..with the biggest guests...

Music and food are all things that feed the soul.

ANDY: Robert Irwin, everybody!

This is such a dream come true.

..ever.

SOFIA: The Duchess of Sussex,

Meghan Markle.

(LAUGHS)

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

Hello.

(ALL CHEER)

I am rubbing my temples

because I can't understand how this is so good.

(LAUGHS)

Here we go.

MAN: Oh, my goodness.

(ALL EXCLAIM)

Oh, my gosh! Can you believe it?!

(ALL CHATTER EXCITEDLY)

I have dreamt of walking into this garden

for 17 years - from series one, episode one.

And now I'm here.

(ALL CHATTER EXCITEDLY)

WOMAN: It is amazing.

I'm journaling it. I'm never going to forget this day.

Oh, my goodness!

This is sick!

MAN: Dude, wow.

Mate, taking it all in. This is actually wow, man.

Like, we're actually here.

I'm just in awe.

Like, such an out-of-body experience.

Happy to see the M.

MAN: Look at the M up there. WOMAN: I know.

AARON: And I'm ready to push myself to the limit

to get one of those aprons.

I really want this.

I am feeling so excited.

I have to remind myself to walk because my legs are like jelly.

There are so many other people.

What are we doing? Where are the judges?

What's going on?

And all of a sudden...

(CHATTER RECEDES)

WOMAN: Oh, my God, guys! Look!

(ALL CHEER)

..this projection goes on to the MasterChef kitchen building.

GEORGE CALOMBARIS: What's your name?

Reynold. Reynold?

Yes.

WOMAN: Oh, my God.

My name's Minoli, and I'm from Darwin.

Hey, guys. My name's Brendan.

What's your name? My name is Kishwar.

I'm Reece.

I'm Mindy, I'm a physiotherapist.

Hi, I'm Khanh.

WOMAN: All of these super familiar faces popping up -

Matt Sinclair, Reynold, Reece -

and I'm just thinking they have all been standing

where I'm standing today,

and it is just the most insane feeling.

MAN: How much do you really want this?

Um, I've given up everything for this.

I'm here because I really want to be.

Food's always been number one.

It's always been my biggest passion. It's special.

That's really bloody good.

Welcome to the top 24.

MAN: I can relate to that dish, and I want to see more of it.

It's a yes from me.

Where have you been?

(SOBS) Like, seriously?

Just at home. ALL: Aw.

We see some of our favourite contestants

exactly in the same position where we are.

All nervous, all excited, all trying to get that apron.

Yes! Yay!

Yes!

So excited. Can I have my apron, please?

(ALL LAUGH)

Justine, brilliant stuff.

Marion is the first one through!

(SQUEALS)

Andre, great job.

Sarah. (CHEERING)

You deserve it. Thank you so much.

ALL: (CHANT) Apron! Apron! Apron!

Congratulations.

Callum, you are going to be a superstar.

(ALL CHEER)

Oh, my God!

The tears have started rolling down my eyes.

It's so inspirational.

It's made me realise it's my time to get an apron.

And I'm going to give it my best shot.

(ALL CHEER)

ANDY: Here we go!

Look at these guys!

(CHEERING CONTINUES)

How inspiring was that, huh?

Amazing. Amazing.

And guess what.

None of those cooks have won the competition.

WOMAN: Holy heck, that's right. (LAUGHTER)

I'm proof that you don't have to win MasterChef

to make your dreams come true.

All you have to do is get your hands on one of these.

(ALL CHEER)

All MasterChef dreams start with a white apron.

These auditions are the biggest opportunity you'll have

to make your dreams become reality.

You all have what it takes

to be the new superstars of food.

(ALL CHEER)

And if it hasn't dawned on you yet,

one of you will win the title

of MasterChef Australia 2026!

(ALL CHEER)

You'll take home a life-changing prize

of ¤250,000

and get your name on the MasterChef Trophy.

Ooh.

Before we go any further,

we'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners of

the land upon which this competition takes place

and pay our respects to the elders past and present.

This is a land that has always been rich

in food and culture.

So please take that as inspiration in this kitchen.

Guys, we cannot wait to taste your food.

We are going to hoover you like mini magnets,

and smell, taste, assess you.

But we're going to get the best of you.

Good luck.

For these auditions,

we are going to split you straight down the middle

into two groups of 20.

So, if you're on, like, that side of the Vespa,

get on that side of the Vespa.

If you're on that side of the Vespa,

get on that side of the Vespa.

Nailed it. Oh, no.

(ALL LAUGH)

What was that little toodle-loo?

So, you're group one, and you guys are group two.

Everyone's eyeing each other off now, aren't they, huh?

(ALL LAUGH) Just got a bit real.

Alright, group one, get ready. You're cooking first.

(ALL REACT)

WOMAN: OK.

Group two, you'll be cheering them on from the gantry.

(GROUP TWO CHEER)

Alrighty. Follow us.

ANDY: Come on! (ALL CHEER)

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God.

MAN: Crazy. WOMAN: Crazy.

MAN: Oh, my God. We're going in. We're going in. We're going in.

(ALL CHATTER EXCITEDLY)

WOMAN: My mind's just spinning as I walk into the kitchen...

Oh, my God, there's the clock.

..seeing the judges, the aprons and the trophy.

It's like, OK, this is real now.

Like, I've gotta... I've gotta prove myself,

I've gotta cook.

I've gotta put my best foot forward.

Hi.

Well, what do you think of this kitchen?

(ALL CHEER)

Lydia. Yes?

Do you want a tissue?

(SOME LAUGH)

You feel emotional already. Are you OK?

SOME: Aw.

I'm menopausal.

(ALL LAUGH)

Oh, it's gonna be a wild ride!

(ALL LAUGH)

How do you feel?

It's just something I've never imagined would happen,

and it's happened.

(SIGHS) It's great.

Excellent.

The same for us.

We're that close to cry, too, by the way.

(ALL LAUGH)

How about you, Aaron? (LAUGHS)

Were you just...were you just looking at the trophy?

Yeah! Yeah, you were!

Eyes on the prize.

I like it. Eyes on the prize.

You've gotta get one of those before you can get that.

(LAUGHTER)

What brought you here?

Um...

..my partner, actually.

Yeah? Yeah.

So, she...she helped me find what I was good at

when I was really lost and didn't know what to do.

Um, and if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have applied at all.

I just...I wouldn't be here without her, so...

And what is that? What do you want to do in life?

Yeah, I just want to be a great chef, and just...

You want to be a chef? Yeah.

Yes!

Yes!

I just want to make food my life, that's it.

Nice. It's all down to hard work now.

Good luck. Thank you.

Mate, we have got a good bunch on our hands, haven't we?

I know.

This is just half of them.

(SOME LAUGH)

You've all come here with big dreams,

and we want you to show us your dream.

On a plate.

We're giving you 90 minutes

to cook your way into this competition.

The pantry is open,

and all the equipment you could possibly need is on the shelves.

This needs to be the best dish you've ever cooked.

OK.

Because...

..tonight we are giving away

ten white aprons.

(ALL EXCLAIM)

Ooh, that was... that was a nervous clap.

(ALL LAUGH)

With 20 of you cooking,

you only have a 50-50 shot.

Right, are you ready?!

ALL: Yes!

Your 90 minutes start...

..now!

Good luck! (ALL SHOUT)

Whoo-hoo!

WOMAN: Oh, my God, this is insane!

First time in there must be like, "Uh, sorry. Uh. Uh."

Sorry.

This is chaos.

Traffic jam indeed.

WOMAN: It's almost like a stampede of human beings.

Ooh. Excuse me. Behind.

..and I'm not wanting to be the one that gets squashed.

So I'm trying to navigate my way through

all of these people who are feeling just as excited as I am.

MAN: Oh, my goodness, look at this.

This is incredible.

They've got every spice you could ever imagine.

They've got every oil you could ever imagine.

The fruit-and-veg section, it's looking beautiful.

Parsley? Over here.

Thank you.

I see a beautiful West Australian marron.

Straightaway, I'm thinking, "I'm getting that thing first."

Have you gone for the marron?

Yes, sir.

Someone lives a pretty bloody good life!

(ONLOOKERS CHEER) Come on!

MAN: This is crazy.

Oh, I'm puffed.

Oh, we are back, baby.

This is epic. I know.

It's so electric in here right now.

It was just such a, like, raw fear.

Yeah. Yeah. Remember it?

I remember it vividly.

But I feel like here you get a chance

to feed off everyone's energy.

They are cooking their dream dish,

so it's a bit of an open slather here.

But you just feed off this, right?

Yeah, that's right, yeah.

It is a total baptism by fire though,

because none of these guys have ever been in this space,

and it's intimidating.

Yeah, yeah, it is.

You know I love the most,

is the fact that you can feel,

it's, like, a culinary rendezvous.

And all of them have chosen a dish and prepared themselves,

and that dish, man, allows them

to get a white apron.

Yes. And there's only ten of them.

So, when you think, the pressure is really on.

Jean-Christophe, I feel like... (CLEARS THROAT)

..time with Michelle and the kids has done you well

because you look 100% more hot.

What's happening? No, he was hot before!

It's all that Evian water starting to work its magic.

How do you say... (SPEAKS FRENCH)

Oui. Poh, you are Poh.

Huh? No. OK. (GUFFAWS)

Forget about that. Can we focus on the food, please?

Yeah, let's go. I'm with you, buddy.

Just downright excited to be doing this.

I can't...I can't put words to it.

It's crazy.

I am...

Do you need to know the truthful age,

or the age that I tell people?

Hmm. Garlic.

Garlic.

But, oh, bugger it, I'll tell the truth.

I am 58.

Hi, I'm Lydia.

(LAUGHS)

WOMAN: Continue. Continue.

I'm going to show you around my domain.

This is my kitchen. This is where the magic happens.

This is my happy place.

I'll show you my pantry.

It is a mess, and it may look like it's just chaos,

but it's my personal organised chaos.

I got married quite young.

Oh, look, I really couldn't be luckier.

As much as I sook about him all the time,

he really is very, very supportive.

My very, very first cookbook,

when I first got married at 19 years old.

And, um, still the best chocolate mousse recipe ever.

When I first got married,

I didn't know how to cook, so I really had to learn fast.

And I taught myself.

I've been cooking three meals a day for, whoa, 40 years?

Yum.

I think I've improved from boiling an egg.

I have a Greek background,

but I love cooking everything.

Because I love to eat it all,

I've dabbled in cooking it all, as well.

I love hosting big parties.

I love having my table full of food and colour.

It's all about the lamb, it's all about the big table,

it's all about getting together.

I just love feeding people.

I like it because it makes me feel good.

That was really bad, that. Strike that.

(LAUGHS)

Absolutely no way am I letting my age be a barrier.

If anything, I bring wisdom and I bring experience.

And I wouldn't be here

if I didn't think I could do this.

Lydia, how are you? Hi, Lydia.

Hi. How are you?

How's it all working out?

I've already broken my first piece of equipment.

Ah, it's OK.

Take it out of your winnings at the end of the time.

Ah, yes. I like it, I like it.

So, tell us, what about this monster there?

This monster is some braised octopus.

Oh! Yeah, baby!

Look at this.

Some braised potatoes and leeks,

and a yoghurt dill sauce.

How come this dish is, like, your dream dish?

Octopus.

Well, it's a dream because it just reminds me of holidays.

It's how I also like to eat.

So, it's the style of business I'd like to develop.

So, tasty share-plate food, but on a casual vibe.

That's amazing.

It starts with the octopus in there,

and then hopefully gets you one of those white aprons up.

I want you to love this so much! Come on, Lydia!

Come on, Lydia! It smells lovely.

Thank you, thank you.

Oh, Jean-Christophe, he's so lovely.

Very handsome.

Ah, yeah, do like... I do like the new look,

definitely.

Let me help you. Thank you, Jean-Christophe.

So, I would like that white apron.

White looks good on me, I'm thinking.

Thank you.

OK.

Oh, you're so helpful.

WOMAN: Come on, guys, you got this!

I'm just trying to remember how to cook, at this point.

(LAUGHS)

My emotions are all over the show, but I'm so excited.

Tonight I am cooking Brit's balanced khao soi.

It is a northern Thai curry with a little swing.

So, it's my healthier version.

Today I'm making my mouth-watering

chicken and prawn mala dumpling.

It's gonna have a chicken fat chilli oil

with a lot of spices in it.

Dumplings, it's all relying on, like, the heart.

So, everything I cook is...heart and soul goes into the dumpling.

WOMAN: There's a lot of energy and excitement in here today,

so just want to channel it all into the dish

and make the best dish ever.

I'm making a mango and rose falooda.

It is a traditional Indian dessert.

I absolutely want the apron. It would be a dream come true.

I can't wait to get my hands on one.

Wah.

Hefty boy.

I'm freaking out right now. I can't believe I'm here.

It's actually insane.

Oh, my fingers are, like, shaking.

I'm, like, trying to get it all together,

but, still, it's hard to fathom and put it into words, man.

I'm feeling absolutely electric.

I can feel the energy pulsing through every part of my body.

My fingertips are literally tingling

just from the sight of everything around me.

And I'm so geared up to go.

I'm making a cured kingfish and an ajo blanco-style sauce.

So, it's an almond sauce, um, kind of Spanish-inspired.

A couple of garnishes and seaweed crisps,

and chilli oil, as well.

I feel like it's a representation of me on a plate.

Um, I'm an immigrant, and I'm just a mishmash

of all different cultures and different tastes.

And that's just me on a plate, yeah.

I'm in my 30s now,

but I'm still discovering who I am

and discovering what to do with life.

When I'm cooking, I can express myself quite easily,

but, also, have a creative outlet.

My girlfriend, she saw something in me

that I didn't see in myself,

and she said that I had to share my food with the world.

So, I started sharing my cooking on social media...

..and it just, yeah, had a great response.

I'm not an artist - I don't draw,

I don't paint, I don't write poems -

but with food, I find there's a certain ease to it.

So, I don't have a million followers,

but I've inspired people to start cooking, and that's...

I love it. It's an amazing feeling.

I don't just want to be a chef, I want to be a great chef,

one of the standout chefs recognised around the world.

And the only thing you need to do...

..is just get one of the aprons.

That's all that matters.

This is where you guys are my best backup dancers possible.

Oh, yeah! Whoo!

Hopefully, this is the first of many cooks in this kitchen.

60 minutes to go.

(CHEERING)

MAN: You got this!

Oh, my goodness. We're here, battling.

Today I'm really nervous 'cause I'm in a foreign environment,

I'm under some serious time pressure...

WOMAN: Come on, Luke!

There's ten aprons there, and if I want one of them

I need to make sure I deliver a beautiful dish.

I think, 100%, people are gonna underestimate me.

I think they're definitely gonna be looking at me

thinking, like, "Who's this 19-year-old?

"He's a bit naive. He's a bit risky."

But I've been obsessed with food for as long as I can remember.

Growing up, Dad was always a big gardener

and I used to always love taking the produce he would grow

to put together a delicious meal.

Get it, lads.

We recently just got six chickens.

That was pretty awesome.

Chris Hensworth.

Eggie McGuire.

Eggs Benedict Cumberbatch.

If you're wondering why I'm so obsessed with these guys,

it's 'cause it's about the closest thing I've ever gotten

to picking up a chick before.

I've got the energy, I think I have the skills

and I'm ready to give it everything I've got.

One thing about MasterChef I've been so inspired seeing

is that everyone who goes on,

they've turned from just everyday cooks

to, really, food superstars.

And it's a bit cheeky to say it,

but that's what I'm hoping will happen with me.

Today I'm cooking my potato gnocchi

with some fresh West Australian marron.

Yeah, should be great. Should be delicious.

Smelling good, Luke.

With the marron, I'm gonna do kind of old-fashioned.

This is how my dad taught me.

I'm gonna pop it in some boiling water

and then shock it in an ice bath...

Whew! It's coming together.

..and then I'm gonna have that spicy, creamy,

rich tomatoey sauce

and I'm gonna have a hint of acidity with a nice basil oil

and bring that all together

with the soft, pillowy potato gnocchi.

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

There's a lot going on.

How old are you? 19.

Are you 19 years old?

(LAUGHS)

Everyone else is older than me.

I need to prove I'm more than a pretty face.

Um, I've actually got a little bit of talent in the kitchen,

but I'm looking around,

seeing these beautiful other dishes coming together.

I'm cooking a duck tsukemen ramen,

which is a dipping noodle dish.

I'm doing a squid ink spaghetti

with a pipi veloute and a parsley oil as well.

I'm getting really worried.

There's only ten white aprons there, and there's 20 of us.

This is going to be a good old-fashioned dogfight.

Tonight I'm cooking boeuf bourguignon.

I'm working on my pomme puree, garlic green beans

and little baguettes.

That is beautiful.

I'm going to be cooking some butter-poached leeks

with creme fraiche emulsion

and then, like, a crispy hazelnut pangrattato on top.

Leeks are very much in season at the moment

and I'm very much about, like, seasonal produce.

It's kind of my ethos for cooking.

It's crazy that, like, we could witness the next,

like, Reynold... Yeah.

..or Matt Sinclair... I know.

Or you! ..or, like, Justine Schofield.

Or you! Or you!

Or you! Or you!

Or you! (LAUGHS)

WOMAN: Yeah, Ola! Whoo!

OLAOLU: I'm good. I'm good.

I'm feeling kind of in the flow of things, I think.

Things are going to plan so far, so I can't complain.

I'm gonna get this apron

by just doing what I know and what I love to do,

which is putting big flavours together

and cooking with love, as cheesy as it sounds.

Olaolu, how are you? Hello. I'm good, thank you.

How are you? You OK?

We can see you've got a mission there.

Yes. So, I'm making rice with ofada stew.

The smell is amazing. Thank you.

It's an iconic kind of Nigerian dish.

Are you originally from Nigeria?

Yeah, I was born in Nigeria. Where? Abuja, or...?

No, Lagos. Lagos!

Good knowledge, though. I was there not long ago.

Really? Oh! I know Chef Stone very well.

Yeah, crazy. Anyway.

Why did you choose this dish as your food dream?

It's everything that Nigerian cooking is about.

Right.

It's big flavours, super bold.

You've got, like, tripe, fermented locust bean,

ground crayfish. Ohhhhh!

So it's probably love it or hate it,

but I went...you know, go hard or go home.

Why the MasterChef kitchen for you?

Oh, man, there's no better place to learn...

Yeah?

..to kind of put Nigerian cooking

a little bit more into the mainstream in Australia.

Is that your jam?

Is that what you want to do? 100%. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

If you give us big, bold flavours,

I can tell you, a white apron is knocking on your door.

Alright, I'm gonna do my best then.

Good luck, bro. Thank you.

I'm from Nigeria originally.

That's where I was born.

That's where I grew up.

Then I moved to the UK when I was 12 years old.

But when I moved to England, I just was so eager to fit in.

I worked on my accent changing,

because I wanted to be understood.

I was just trying to be accepted and be like everyone else.

I struggled a bit.

And so I wasn't thinking about holding on to my culture.

When you're that age, the worst thing to be is different,

and I didn't want to be different.

Making the puff puff batter right now.

So, getting flour in there, bit of sugar,

um, some nutmeg.

I moved to Sydney a little bit after university

and that's where I really started cooking.

Cooking Nigerian food, for me, is about rediscovery.

I reckon there's no better place

to help people understand Nigerian food culture

than on MasterChef.

So I absolutely need an apron.

Get it nice and smoky.

The heat is well and truly on!

Halfway down, 45 minutes to go!

(CHEERING)

I'm so excited. I just...

Yeah, going like the wind.

I'm cooking a beautiful Thai dish

and I'm calling it A Thai Lace Garden.

We've got pork, we've got prawns,

we've got beautiful fresh herbs,

and it's all held together with a beautiful fish sauce caramel.

So, I'm doing a thali -

a two-lentil dal, a mustard chicken,

I'm doing Bombay potatoes, and if I get time, naan breads.

I keep forgetting ingredients as well,

so I've gotta run back in a second.

Any curry leaves?

Yeah, very stressed here, but happy.

I'm making cactus and chicken mixiote.

So, this is really authentic Mexican food.

Whoo! Done.

Where's my cumin?

Oh, for God's sake.

Oh, God. I forgot something else.

Did you? Yeah, and me!

Being in the MasterChef kitchen is actually crazy.

I can't believe I'm here. This feels like a dream.

I work in a tech company as a recruiter,

but everyone that's close to me knows

how much of a passion I have for food...

I made the anglaise yesterday.

It's miso and burnt honey.

..and especially just making cakes.

Let's put the attachments on.

I just love eating sweets.

Oh, my gosh. So yummy!

I think that's always what drives you, right?

Is you want to make what you love.

This is my little cake station

where I like to kind of get things done.

And my cakes are I definitely a creative outlet for me.

It's so meditative, measuring and pouring ingredients out,

and at the end you get this beautiful dish.

Cakes are only had

at really, kind of, exciting and precious moments.

And I think everyone should be able to have that.

OTHERS: Wow!

Well done!

Jackie! You got it, Jackie!

I would love to blow the judges away with this mix

of really humble but striking East Asian flavours.

BOTH: Hi, Jackie! Hi, Poh. Hi, Sofia.

How are you going? I'm good, I'm good.

I'm taking it all in. I'm having a lot of fun.

Today, I'm actually making a chiffon cake.

I am making a black sesame and yuzu cake.

Oh, my God! Yeah.

That's challenging, I think.

And you're also kind of making a chiffon cake

for the chiffon queen.

Chiffons are, like, my favourite cake ever.

Me too. Me too.

Well, I don't wanna take up any more of your time

'cause you've got quite a bit to do.

Good luck, Jackie. Thank you.

Wow, it's really just hit me - I'm cooking a chiffon cake.

I am probably a little bit crazy for that.

Chiffon cakes are insanely temperamental.

And it would probably take me about six hours to make.

WOMAN: Come on, Jackie!

I'm not gonna have that luxury today.

There's no room to hide for me here.

If I don't kill it today, I'm gone.

Oh, wow. It smells so good in here.

To be here in the MasterChef kitchen,

there's no other way to say it but an out-of-body experience.

It's just unbelievable.

Hello, Alita. How are you? Hello!

How are you? Hey, Alita.

Good, thank you. Tell us, what are you doing?

I'm doing you guys - and gals - a passionfruit tiradito.

Ohhh! One of my favourites. Yeah. Mmm!

So, a tiradito is fish.

So, it's thin slices, there's gonna be a small sear on it,

and with a...with a special Peruvian chilli

that's called aji amarillo... Right.

..which has, like, chilli, but it kind of fades

and it gives you this kind of floral burst after you eat it.

I love the way you describe your food.

Yeah.

You're also going to get a crispy fried tortilla

so that you can scoop it up, get the juices,

put the tuna on it...

Oh la la la la la la. In your mouth, yummy-yummy.

Oh, my God, I can't wait to see that.

I want you to smack that table so hard that it hurts your hand.

I will...if it's worth it, yeah.

I'm sensing a little Peruvian, uh, vibe here.

Is that what's going on? Latina connection?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. My mother, she's Peruvian.

Mum always fed us with Peruvian food

and, yeah, which I feel so blessed, because now we've got

some of the best food in the world, really.

I cannot believe how cool you are

and you've got so much to do in 90 minutes.

I'll get on with it.

Right. Well done. Allons-y. Come on, let's go, Alita!

Very exciting.

Mama, can you just check that camera?

My passion for food

definitely came from watching my mum and dad

experiment in the kitchen.

Mum, she's Peruvian.

I wasn't just, like a meat and three veg kid.

You're going to be transported

back to wherever you ate them in Peru.

I think both of my parents are better cooks than me,

but they would say that I'm a better cook than them.

So, it's a war.

It's a full-on culinary war at home.

I really want to make sure

that I'm showcasing those Peruvian flavours

in order to get my hands on one of those aprons.

Vamos, Alita. Vamos.

Vamos pues.

We have got a task on our hands.

I'm inspired by them.

I don't know what you ladies saw at the back,

but the front is on fire.

They know what they're doing and they're all food obsessed.

Yep.

I think I'm struggling already to find out who's going to be.

Yeah. He's...

And I'm already thinking maybe we should go and ask

for maybe allowing to give more aprons.

More aprons.

Because this is going to be a nightmare to go through.

Yeah. Yeah.

Don't take your foot off the gas. Only 30 minutes to go.

Oh, my God.

This is so much faster than I thought.

Come on!

Oh bugger it.

Yummy. Yay. It smells amazing.

Smells amazing.

So far, I think I'm under control.

I've still got to cut the kingfish.

I've got the ajo blanco sauce on the side.

Um, chilli oil is done.

What else have I got to do?

Seaweed crisps. I've got to fry those off.

Hi, Aaron. Hey, what's going on?

Oh, my God, it's you. A chef in the making.

I hope so. What are you making?

Uh, cured kingfish dish with an ajo blanco-style sauce.

Yeah. Made my own chilli oil.

Seaweed crisps as well. So, a nice bit of fusion.

Yeah.

So I feel like it's a bit of me on a plate

growing up here in Australia.

Born here? No, I was born in Malaysia.

Malaysia. Malaysian Chinese.

Amazing. My mum says hi, by the way.

She wanted me to say that. Oh...

Wish you so much luck. Thank you so much.

I want the judges to experience something new

as they eat my dish,

something that hasn't been combined before.

An ajo blanco sauce is basically a blanched almond Spanish soup.

I thought I'd keep that sort of zingy, punchy flavour

also it adds an element of fattiness.

And then having that with raw fish

in itself is quite an inventive thing.

On a side note, funny enough,

I was so nervous when Po was in front of me,

I had one of those moments

where I was like, "My mum says, hi," you know?

I was like, I wish I could take that back.

Go for it. Go for it.

I'm a bit concerned about the pasta,

but I'm just pushing through.

I'm making a spicy pumpkin ravioli with homemade ricotta.

So, I'm pushing myself for time here.

Let's go, Grace. Grace, you're killing it.

I am making tortellini in brodo

with radicchio.

I just need to roll up my pasta dough and fill the pastas.

Arrgh!

It's a lot more than what I thought it was going to be.

I'm just doing a classic steak and three veg.

I want the steak medium rare.

Pink tip to top.

Yes, Casper, you got this. I'm feeling good.

The energy, everyone in the gantry cheering me on.

It's amazing.

I'm cooking a fig leaf-wrapped fish

with avgolemono sauce

and grilled grape salsa.

Come, on guys.

Jack, are you good? Good.

Under the pump. Under the pump.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I am a little bit behind on time at the moment.

I am currently making the yuzu curd.

So, I've made the chiffon cake that's in the oven.

It will take probably about 40 50 minutes

and then I need to chuck it in the blast chiller.

Make sure it cools down so I can ice it

and it doesn't melt everywhere.

I need to make the feuilletine crisp layer.

Butter on there so it doesn't fly away.

And also the black sesame cream.

Some more seed.

There's quite a lot to do right now.

I'm feeling so behind. I'm feeling scrambled.

I'm so used to making this cake at home

in my little studio apartment in my kitchen.

Sorry.

And having a whole day, I would say.

This bench space. Where am I going?

Yeah, this is insane.

There's so many areas that chiffons can go wrong

specifically with the cooling time.

That's probably what I'm most worried about.

Time is sticking, by the way, yeah?

Yes. Are you going to be ready?

Yeah, I will be ready. Good.

That's such a cool skirt.

I thought you were looking in the oven.

No. (LAUGHTER)

Every second counts

if you want to get one of those white aprons.

You've got 13 minutes left. Yeah!

Oh, my God, what am I doing?

I'm feeling confused and excited.

And all of the above plus some more things

For my charred octopus dish,

octopus is braising nicely.

My potatoes are in the oven.

OK.

My stock is reducing.

Oh, this is so... Oh, look at that.

How's it all working out?

I think I'm under control. Sort of.

The way you were just strolling back from the pantry then.

You ought to be. That's my top speed running.

Your stock looks like very...

I just need a little bit... Did you season it?

Why have you turned all worried all of a sudden?

Oh, you're making me nervous.

No, no, no, no.

Bring it home, Lydia.

OK, I'm checking this octopus in the braising liquid.

Oh, why are you not ready?

And I'm not sure that it's cooked.

My octopus is not ready.

My octopus is not ready.

I am doubting

that might have not been the best protein of choice.

Why are you not ready?

It's my only chance to get an apron.

Oh.

So, I'll just wipe down now and wait.

There's no plan B. This is going to cooking time.

No plan B, ha!

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: The stakes are high. Ten minutes to go, please!

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

WOMAN: Come on, guys!

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

Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!

Far out.

Coriander. Coriander. Do you know where the coriander is?

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh. This is so hectic!

Come on, Olaolu.

I'm feeling the pressure now, I've got to say.

But I think we're in a good place.

When you eat ofada stew, it demands your attention.

From the stew base, you have capsicum,

the Scotch bonnet chilli, so that's hot and that's fruity.

Then you're adding in the beef and the tripe,

which is the cow stomach.

So a very divisive ingredient in some parts of the world.

But in Nigeria, tripe is... I love tripe.

It's just great texture.

The plantains just bring this sweetness to the dish.

I'm hoping I've got the balance right.

Spot on. Very happy with it.

It all tasting really good.

I want to just eat the whole thing.

I have to remember where I am

and make sure I leave some for the dish.

I need that apron.

You know, I've started this journey of chasing my dreams.

And now I'm like, that's got to be mine.

Yeah.

(ONLOOKERS CHEER)

How are you going? Amazing.

Just got to get the sear on this tuna right

and I feel like I've got a really good dish.

I can't wait for the judges to try

my passionfruit tuna tiradito.

The sources of ginger, garlic, chilli, passionfruit,

a flavour bomb in their mouth,

and it really balances out beautifully with that tuna.

They've also got a little cracker, a tostada, on the side

that they'll be able to scoop it up,

and they're going to get that nice crunchy

and the softness of the fish and the juiciness of the sauce.

Alright. We're in business now.

I'm really excited to give something

from my heart and my family to the judges.

That looks so good!

WOMAN: Come on, Jackie.

This cake gotta get out.

WOMAN: Is it done?

Smelling good.

Yeah, I think it's done.

Whoo-hoo!

MAN: Get it on the plate, guys.

It's going to be right down to the wire.

WOMAN: I'm so happy with the cook on the prawns.

I love the colour. I think they're perfect.

So it's going to win me an apron. Hopefully.

Jess, how are you going? All good.

Good? Yeah.

Finish making my dumplings and then I'll pan fry them.

My chilli oil is done.

And then do like a vinegar, soy dressing as well.

My leeks have just come out.

I've got my pangrattato done.

I've got my leek oil, like, steeping.

I think I should be able to get it on the plate in time.

Oh, the smells are so good up here!

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Oh, whoa. Look at that.

Tell me, you're going to be ready on time?

Should be alright. Yeah. You seem very confident.

Fingers crossed. Hopefully it pays off.

I've done my prep,

so now I've got to get this on a plate looking pretty.

I've got 12 slices of the kingfish

and I want to fold them over themselves

so they look a bit like petals.

And then from there I've got to

pour over a bit of chilli oil on each mound of fish.

WOMAN: Oh, wow.

MAN: Nice.

And then place all of the roast fried garlic chips as well

just on each piece.

That's giving chef, isn't it? Yeah.

And finally sliced spring onion.

Oh. Wow.

And finally seaweed crisps.

So organised, Aaron.

Getting that apron is another step to saying that

this is what I want to do,

this is what I should do with my life,

and, yeah, I'm willing to chase that all the way to the end.

The finish line is in sight!

Five minutes to go! (ONLOOKERS SHOUT, CHEER)

Five minutes!

MAN: Yeah! Fire!

Light 'er up. Get 'er rip.

WOMAN: Go, Lydia!

LYDIA: My octopus finally goes on the hibachi.

(ONLOOKERS CHEER, SHOUT ENCOURAGENT)

Yes! WOMAN: Let's go, Lydia.

WOMAN: Smells delicious.

The smell is pretty good, I have to say.

Going to do the drama of these.

Smart equals flavour.

I'm hoping these flavours are to the judges' liking.

Let me hear that sizzle. I want them to love my octopus.

I want them to love my potatoes. I want them to love my sauce.

I just want them to love it.

Don't you dare stick.

I am panicking.

I really hope that octopus

is beautifully charred and tender.

WOMAN: Yes, Lydia. That looks so good. Is it ready?

I think so.

Please be good.

WOMAN: That occy looks amazing. WOMAN: Doesn't it?

They have so much to choose from.

Oh, my God.

Plating!

MAN: That steak is going to be extremely close.

Oh, my gosh.

I've really pushed the chilling time on this cake

as far as I can go.

WOMAN: You've got this, Jackie.

Go, Jackie.

I need to start decorating.

But I'm really hoping

the filling isn't going to melt all the way through.

Put on the black sesame Chantilly cream

and the yuzu curd.

My hands are just getting shakier and shakier.

I get the black sesame Chantilly cream on the outside.

Time is just slipping away through my fingers.

WOMAN: Yes, Jackie.

I wouldn't say it's the standard that I would usually have,

but hopefully it's enough.

WOMAN: Yes, Jackie!

I really want one of those aprons because

I would absolutely love to build up my cake universe.

Oh, my goodness. Jackie, that looks wicked!

Oh!

Ready? My hands are shaking.

How long? How long?

Every single second counts!

Two minutes to go!

(ONLOOKERS CHEER, SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

WOMAN: Come on! Bring it home!

ANDY: Come on, guys. Push, push, push.

It's all happening. It's all happening.

The elements are gonna have is the beautiful, sweet marron

with my potato gnocchi and that spicy red velvet sauce.

(SIGHS)

There is a lot going on here.

Oh, my goodness.

The marron is looking quite undercooked.

Just the time management. I haven't quite got it right.

MAN: Let's go, mate. This guy's undercooked.

We're gonna have to baste that thing. Butter baste?

Oh, mate. Just get it on the plate.

It's gonna be tight. This is gonna be tight.

30 seconds to go!

(ONLOOKERS CHEER, SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

MAN: Go, Casper. Let's go.

WOMAN: Go, Amy! Look at that.

That is gorgeous.

MAN: Holy dooley!

Come on, come on, come on!

ANDY: Getting down to the wire! You can do it!

No rush.

WOMAN: Oh, my God, oh, my God.

You have to get that on the plate.

We're done and dusted! It's time!

Get it on the plate!

ALL: 9!

8!

7!

6! Let's go!

5!

4!

3!

2!

1!

That is it! Well done!

Well done, guys. WOMAN: Alright.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

WOMAN: Bringing it home!

I'm stressed, guys, that we have to judge this.

Well, that one is in the books.

Your first cook in the MasterChef kitchen.

Hectic, wasn't it?

Yes.

Now, as you know,

there are 20 of you,

but only 10 aprons to give away.

But what we haven't told you

is if your dish really blows us away...

..we'll give you a white apron on the spot.

OK. The first dish we would like to test

belongs to Lydia, please.

(CHEERING)

LYDIA: It looks the part, but, gee, I'm doubting this octopus.

It's now or never. Absolutely.

This is my one chance to get the apron.

What is the name of your dish?

Charred octopus with leek and potato,

and a yoghurt sauce with the dill oil.

Are you nervous? Just a little.

Oh, bless you. Alright, a lot. (LAUGHS)

It's just been such a dream to be here,

and I just can't actually still believe that I am here.

I just want to pinch myself.

Tell us, how much do you want this?

A lot. More than anything.

This is such a great time for me,

and all my dreams are all around food.

I mean, octopus can be very tricky.

Is this the reason why you are nervous?

Because the octopus? Look, I have concerns.

I have a lot of concerns.

Right, Lydia.

We're going to try it.

The question was all about that octopus.

Enough char? Is it tender?

It's perfect.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (LAUGHS)

Not only is the octopus perfect,

I wouldn't change a thing. on the whole dish.

It is sublime.

Oh, thank you.

The potatoes. Like...

You know, when you're in a bath and you start to wrinkle up

because you've been in there that long?

That's the next step for those potatoes.

Because I was sitting in that butter,

having a little spa day for, like, pretty much 90 minutes,

and it's just done the perfect thing for them.

Oh, huh!

Yeah, I am so jealous of your family

who get to eat this food every day of their lives.

Thank you.

Like, that occy just melts in your mouth.

Every texture is like butter.

The potatoes, the leeks,

the occy, and honestly, perfection.

Do you feel better? Oh. So much.

You can unclench. (LAUGHS) OK.

Lydia. I am so glad we finally found you.

Thank you so much.

I mean, this is unbelievable.

The leeks are nice and soft.

Your sauce is exquisite.

You are fa-bu-lous.

I don't think you should be going back home yet.

Ahh! Because it's fantastic!

It is brilliant!

And because of this... (SQUEALS)

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) Allow me.

Thank you, Lord.

Oh, my God, thank you so much!

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE CONTINUES)

What am I doing? What am I doing?

I'm dialling, I'm dialling, I'm dialling, I'm dialling.

OK. OK. Let's go. Husband.

Ah!

Hi, Sam.

I got an apron. I got an apron. I'm on the show!

(CRIES)

They gave it to me on the spot. They loved the octopus.

Ah-ha! I'm sorry, I can't control it.

Ahh! Ha-ha!

Oh! Ah!

Going to go now so I can just...

..pee my pants just a little bit. Ah!

(SAM LAUGHS)

Ah! (CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Oh! (LAUGHS)

This is what it's all about. Wow.

Next up, it's Aaron.

It's a very daunting feeling.

There are less aprons, so there is a lot riding on this.

Go, Aaron.

Haven't had my knees shake like this in a while.

Oh.

Um... Yeah. I'm nervous.

OK. You got our attention. What have you cooked us, Aaron?

I've made a cured kingfish. With an ajo blanco sauce,

some herb oil, chilli oil and seaweed crisps.

You look like a chef, straight up.

I know. I'm like chef, right away.

Just what I aspire to be and... Why? What is it?

More than just the creativity. Just everything about it.

It's, like, the atmosphere. The adrenaline.

You know, the fire of it. The passion.

Yeah. That's good gear.

So, do you want to come and finish it off?

I love so much about you.

And I love so much about this plate of food.

The preparation of the fish

is close to how a chef would do it.

So, well done on that.

The chilli oil's, phh...ripping.

It's got a great amount of smokiness. Really love that.

Great texture, too,

from all the little bits and pieces going on.

Dude, this is serious cooking

in an audition.

I love the juxtapositions here.

So, you've got cool and heat with your sauces

and you've got really crunchy and crisp

and then soft and luscious

with the seaweed crackers and the fish.

I love how all of those things go together.

That is an amazing dish, but I think it's quite simple.

I want to tell you how you can improve.

I think I would have just cut that fish a tiny bit thinner,

because it would have allowed

a lot of that flavour that you've created

to soak in a bit more.

Well done.

I've got good Feedback on my dish. It was near perfect.

but near perfect might not be enough.

I'm just praying, praying, praying

that one of those aprons is for me.

Right. Next one. Jack.

Oh, look at that. Wow.

I've made a squid ink spaghetti with some prawns,

some chillies, a pipi veloute

and finishing with a parsley oil.

Oh, yes.

I think this is exceptional.

I love your ink noodles.

The sauce is what makes everything together.

You've got it.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

Brittany.

This is Brit's Balanced Khao Soi.

I have taken one of my favourite Thai dishes

and recreated it to make a healthier version.

The sauce is, like, literally perfection.

That shows that you've got game.

Oh, my God. Like, everyone else's dishes. It's phh...

Ami.

Just the class and calibre of people here...

Oh, wow.

..is just mental.

WOMAN: I have made a mango and rose falooda.

It tastes so much

like every Indian dessert that I've ever tried,

but it's all in one bowl.

It kind of feels like eating confetti

in a really beautiful way.

So, they've just knocked it out of the park.

Thai lace garden.

What amazed me the most

is how the hell you've managed to retain the flavours

and importantly, having the right seasoning.

Thank you.

I'm terrified. It's going to be stiff, this competition.

So, I've made you a fig leaf-wrapped fish.

And then on the side you've got a grilled grape salsa

and an avgolemono sauce.

Casper, this is wild.

The flavours are all over the Mediterranean.

I've never had anything like that.

And I think you absolutely nailed it.

We'd love to try your dish, Olaolu.

My life so far has, you know,

all come together to lead to this moment.

I want to make sure that I do some Nigerian food justice,

but I'm also terrified.

I'm nervous.

MasterChef is everything I've ever wanted to do.

I absolutely need an apron.

I've come this far. I just have to get it.

Olaolu, what have you made?

I've made rice with ofada stew

and some plantain and a coconut and carrot sambal.

You've been very brave to bring tripe.

I went back and forth about it.

I really want to just kind of honour my roots

and kind of do what I can

to be part of the people who are making Nigerian culture

more front and centre in Australia.

And I thought, you know what?

You only do this, I don't know, maybe once, so, go all in.

Olaolu, this is just a window

into an entirely different world.

And I think Australia needs more of it.

Thank you.

It's so sweet and meaty and comforting.

It's got those lovely spices through it,

but incredible umami

that's just holding everything together

with the rice and with the sweetness of the banana

and your magical touch of this sambal,

it works so well.

I think it's a phenomenal dish.

And I'm really glad you kept the offal in there

because the texture is phenomenal.

This is probably the best tripe I have so far.

You're talking about the lining of the stomach

and the way you did it,

you got the flavours into the dish, the sweetness.

It's just fantastic.

This is probably the best plantain

that I have so far in my life.

(CHEERING)

I'm getting emotional. I never get emotional. That's crazy.

What's making you watery eyed?

I don't know. Like, it's...

There's a lot happening in my head right now.

You know, that initial feeling of moving to England

and trying to fit in so much

and coming here and then leaning into, um, my upbringing

and seeing that kind of appreciated.

And, yeah, it's... I didn't expect this.

It just means so much more than I thought than I thought I did.

Oh, bless you. Yeah.

It does stuff to people, this place.

Yeah, it does.

It is really moving to be able to experience this.

And I love that this is,

this represents your story of migration

and a bit of your struggle

and also a reclaiming of your roots,

because I went through that in real time

in this kitchen in season one.

So, well done for just being here and sharing your story.

Thanks, Po.

Wait, wait. Wait, wait.

Can we maybe take a little vote?

I think so.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

(CHANTING FROM THE GANTRY) Apron! Apron! Apron! Apron!

Let's go!

This is unreal. I can't believe it.

I'm shaking like a leaf.

I appreciate it, thank you. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Thank you. Well done, mate.

This is ridiculous.

Oh, what a life.

Next up, Alita.

(CHEERING)

My dish looks absolutely beautiful.

And I just hope that those Peruvian flavours

are good enough to get me an apron.

Wow.

Because I'm not ready to go home.

Alita, what did you cook?

I cooked you a passionfruit tuna tiradito.

Alita, it is plain and simple...

..I absolutely love that dish.

It's one of those dishes,

as soon as you poured that sauce on,

you were hoping for, like, brightness and freshness

and zing and texture,

it delivered in spades.

You have put your best foot forward in this audition,

so you should be super stoked.

Thank you so much, Andy.

Alita, I love the dish.

I love the floral notes of the chilli

that went so well with the perfume of the passionfruit.

And just that ton of acidity

is just so refreshing.

Well done.

And I love your very, you've got a very Zen vibe.

Thank you.

It's bright, it's tropical. It's balanced.

You've chosen a fantastic fish for it.

The tuna is, you know, really oily.

So, you've got, you know,

that little sesame crust for fattiness

as well as the avocado

and then all that beautiful garden freshness

from the coriander.

It's a winner. It's so lovely.

(CHEERING)

I'm feeling excited.

But also I'm just praying so hard

that my dish is still good enough

to secure me one of those aprons.

Let's have it, Jake.

An eye fillet with a garlic mash,

charred shallots and a crispy leek with a jus.

It's probably a touch under.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like, you were bloody close. Yeah.

Steak's definitely rare.

Shallots are a little bit raw

and, yeah, the sauce is split.

I think you could have had better days.

Grace.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

I've made tortellini in brodo with radicchio.

The broth was very delicate.

I would have liked a little bit more substance

because the filling has got some game.

Amy.

Boeuf bourguignon

with pomme puree,

green beans and petit baguettes.

Just a little reduction on that sauce.

The pressure cooker,

all the moisture goes in and back in.

So, you need to bring that down a little bit.

Tim.

It's a spicy pumpkin and ricotta

with basil ravioli

with a sage butter sauce.

I think I would have burnt the butter.

Yeah.

Just to add another dimension, and a little bit more salt.

Some of these dishes are looking absolutely amazing,

but not everyone is nailing it, so I'm getting really nervous.

Lucy.

Hello.

I've made a duck tsukemen,

which is a dipping ramen with a mala soup base.

The only problem I have is the duck is undercooked.

Yeah.

It is so easy to make mistakes in this kitchen.

And I'm really freaking out about the inside of my cake.

Jackie, you're next.

There were definitely elements that were rushed,

so I'm so nervous

I am having an out-of-body experience right now.

So, tell us what you made.

So, I've made you a black sesame and yuzu cake.

Inside, we've got a black sesame chiffon,

a yuzu curd wrapped in a black sesame Chantilly cream

and a feuilletine crisp on top.

Have to be very brave cooking a whole chiffon cake.

It's what's on the inside that counts, Jackie.

Whoa. Whoo...

That is a good cross section.

If it tastes as good as it looks,

it is going to be magnificent.

Yeah. It is. Wow.

Jackie.

That, um, chiffon is textbook.

Really, really good. Just velvety. So light.

And the sesame in it just gives it

this lovely richness and nuttiness.

And then I really love

that you've balanced the sweetness of that yuzu curd,

which is really nice and sharp,

with a cream that you haven't sweetened very much at all.

It's a really, really good job.

Well done.

That was all the technical stuff. It's bloody delicious.

This cake right here,

is just something that we don't see

at this stage in auditions.

I am blown away. Flavour is right up my alley.

It just goes yuzu, yuzu, yuzu, yuzu, black sesame.

And it's like it's perfect.

Jackie, wow.

It's like wow, wow.

I love this cake.

It is so good.

I think the fact that it's not too sweet

means I could eat this absolutely any time of day,

maybe even for breakfast.

If you can pull something like this, on a day like today,

I cannot wait to see more of you.

OK, let's. Let's have a little huddle.

I can't fault that.

I think we should. I agree with you.

You're the cake lass. Jackie...

..I've got something for you.

Oh, my God.

Yeah, Jackie.

It's something that I never thought I could achieve as well.

And I think I've had so much encouragement and support

from everyone around me.

And to be up here to be holding one of these now

is so special.

This is not real.

Oh.

We'd love to try your food, Annabel.

Some butter poached leeks

with a hazelnut pangrattato and creme fraiche emulsion.

Everything is peaking

from the sweet-and-sour leeks to the creme fraiche.

Just like, "Oh..."

Like, what? What is this place?

Who are you people? I know.

It's unfathomable how high the bar is.

Vamos, Jonathan.

Chicken and nopales mixiote,

some Mexican-style red rice with some tortillas.

Nopales, they've got

this citrusy kind of earthy flavour to them.

Amazing. Delicioso.

Thank you.

Kaiser.

I've made you a thali today.

So, lentil dahl, Bombay potatoes,

turmeric rice and mustard chicken.

I think you've accomplished a lot in the 90 minutes,

so you have to be congratulated for that.

Love the dhal. So, so delicious.

Beautiful rice. Potatoes were lovely.

By golly, this is... this is crazy, guys.

Like, I'm flipping out

because we only have a certain amount of aprons to give out.

Next dish we'd love to taste is Jeff!

Mouth-watering malai chicken and prawn dumplings

with vinegar, soy, sesame dressing.

I'm not throwing this out lightly.

I think that's the best dumpling dish I've had in here.

To open up a filling,

which just hits every note that you want it to.

That was insane.

Jeff, you're going to have to take off

your beautiful rainbow apron.

Swap it out for this white one. Yeah, MasterChef!

Oh. Woo!

Can everybody stop being so good out there?

You are making our jobs way too hard.

Right. Finally. Luke.

There's been four aprons get awarded on the spot.

But that's my dream.

I want that white apron so bad

it would mean everything to me.

But I'm nervous about that marron.

My whole dish is riding on it.

I'm really nervous that it's undercooked.

So tell us, Luke, what is your dish?

Pan-fried gnocchi with a West Australian marron,

my spicy red velvet sauce and a basil oil.

Are you pleased with the marron?

Uh, I'm not sure, to be honest.

Well...

..Luke, it is great.

You are fantastic.

Trying to work out

how the hell such a young kid

to end up juggling with marron.

Gnocchi, cooked two ways.

A velvet sauce.

This most amazing, beautiful basil oil

is good.

You've got something. Thank you so much.

Luke, I just want to set the record straight.

Your marron is perfectly cooked.

(APPLAUSE)

The sauce is divine. It's got this wonderful peppery spice.

Beautiful gnocchi.

Love the crust you've got on that.

Tiny little bit dense.

Especially when you've got that beautiful light marron.

But, wow. Well done.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

I know I'm definitely in with a shot today.

I reckon just, like, it's a 50/50 chance.

I need one of those white aprons bad.

Huge props to you all.

Four of you have already received an apron

because your dishes were spectacular.

But that means we only have

six left to give out.

If we call your name, please step forward.

The first one really showed us a luscious sauce.

So, please come forward to claim your apron...

..Alita!

Now the real fun starts. I can't believe it.

I'm ecstatic.

I feel really blessed, to be perfectly honest.

This next dish showed a massive amount of technique.

Jack!

This next dish. It was simple, but it was bloody delicious.

Annabel!

AARON: Seeing everyone get an apron, it's amazing.

They're so amazing.

Like, the food that they put up. It was stunning.

Casper!

But it's a very daunting feeling.

Yeah, if I don't get one, I'll pretty devastated.

It's a big deal.

It's you. Meg.

I really don't know what's going to happen.

There's only one apron left.

The last dish

gave us bags of flavour,

tons of textures

and it looked like it came

fresh off the pass at a restaurant.

Aaron.

Yeah, I got it.

Ah, man.

All the hard work has paid off, you know?

This is a step towards a dream.

So, the ten of you, welcome to MasterChef.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

Your dream is now a reality. Well done.

To those of you who didn't receive an apron tonight...

..you're not heading home just yet.

You'll all be cooking again later in the week,

where you'll get a second chance to win an apron.

LUKE: Oh, that is incredible.

I thought I was done.

I thought my MasterChef dreams were over, but they're back,

and I am ready to go.

I did not see this coming at all. Oh, I had no idea.

I'm coming with everything.

And I'm getting one of those white aprons.

ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow night...

What a massive start to the competition.

..20 more of the country's best home cooks...

Pressure is on. The standard is so high.

..battle it out for a spot in the competition.

I want the apron like crazy.

If I get an apron. I could win the trophy.

And one dish...

I'm making a porchetta panino.

..will decide their fate.

You're making a panini? Yeah.

Ten aprons up for grabs.

And you're making a sandwich?

Captions by Red Bee Media