All language subtitles for MasterChef Australia - S18E53_Eng

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