Original subtitles

VINNIE: Good luck. Kill it.

PETRO: Alrighty.

(APPLAUSE)

CONTESTANTS: Oh!

He's in his whites.

Hello, hello, hello!

CASPER: I love it when he's in his chef's whites.

LUKE: He does look good in them.

AARON: He does look great.

Jean-Christophe, he's looking very dapper

in his chef's whites, that's for sure.

Morning.

This week is all about preparing you for the finals.

But the sad truth is not all of you will be there.

Today's elimination won't be easy,

but if you get through it,

you'll be top five of MasterChef 2026.

ANDY: Luke, you've come up clutch

in the last few eliminations.

Like, what happens

if today's the day

that you come up short?

Just miss that top five?

That'd be devastating.

Yeah, these guys are class,

but the one thing I can give is that I'm not going to give up.

Aaron, what have you sacrificed to be here?

Uh...

..time with my partner.

Um...

..leaving my family business.

That's a big call, a big decision

to go out on your own, because this is sort of

the first step for you, isn't it?

Yeah.

To make the decision to leave my family business

was probably the hardest thing I've had to do, to date.

I remember that day just like it was yesterday, actually.

I was in my office. I had the letter in my hand.

When my dad was like, "What's this?" I was like...

It took me a minute to actually say.

It was such a hard thing to do,

but I needed to do it.

You know, every...every step I make forward here

is just more validation in my decision,

and makes me want to keep going

because I learn so much more, and I prove to myself

that I am capable, and that, you know?

I have what it takes to go out there.

What's the family saying when you call them,

or when they call you back home?

They're saying that, at this point,

no matter what happens, happens, that I've made them so proud.

Um...

Yeah. It feels good to make them proud.

Yeah.

To make it to top five,

it just proved that I knew what I was doing,

that I made the right choice.

And I'm going down a path that is right for me.

You may have already guessed

which judge has set today's challenge.

(LAUGHTER)

So, you won't be surprised when I tell you

it's been set by a multi-Michelin starred,

classically trained French chef.

What you might not know

is our resident Frenchie is also an expert saucier.

Over to you, Jean-Christophe.

Oh, yes. (CHUCKLES)

I've always loved something saucy.

(LAUGHTER)

Sauces are one of the foundations

of French cooking.

And I'm going to show you two of my favourites.

Are you ready?

Come on, allez, allez! Vinnie, too.

A Jean-Christophe sauce masterclass

is like really, really valuable,

especially at this point in the comp.

I mean, French basic techniques are, like, the foundations

of a lot of cooking.

And if you are able to nail those basics,

like, you can do a lot.

In French cooking,

there are five mother sauces.

I'm going to show you two of them.

One is sauce espagnole,

and one is sauce veloute.

So, sauce espagnole will go with anything like red meat,

especially something which has been grilled,

barbecue.

Now, there is no great cooking without a good stock.

The stock is the heart.

This is beef veal

mixed with a mirepoix.

The stock takes time to be reduced.

What we do now, we are going to make a sauce.

So, I've got a pan which is hot.

And we're going to introduce a little bit of butter.

We're going to make a roux.

And the roux is basically speaking...

It's just a thickening agent.

So, we're gonna make it aromatic by using a bouquet garni.

We're gonna add to it some shallots,

just for some flavours.

A bit of garlic.

Even with the skin, it doesn't matter.

And then,

when the butter is colouring enough, we add the flour.

So, always equal the fat,

the content of butter,

and the flour.

This is a good stage to add flavour to your sauce.

I've added some rosemary and thyme.

You can add your spices.

You can use cinnamon stick,

bay leaves, curry powder, smoked paprika.

So, when you come to this colour,

then we start adding tomato paste.

And the reference of 'espagnole',

if you look back in the time,

the red colour of the sauce,

which is colour of the Spanish flag.

Ah! Yum.

Gradually, we just add the stock.

It's really interesting watching Jean-Christophe

make these sauces.

Now, one thing I haven't done yet is seasoning.

The thing that I'm picking up from this

is where you can put flavour in.

And then, we balance it

with different things,

like honey.

This is what I use.

I think it's more subtle, but you can use sugar.

You can use any type of sweetness here.

But sweetness - acidity.

So, it can be two choices - lemon, vinegar.

ANNABEL: He's really breaking down the steps

for how to layer flavours at different points,

in building this sauce really well.

So, this is another stage

where you can change your idea and add some flavours.

For example, I could have

a little bit

of bitter chocolate.

So, you can have a bit of vanilla.

You can use a bit of soya sauce.

You can have anything.

I'm understanding, like, the foundations

of how to build these sauces.

So, then, you can take that and tailor it,

and put your own little spin on it, which is cool.

One little trick that I do,

which is bizarre...

You will think, "In French cooking,

"adding ginger in your sauce?"

Yes, and I noticed it worked very well.

So, this is my sauce espagnole.

Michelin-star sauce. Yeah.

Now, I'm going to show you my sauce veloute.

And a sauce veloute will go with anything

like white meat, fish.

So, you start the same way, with the roux,

except having the roux which has been coloured to brown,

you keep it nice and blonde.

Why? Because the veloute sauce

will end up to become a white sauce.

AARON: Getting a masterclass from Jean-Christophe is amazing.

Learning directly

from a Michelin-starred chef.

Then, we add the flour.

So, do you remember the amount

of flour and butter, which is...?

PETRO: One to one.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Exactly. Well done.

This is definitely, like, inspiring me

to put a spin on my sauces.

Now, you can add some wine if you want, some alcohol.

This just adds to my wheelhouse,

and hopefully I can use that to get past this elimination.

If you don't want the flavour of alcohol,

you can use grape juice, orange juice.

You can use anything. It's absolutely fantastic.

There is no limit.

And then, we add the stock.

So, I will be using chicken stock.

You can use seafood.

You can use shellfish,

pass it through a sieve several times if you can.

Yummy!

Going to give you an idea of two different plates, yeah?

Using both sauces, you've got

a lovely piece of beef

with a nice pomme mousseline.

Then, we have poached chicken supreme

with a wilted endive.

Bon appetit.

CASPER: Jean-Christophe's espagnole tastes amazing.

It's really, really rich.

Like, you can taste the depth in it.

The veloute, served with that poached chicken,

as well, is, like, a perfect pairing.

It doesn't overpower the chicken.

It's delicious.

I love that.

But the energy in the room is pretty tense.

It's elimination, and everyone in here is really good cooks.

Michelin-star chef and saucier Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Thank you. Woo!

(APPLAUSE)

Jean-Christophe has showed you two beautiful

and versatile sauces.

Now, you need to choose one

and pair it with the perfect dish.

We're giving you 75 minutes

and an open pantry and garden.

There are so many ways you can add your signature touch

to either sauce.

What flavours you use

and the direction that you take is totally up to you.

The least impressive dish will send its maker home.

Jean-Christophe, any last words?

I can see you've been taking some notes, which is great.

Your time starts now.

Good luck. Good luck.

ANNABEL: Sorry.

Chives, chives, chives!

Definitely feeling inspired.

Those sauces are so versatile.

Like, we can add whatever we want, our own flair.

Like, the world's our bloody oyster,

which direction you want to go.

So, you made up your mind, yeah? Uh-huh.

You know exactly what you want to do.

Same for you, Aaron? Exactly what I want to do.

I want to do a bloody good job.

Not just because I want to stay in the comp,

but because I want to do it for Jean-Christophe as well.

Cream.

PETRO: Oh, that's right.

Celeriac.

I'm thinking of the two sauces,

and I'm thinking, "Which one's going

"to pack a bigger punch in my dish?"

You're making a veloute?

Uh, no. No?

I'm making a version of the espagnole.

Ooh.

Go, Petro. Go, Petro!

He's got a big duck in his hand.

POH: A duck? SOFIA: Yep.

PETRO: So, my dish will be a pan-seared duck breast,

with a dark sauce and fig gastrique

and some celeriac puree.

I've chosen to cook this dish

because I haven't cooked anything

that's classical French yet,

and I've never cooked duck in the kitchen either.

So, I feel like this is a way

to push myself and to showcase my skills.

I think I'm going to be able

to pack some big-hitting flavours

in the dark sauce of the espagnole.

Jean-Christophe has given us pre-prepared stock,

which I'll also be using,

but I'll be boosting that

with adding duck bones.

I'll be adding a mirepoix,

which is celery, carrot and shallots.

I'll be adding cognac.

I want to pack as much flavour in as I can.

There's a lot riding on this.

It would mean so much to make top five.

I love this competition,

I've got more to offer,

and I really don't want to be going home today.

Go, Caspy!

Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo!

That's a big dog, mate.

CASPER: It's big dog, mate.

Come on, Annabel. Come on, Annabel!

Let me carry that for you. Thank you.

Bloody hell, it's... (LAUGHS) Hurry up.

Come on, Lukey!

Orange juice! Orange juice, yeah.

Jean-Christophe, it was so lovely to see you

in your chef's whites, in your element.

I felt like I was in your cooking school,

and it's just so great to see all of them just

so wide-eyed, watching you teach them these foundational skills.

And I'm so excited for today's challenge.

What do you want to see today?

So, I want them to put a bit of 'je ne sais quoi'

into one of those two sauces

to make it something very different,

something new, something that might even inspire me.

Combine the sauce with the right ingredients,

the right proteins, and try to make sure it balances well

as a finishing product.

Need to get both of those things really right

because the bottom dish is going home today.

Yeah. Yes.

ANNABEL: Poor fish died in vain.

Oh, it's got teeth! Come on, Annabel!

CPR, mate.

(CHUCKLES)

I'm gonna go with a blue-eye cod today,

and I'm gonna do the veloute.

I appreciate a good sauce, so I think my strategy

is to just do something that's really going

to hero the sauce.

I'm thinking of the veloute,

and I remember tasting it, being like,

"I can literally add whatever flavour I want to this."

And I'm thinking, you know,

what would kind of be fun

is, like, a play on, like, a fish and chips.

I feel like, with a fish and chips,

the really, really good thing about it is, like,

that beautiful sauce that goes with it.

I'm not going to, like, do a tartare,

but I want to do a little bit of a play on it.

I want to use the head and the wings and the tail

to make a beautiful fish stock for the base for this veloute.

And then, I'm going to add the capers,

some lemon juice, some parsley, some dill,

some chives and Dijon mustard

because it's a French sauce challenge.

And it wouldn't be a French sauce without a bit of Dijon.

Just lost a couple of garlics. That's OK.

Far out!

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: So, I guess, if you got fish, you're going

to be doing a veloute? CASPER: Yep.

Good choice.

I'm going to make my own fish stock.

I really want to make it more of a richer veloute.

So, not as light as Jean-Christophe's today.

It's going to pair really well with that more robust

cooking style that I will have on my fish.

Hey, Casper.

Hello. How are you guys going? How are you going?

How are you? I'm good. Yeah.

So, tell us what you're making today.

So, today, I'm going to be doing some blue-eye cod

on the hibachi, and then I'm going

to be pairing with that a veloute.

So, I'll do a fish stock with some sauteed fennel.

And I'm also going to do

the Japanese ingredients that I'm, I guess, familiar with.

When you gave the demonstration up the front,

you could see every single point

where you can put that flavour in.

Yes.

So, when you're putting in the wine, in the veloute...

Yes. ..I can put sake in,

and I can put, like, a little bit of white soy, and I can

use mirin to sweeten it. Yeah. Just think about that...

Um-hm.

..because I think there is a chance that that charriness

of the fish, if you really go for it...

Yeah. ..might overpower

all those beautiful, gentle flavours in the veloute.

Your sauce and your dish must work very well together,

in harmony. Yeah.

Good luck. Thank you.

Good luck, Casper. Well done.

Knowing the concerns that the judges have,

I'm really going to have to focus and make sure

that the fish doesn't overpower the sauce.

Just going to pump this a little bit.

I had that same thought,

like, making my veloute a bit more robust.

So, that's why I've gone for a bit of a char on my veg,

and I'm going to go for, like, a bit more colour

on my fish for my veloute,

so it does have a bit more body.

OK, guys,

I can smell... (SNIFFS) ..something saucy.

One hour to go.

(CHUCKLES) (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

What's happening, Aaron? What are you making?

AARON: I'm taking inspiration from the veloute,

and I'm going to try and impart

some Asian flavours into it as well,

just to make it a bit fusion-y.

And I'm trying to make a sort of seafood sauce

with a trio of seafood -

so I've got mussels, pipis and scallops.

Yum. Beautiful.

Generally, it represents who I am and where I want to go.

So, you know, I really want to have Asian-inspired dishes

that have French techniques and, like, cooking techniques

and all that as well,

just to bring my little flair

to the things that I learned along the way.

This dish is all about the sauce,

so I'm slowly building it up.

Going into the stock, there's a lot

of classical French flavours and aromats,

but I'm imparting that Asian side

by using Shaoxing wine and white soy,

some rice wine vinegar, as well, to add a bit of brightness.

Aaron, you're doing veloute, yeah?

Yeah.

But I don't want it to be overpowering.

In my mind, it's not meant to be either Asian-forward

or European-forward.

It's supposed to be...

..a fusion.

What are you making, Luke?

LUKE: I'm trying to get some breadcrumbs.

I've been in the most eliminations out of anyone,

by, like, a country mile.

But just giving that extra 10%,

or just adding this extra element,

or just pushing the last five to ten seconds has managed

to save me from elimination so many times.

Today, I'm trying to channel that

and put up a dish that is going to blow the judges away.

Today, I'm gonna go with the espagnole.

I'm going to try and pair it with this beautiful lamb rack,

and make it kind of bougie.

A lamb rack on its own really isn't enough,

so we're gonna have to elevate it a little bit.

I want to go with kind of a Middle Eastern vibe.

Spice the lamb rack with some hazelnuts,

cumin, coriander,

and then go orange into the sauce.

Chuck in a little bit of black garlic in there as well.

And then, I'm thinking just, like, some nice

oven-roasted figs,

some Brussels sprouts.

I'm not quite sure about the other elements.

I've got the lamb and the sauce, and I'm gonna nail those.

And everything else will just work with it.

My plan is to make sure

that I've got all my other elements done,

and then start on the sauce.

The plan for this lamb is medium rare,

so I'm just sealing the outside now.

I'm then going to crust it,

and then I'm going to put it in the oven.

How you doing, Lukey? Looks very nice.

Nice, French. Yeah. Thanks, brother.

Watching Luke put his crust on his lamb...

..there's a really thick piece of fat cap

on that lamb rack

that he hasn't really rendered down.

I'm hoping that it renders well in the oven,

because if not,

that could be a really big issue for his final dish.

But at the same time, having watched Luke,

this man just turns it on during eliminations,

and he pulls it out very, very well.

Nice.

Can move on to my figs.

What would you have done?

Veloute or espagnole, Vinnie? Espagnole.

Espagnole! My favourite.

(CHUCKLES)

POH: You don't have all day to veloute -

30 minutes to go!

(APPLAUSE)

ANNABEL: Nice.

I'm just trying to make some fish and chips,

but, like, obviously, my take on it.

I'm going to use the veloute as a sauce.

So, I, like, have a fish stock, and I'm going to flavour it

with, like, similar flavourings,

like, I guess, a play on a tartare.

My stock tastes awesome.

I've really extracted enough fish flavour,

and starting to form the base of this veloute.

I'm flavouring it with capers, some lemon juice,

some parsley, some dill.

I'm going to add a little bit of my own flair

with some Dijon mustard.

And I'm going to add my little secret weapon -

some shirodashi

because that goes with seafood so well -

and just leave it to develop those flavours.

I need to crack on with my potatoes now.

VINNIE: Are they just spuds, nothing else?

Nothing else.

These chips that I'm attempting have about 50 million steps.

They're, like, potato that I am grating,

and then I am steaming in the microwave

until just cooked.

OK, gonna make the butter.

Just making my butter

to put through my hash brown mixture

to, like, bind it together.

And then, I'm going to get that into the blast chiller

and compress it down.

And then, I need to freeze it, chop it up,

fry it at 160 degrees, take it out, cool that,

and then fry it again at 180.

I would like my hash browns to be frying

at 20 minutes to go,

so I'm going to make sure that happens.

This is definitely something

I'm attempting for the first time,

which, on an elimination day, is maybe not the smartest idea,

but I think it makes sense in my head.

How you doing, Lukey? LUKE: Good, big dog.

I've got my lamb in the oven,

and I've got my figs in the oven.

The Brussels sprouts are prepped and ready to go.

I get a second to think about the dish.

I think this dish needs something

that it's going to cut through all the sweetness.

I'm also going to do some radicchio.

I think I'm going to just quickly char it in the pan,

in a bit of olive oil, and just get a nice sear on it.

I'm hoping that it'll bring just a bit of relief.

There's quite a bit of sweetness going on.

I've now got a lot of elements.

I've got the lamb and the lamb crust.

I've got the sauce, I've got my figs.

Now I've got the radicchio as well.

I'm not sure about the brussels sprouts.

I'm just gonna leave them,

kind of finish off the dish, really.

Luke is adding and removing elements of his dish,

but he hasn't actually started his sauce espagnole.

Everyone else has been developing

the flavours of their sauces the entire cook.

This whole challenge is about the sauce.

I don't know if he's left it too late.

SOFIA: Jean-Christophe. Yes, sorry.

How long do you think you need to make a good sauce espagnole?

Because Luke's only just started.

But if he's just making a sauce with 20 minutes left,

and he's adding all these different ingredients,

he's just not going to leave himself very much time

to balance it. No, you're right.

Where's your sauce? Sauce?

I'm doing it just now. OK.

Yeah, I did leave it a little bit late.

Chop-chop.

I'm excited I've worked this dish out,

and these elements, they're making sense in my head.

But this sauce, it hasn't even been started.

I've got the beautiful stock that was in the pantry.

A good sauce needs technique,

but even more importantly, it needs time.

And with less than 20 minutes to go,

it's probably not my wisest move.

And now, I'm gonna throw in a little bit of black garlic,

just for some umami.

To bolster this orange flavour in the sauce,

I'm adding in a little bit of the Grand Marnier.

It needs more seasoning.

I haven't left myself, really, any time to balance the sauce.

I need to pull some sort of miracle out of the bag.

I'm not ready to go home.

Top five is on the line.

14 minutes to go!

Come on!

VINNIE: Go, guys! Keep pushing.

(APPLAUSE)

I am multi-tasking up the wah-ha-zoo right now.

I've got my fish cooking in the pan.

I'm just working on my sauce as well.

I'm just gonna taste it.

This sauce tastes awesome.

Like, it's definitely reminding me of a tartare,

but, like, so rich.

It's really interesting,

and I've never had anything like it before, which is cool.

What are you going to do with this?

Um, coat my hashed potatoes in it.

And now, it is potato-cooking time.

She knows what she's doing.

This one is the most unexpected -

veloute with fish and chips. SOFIA: Fish and chips.

ANNABEL: I am chopping my potato up

into baton-size that would, like, replicate a chip.

SOFIA: They look like polenta fingers.

Yeah. It looks like polenta.

ANNABEL: And then, I'm going to do the first fry at 160,

and the second fry at 180 degrees.

Cook on the seafood is going well.

I'm cooking in three different ways -

prawns on the hibachi,

scallops in a pan,

and have it opaque in the middle.

So, I want it borderline sashimi-esque.

VINNIE: Nice, Aaron.

And with the mussels, I Want it to just be steamed

and just open, still juicy.

Sauce, it just needs

a touch of the creme fraiche, maybe a touch of cream as well.

I might add some ginger in there,

just to bring a bit of brightness.

I'm putting a lot of attention into the sauce.

I'm slowly building it, seasoning, I'm tasting,

I'm making sure I get the right texture.

So, with the fusion of, like, your Asian and French,

I've played around with it.

I've held back on the fish sauce, especially,

because I didn't want that to push it over the edge.

I've used a bit more subtle flavours,

like the shio koji, the white soy,

and the rice vinegar.

I think I've got the flavours there.

Let's go, Petro!

PETRO: Definitely feeling the pressure.

French food was probably my biggest weakness,

especially sauces, coming into the comp.

So, um, there's a lot riding on this.

I've got my duck,

I've got my jus, I've got my puree.

I've got a lot going on and not a whole lot of time.

I have cooked duck...

..three times in my life.

It's a very new protein for me,

but I'm just going to treat it how I would any other protein.

I'm going to cook it about 90% on the fat side,

and then put it in the oven to finish off.

I still have to finish off my sauce.

My stock's been cooking for such a long time.

It's developed so much flavour.

And now, I need to thicken my stock with my roux.

Needs something.

Uh...

Let's open this.

I'm going to add a little bit of dark chocolate

and a little bit of the orange juice.

Spices go in, and then, if it still needs

a little more acidity, I can boost it

with a little bit of vinegar.

The espagnole is looking great.

The consistency is perfect.

It's got a beautiful gloss.

It's just lit up.

Alright, let's cut into one of these.

I slice open my duck breast...

Not bad.

..and it is perfect.

Perfect. (CHUCKLES)

I couldn't ask for a more perfect cook.

Oh, boy! Alright.

Top five on the line. Five minutes to go.

(APPLAUSE)

CASPER: I'm so happy with my veloute.

You can definitely taste kombu vinegar in there.

You can really taste the fish as well.

It's a rich stock that I've built.

Using, like, the non-traditional ingredients,

and maybe, like, using a bit more

of a harshly cooked protein,

with a sauce that is normally a little bit lighter

is sort of the rules that I'm, like, flaunting with today.

I need to nail the balance of the sauce

to the cook on the fish,

because it's going to have a very strong flavour.

I am, like, breaking a few rules here, like we said,

pushing some boundaries.

But I think, at this stage, in the competition as well,

kind of can't play it safe.

And if I can pull this off,

I know I'm going to have a good dish.

It's coming together pretty well.

Yeah, like, the skin is releasing,

which is exactly what I want to see.

I really want to nail this,

and I'm definitely not ready to go home yet.

Two minutes to go! (APPLAUSE)

VINNIE: Come on, guys, get it on the plate!

That sauce looks so good.

ANNABEL: My second fry is done on my chips.

Nice!

They look so good when they come out.

I'm so happy!

I'm tasting everything together, and I'm really happy.

I feel like the vision has come to life on the plate,

and that is, like, literally the best feeling ever.

30 seconds!

Come on, guys!

Last push!

Let's go!

OK.

Oh. (SIGHS) Get it on the plate.

I finally start plating up this dish.

I've got the figs and the radicchio,

the lamb rack,

and it actually starts to look OK.

I'm just trying to throw everything at the sauce

to make it work.

But I'm running out of time here.

This thing's just got to go.

I'm just hoping that somehow, some way,

this sauce is up to Jean-Christophe's standard,

and it's enough to keep me here.

Time's up in ten....

JUDGES AND VINNIE: Nine, eight,

seven, six,

five, four,

three, two,

one!

That's it, everybody!

SOFIA: Well done.

Good job, everyone!

CASPER: I am feeling pretty confident.

I didn't get a chance to try,

like, with the actual fish itself,

but I think it shouldn't be too much

for the veloute.

When it's five people,

there's always a risk you can be going home.

POH: Hi, Petro. Hello. How's it going?

I have taken a bit of a gamble today...

..because I haven't cooked anything

that's classical French yet,

and I have never cooked duck

in the kitchen either.

So, I am crossing my fingers.

Hopefully, my gamble has paid off.

Petro,

tell us, what have you made?

So, today, I've made espagnole duck.

So, I've got pan-seared duck,

I have celeriac puree,

and then I have fresh segments of fig.

Thank you, Petro. Thank you, guys.

ANDY: Thanks, mate. And good luck.

Thanks, Petro. Well done. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

So invited by the gloss.

Mmm! The colour.

Let's see how it's turned out.

Well, well, well... (LAUGHS)

(LAUGHS)

I'm flabbergasted.

It is unbelievable.

I absolutely love it.

He's nailed the sauce.

Having orange juice,

different spices

and different herbs - it is just phenomenal.

The mash is super delicious,

and the duck is unbelievable.

That is a damn fine dish.

It is so delicious.

And I think the sauce is absolutely where it's at.

The viscosity of it, the texture,

how silky and glossy it is -

he couldn't have done a better job.

And, Jean-Christophe, that tastes like a sauce

that I think someone like you would make.

I love that he really made that sauce the hero of the dish,

and then he built around it.

Yeah. I think that was really smart.

And even though it was really scary for him

to cook duck today, which was new territory for him as well,

he went there 'cause he knew

that it would just pair so well with the sauce,

and I admire that so much.

I feel Petro is the one to watch in this kitchen.

He is a weapon! Yeah.

For sure.

Hey, Casper. Hello.

Hello, Casper. POH: Hi, Casper.

CASPER: I have in the back of my mind

it still could be a bit of a risk -

the cook on the fish on the hibachi.

It could overpower the veloute.

But I really hope that they sort of get

the concept I'm going for here,

and that they can taste that I've balanced.

Casper, what did you make?

I've got my blue-eye cod,

which I did on the hibachi,

pan-seared fennel,

zucchini salad with a bit of vinaigrette and the veloute.

Thanks, Casper. Thank you.

One of the things that Jean-Christophe and I

were really concerned about was whether the veloute

and the char on the fish were going to work together.

And I do feel like the char does overtake the veloute.

All I'm kind of getting is the char on the fish...

..but when I taste it on its own,

it's got all those lovely umami flavours.

There's kombu in there,

and all sorts of things going on.

I adore that volute.

Mmm.

In terms of that sauce, by itself, I love the texture,

I love the depth of flavour that he's got...

Yeah. ..both into the stock

and how he's seasoned it up with all

those Japanese ingredients. Yeah.

But I just don't think it goes with the fish.

Um, I think that the fish...

I'm Captain Char Everything,

but in this case, it doesn't work.

Hello. Hello.

Fish and chips.

It's, like, a real familiar concept.

And, like, eating it will be flavours

that they're familiar with.

But my take on a fish and chips,

it'll be like a whole experience they've never had before.

I'm just really hoping that the judges

like this dish as much as me.

Annabel, what have you made?

I have done my take on a fish and chips.

So, I've done a pan-seared blue-eye cod,

and then I've made some hash brown chips.

And then, I used your veloute as a base for a sauce.

Thank you, Annabel. Good luck.

ANNABEL: Thanks, guys. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Thanks, Annabel.

Thank you very much.

It's just phenomenal.

Mmm, I agree.

It is just crazy.

She's nailed that dish, like...

Bang!

The fish is cooked properly.

We have a great sauce.

She should call it 'My Tartare Veloute'

because she made the tartare-style veloute.

Its balance of acidity, its velvet...

(WHISPERS) Potato! The what?

The potato.

And I was just about to say...

Where's it gone?

(LAUGHS) (CHUCKLES) Oh, no!

Come on, Sofia.

I... No, I don't care,

but this is mine, and you're not gonna have it.

There's not a single thing

that I would change on this plate.

I mean, those hash brown fries?

They're a signature move, as far as I'm concerned.

They're crisp on the outside.

They shatter. It's better than a chip.

And there are not many things that are better than a chip.

OTHERS: Mm-hm.

The fish is perfect and flaky.

It's got crispy skin.

That veloute!

I mean, she's got that little tang of mustard.

And I think by incorporating the flavours

of a tartare into it just so simply, with a bit of dill

and the capers, she's actually added

to the seasoning and the body and the whole experience.

I'll have some more, actually.

I am happy for you

because I can see how excited you are.

And like to do... Yeah! (BOTH LAUGH)

No, seriously, though, to do the demo,

which was so insightful for the contestants today,

I was, like, hoping that we were going to get this.

And now that we've finally got it, I'm so happy that,

you know, your demonstration resulted in this food

because, like, for me, the standout is that sauce.

LUKE: Started on my sauce very last-minute,

but every time I walk into the kitchen,

especially when we're wearing a black apron,

I don't even let myself go into the mindset of,

"What if I go home?"

Luke. Hey, Luke.

Hey, guys. Hi, Luke.

I just think about how it's going to go well,

and I'm going to be here the next day

and how I can do even better.

And so far, it's been working, and I'm hoping

that it can work again today.

Luke, tell us, what have you made?

I've done a spiced lamb rack

with roasted figs, radicchio,

and an orange espagnole.

Luke, it's nearly like deja vu, isn't it? (CHUCKLES)

You sitting in that chair?

How do you think that this plate of food is going to stack up?

I do think it's a dish that I would enjoy eating,

and I've tried to be a little bit creative in some ways.

What if it doesn't?

What if this is the one that finally,

you know, isn't good enough?

Truth be told, it's never a thought that crosses my mind.

Well, mate, for your sake,

I hope this dish is good enough

to give you another cook in this kitchen.

Yeah. Cheers, mate. Thank you.

Good luck, Luke. Good luck, Luke.

OK, first of all,

the espagnole is...

..really glossy. Super glossy.

But the other thing that's capturing my eye the most

is the hunk of fat around the meat.

There is a certain amount of fat cap.

It's a shame too, with the fat,

because apart from that, I really love the plating.

There's some hits and some misses.

I thought the lamb, the eye of the lamb

was cooked really beautifully.

You know, perfect medium-rare.

But the fat cap is a problem.

It's just, like, a huge wedge on top.

And the sauce -

I don't know, I feel like the sauce doesn't really

go with the lamb.

For me, the thing that clashes is the spices in the crust,

the orange zest and the Grand Marnier in the...

..in the sauce.

There's just so many big hitters in there that are really trying

to compete for the number-one spot.

The sauce itself is too sweet.

It's got too much of that orange juice in it.

Even though it looks lovely and glossy when it pours,

it just wasn't cooked long enough

for this to be a successful sauce.

Luke is definitely in trouble.

AARON: I definitely knew it was a risk

trying to impart Asian flavours into a veloute...

Aaron.

Hello.

Aaron.

..and to cook the seafood in three different ways.

But I feel as though this is representative

of what I want to do outside of this kitchen.

To then not make top five off of something like that,

I think it would definitely knock me down a few pegs.

So, tell us, Aaron, please, what have you made?

I made an array of seafood with an Asian-inspired veloute.

I've got some charred prawns, some pan-seared scallops,

and I've got some mussels that were steamed in the stock

that I made with the prawn heads,

the fish stock and the chicken.

Aaron, couldn't help but notice you got a little bit emotional

when talking about your family and, you know, how you felt

a sense of betrayal leaving them

to come and pursue your dreams.

How does that sit at this stage of the competition?

So, there was quite a big role

that I had in the family business.

And, you know, to step away from that was probably

one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do.

We had a massive argument about how it would impact

the way that he'd be able to support the family now,

moving forward and everything. Oh, wow.

And that weighed very heavily on me.

We've reconciled now, me and my dad,

but it sticks with me.

Have you been carrying that weight

this whole competition

of that conversation with your family?

It must be brutal, mate. It's rough.

It's pretty hard to try and silence a lot of that.

Aaron, I want to tell you that even if you...

Let's just say you pop out of here, and you go

and work in restaurants,

and it turns out that it's not what you want to do,

and you go back to the family business,

it is not a failure.

To break away from family convention takes

so much courage.

To have tried and to have...and have failed,

you've actually spent that curiosity,

and that's so important.

That's what life's about. Yeah.

So, no regrets, OK? Yeah.

We hope that this dish keeps you in the competition

for another cook.

Um, but you just never know, mate.

Thanks, Aaron. We'll taste now, mate.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

SOFIA: Thanks, Aaron. Well done.

Um, I think it looks beautiful. Yeah.

But I'm still wrapping my head around how this

is going to taste.

Yeah, but it does look beautiful.

You know, he always plates beautifully.

Is that...is that under?

A bit or...? No, yours is under.

Jean-Christophe, can I see yours?

Is that...is that under?

A bit or...? No, yours is under.

Jean-Christophe, can I see yours?

Yours is about the same as mine.

Bit of a mixed bag, I feel.

My prawn was cooked so well.

Love it.

Mussels, the same thing can be said for those.

My scallop is undercooked.

The veloute itself, I really enjoyed the amount

of heat that's in there with the chilli.

I probably wanted more of the kind of Shaoxing wine

and the Asian ingredients.

Um, because once you get it with the seafood,

it kind of does get lost out.

This really doesn't taste that Asian to me.

I agree with you, Andy.

So, what I'm left with,

because it doesn't punch really hard in the direction

of Asian flavours, is a veloute

that is quite strong and over-seasoned as well.

The other reason I think it comes across

as being quite salty

is because he's put plain proteins

in a bowl with sauce.

If you had just scallops with, like, a beautiful puree,

or something to kind of, you know,

take the edge off a bit... Yeah.

..then the sauce would season the dish as a whole.

But to me, it feels like there's just some seafood,

cooked inconsistently, on a plate with a sauce

that is almost overpowering.

So, I'm...I'm definitely worried for Aaron on this one.

Two dishes really impressed us today.

The first dish showed us a strong sense of style.

It seemed simple,

but it had a lot of perfect techniques.

The veloute sauce

was fan-tas-tic!

Annabel, well done!

(APPLAUSE)

You completely smashed it.

The second dish...

..had a sauce espagnole...

..that felt like it was made

by an expert.

Impressive work, Petro!

Well done! (APPLAUSE)

Thanks very much, mate.

Congratulations, you two.

You are not going anywhere

by cooking like that.

At this point in the competition,

expectations are higher than ever.

And sadly, two of you had faults in your dishes.

Aaron, some of us had scallops that were under,

and your veloute was salty.

Luke,

your sauce looked incredibly glossy

but was overly sweet.

And while the lamb looked perfect,

the unrendered fat cap spoilt the experience.

I'm sorry to say...

..that's why you're going home, Luke.

It's alright.

SOFIA: Luke, food is clearly what you're meant to be doing.

So now, you get to go out into the world

and chase your dream.

Yeah, it's been a lot of fun to just think of food

in a different way,

and to kind of make it everything.

Something I've never done before.

Um, yeah, I'm just really grateful for the opportunity

and for the way you guys look after us.

And, yeah, it's such an awesome experience.

And I've made some friends for life,

which is a real pleasure.

Um, yeah. Yeah.

So... Quite emotional for me, to be honest.

Um...

Yeah, we've been roommates since the start,

and he's just been amazing.

You know, I've never had a brother,

I've been blessed with a sister,

but he's honestly been like my younger brother.

Um, and it's been an absolute blast.

So, I know whatever he decides to do,

he's going to kick some serious goals.

Thanks, mate.

You can see clearly how many people love you, Luke,

because you are unique.

You know, what you've achieved in such a young age

that shows you're going to be going

a very, very long, successful way.

But sadly, for now, it's time to say goodbye.

(APPLAUSE)

LUKE: This competition, in terms of my cooking ability,

it's shown me how much I don't know.

But in terms of me as a person,

it's shown me how much I'm capable of.

POH: You smashed it, Lukey. Oh, thanks, Poh.

You've been amazing.

I came into the competition with...not a great plan.

My plan was, really, just to throw the kitchen sink

at every challenge,

and there was a few where it paid off.

And there was a few, like today, where it didn't.

Ah, gonna miss you, mate.

I'm gonna miss you, too.

Yeah, I've been in a lot of eliminations,

and they finally got the better of me,

so fair play to them.

Give it up for Luke, everybody!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I've enjoyed it so much.

Everyone has just taken me under their wing,

and, they love saying it,

treating me like their little brother.

I wish it didn't end so soon,

but I've got to be pretty grateful

because I didn't think it would go this long.

ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow night,

they've reached this incredible milestone...

AARON: Being top five, it really doesn't feel real.

..and now...

It's time to keep up...

..with me. Come on, please. Come on!

There's a bit going on,

hence why we've got to keep up.

There are two hibachis,

five hobs going.

This is the ultimate test of multi-tasking.

It's one heck of a battle

for immunity.

(CLATTERING) (ANNABEL SCREECHES)

I've got so many balls

in the air at the moment,

and I'm falling further and further behind.

It's only gonna get worse from here.

Petro, your lamb's on fire.

That's not what we want.

Oh, come on, bro.

Captions by Red Bee Media