Original subtitles

VOICEOVER: Previously on MasterChef Australia...

..a pressure test from a seafood legend...

MATT: Just the stuff he does with his fish. It's just awesome.

It's really inspiring.

..was the end of the line for Melanie.

MELANIE: This experience has been absolutely amazing.

And the magnificent Werribee Mansion...

JOCK: We want to see that grandeur on a plate and in your menu.

..was the perfect setting for a bourgie service challenge.

ANDY: Epic dish. Fits the surroundings.

They've turned ordinary ingredients

into an extraordinary plate of food.

Then...

Ooh-hoo.

..who doesn't love 'fryday'?

JULIE: From the air fryer to the deep fryer.

Now we're talking, baby.

When Julie's croquettes...

JOCK: It would be an absolute winner on any bar menu.

..won her a spot on the gantry.

You're going to heaven.

I'm going to heaven. (LAUGHTER)

Tonight, it's an all-in elimination.

BILLIE: I'll have to cook my butt off

because I really want to stay here.

..with a very...

..dramatic...

ALL: Ohh! ..start.

Holy hell.

SONG: # 'Cause you're hot then you're cold

# You're yes then you're no

# You're in then you're out

# You're up then you're down

# You're wrong when it's right

# It's black and it's white

# We fight, we break up

# We kiss, we make up

# You're hot then you're cold

# You're yes then you're no

# You're in then you're out

# You're up then you're down

# You're wrong when it's right

# It's black and it's white

# We fight, we break up

# We kiss, we make up

# You # You don't really wanna stay, no

# You

# But you don't really wanna go-o

# You're hot then you're cold

# You're yes then you're no

# You're in then you're out

# You're up then you're down. #

HARRY: I'm nervous today.

My little belly's flipping around.

Mornin'.

ALDO: Let's do this.

First elimination where everyone's fighting for themselves.

And it's really ominous

that everybody is feeling quite scared of what's to come.

What the hell? Oh, here we go.

In you come. Down the front.

ALVIN: In front of us are the three judges

and behind them is this huge black curtain.

And the mind just goes... It's like, "OK, what?

"What is behind that?"

Are we cooking in a tank?

Or is it a hologram?

Putting up a stage on today.

ABBA's done hologram concerts.

Why not a cooking hologram?

That would be kind of cool, actually.

Good morning, everybody.

ALL: Good morning.

Now, I know I'm slightly upstaged by what's behind me,

but we'll get to that in a minute.

Today is another all-in elimination.

At the end of it, one of you will be going home.

But it won't be Julie Goodwin up there, in heaven.

(CHUCKLES) Unbelievable.

How you feeling up there?

Oh, I feel nervous for the guys.

That's a very big curtain.

(CHUCKLES) Isn't it?

(SIGHS)

Keyma, how are you feeling,

looking at this giant, very dramatic curtain?

I'm intrigued. I don't know what is behind that.

Are you nervous about what might be behind us?

Um, if it's a tasting challenge, maybe.

Let's see.

Aldo, how do you feel about what might be behind this curtain?

I just want to say take all of us out of our misery.

Let's drop the curtains and let's do it.

So, should I just prolong this a little bit?

Thanks. Just kill me softly. Right?

OK. Aldo, I'm going to take my cue from you.

Are you ready to find out what's behind this curtain?

ALL: Yes, please. Please.

Oh, God. Oh, boy.

Oh, wow.

Oh, this is so dramatic.

Come on, Jock. Come on, Jock. Jeez.

(GASPING)

ALL: Oh.

Holy hell.

My heart is racing.

It is a green garden wall.

This is quite possibly the most healthiest wall I've ever seen.

It's a wall of health foods, ladies and gentlemen.

As you can see, it's filled to the brim

with leafy greens and herbs.

Today, you'll need to identify them in a taste test.

Sorry, Keyma.

(LAUGHTER)

Sorry, not sorry. OK.

This won't be like any taste test that you've seen before.

There are a total of 73 greens and herbs on this wall.

Whoa.

A lot of them look very similar...

..but they all have a very distinct individual taste.

Righto. This is how it's going to work.

One by one, you'll come up

and you'll choose something from the wall.

You can smell it,

but you can only taste it once you've locked in your selection.

When you name it, you better get it right,

because if you do get it right, you stay in the game.

The first five people to guess incorrectly are into round two.

And from there, one of you goes home.

(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)

So, should we work out who's going first?

Yep. Yep.

Alright.

In this bag are tokens, obviously lucky dip,

they're all numbered.

Ooh, nine. Cool.

The nature with taste tests in the MasterChef kitchen

is that so much of it can come down to chance.

13.

Is it a six or nine? Six.

We're all amazing cooks.

We all have amazing food knowledge,

but it can literally come down to the order that you're in.

What are you, number one? One.

That's great.

So, this is definitely going to be a tough challenge.

Alright, Ali. Lucky number one. Let's go.

Choose one of the numbers off the wall.

Now, don't forget, once you've chosen a number

that's it, you must give an answer for that number.

Alright?

I would say my knowledge of herbs and greens is actually really good.

But this is going to be really difficult,

especially if there's more than one variety of something on there.

I think my strategy is just to go for the simple ones first,

and hopefully there'll be enough left that I know the names of.

48. 48.

Do you need to try that?

No.

This is rosemary.

Indeed it is. Correct. Thank you.

Back to the line.

Well done, Ali.

Alright. Next up, Michael.

Let's go, Michael. Go, Michael.

Choose a number, my friend.

I'll go 51, please. You'll go 51.

And your guess is...? My guess is kaffir lime leaves.

Kaffir lime.

Is correct. Thank. Well done, mate.

Daniel, I know how much you love greens.

Would you come on down? Do it, mate.

Taste test of leafy greens. Oh, awesome. (CHUCKLES)

I know you feel very strongly about particular greens.

The thing that stands out like a sore thumb

is something that I used in a cook a while back

and I just sort of stuffed myself over with it.

What are you thinking?

Do it, Dan. Come on, man.

Come on. Do it.

Number 70. Number 70.

I don't bother tasting it. I don't need to taste it.

I know it very clearly.

OK, Daniel, you picked number 70. What's your guess?

I think it's some delicious kale.

Is it delicious kale?

You have a history with this ingredient already? Yep.

So you know it well. Yeah.

It is kale. Well done. Well done, Daniel.

Matt, you're up next.

(SIGHS)

Ooh, big, deep breath there, mate.

52.

I think it's coriander. You are correct. Well done.

Go 24, please.

ANDY: What do you reckon it is? Flat-leaf parsley.

Flat-leaf parsley is correct, Billie.

Tommy, let's go.

I think the taste test really is a great leveller.

I'm pretty sure it's mint.

You're sure. It is mint. Thanks, mate.

25. You've chosen 25.

What do you think it is?

Chervil. Correct.

I think luck has a lot to do with it.

Of where you stand in the pack.

Gives us a number. 60.

Number 60. What do you think it is?

Curry leaves. Correct. Well done. Thank you.

33. ANDY: 33. What do you reckon it is?

Geraldton wax. It's Geraldton wax.

And who picks the things that you know before you.

Number 18 is...

Cavolo nero.

Yes, you are correct. Thank you.

37.

What do you think 37 is?

It is a pandan leaf.

This is a lot harder than it looks.

It's a pandan leaf.

Keyma.

Let's go. OK.

Oh, my God.

Um...

As soon as you eat it, you buy it. Yeah.

Done. Number 35, Keyma. What is it? Chives.

Correct. ANDY: Yeah, Keyma.

Alvin. Let's go, pal.

Pick a number. Pick a number.

I'm going to take number 13, please.

You're going to take number 13.

Unlucky for some.

Lucky for me. What is it?

Sage. Correct.

Thank you very much.

Sss...

Small wins. It's the small wins today.

Mindy, let's go. Lucky last.

Number 40.

Number 40. I know why you've picked it.

What is it? Warrigal greens.

Correct. Thank you.

Alright. Let's go round again. Ali.

Yep. On you, Ali. Go, Ali.

I'm going to go for a number four.

Number four.

I think it's a lollo rossa lettuce.

Correct. Well done.

Michael.

Jock, I'm going to go with number 64.

Number 64.

It's a butter lettuce. Correct. It's butter lettuce.

Come on, Daniel. Game face on.

Alright.

It's ramping up a little bit now...

Um...

..because a few of them up there have hybrids

or brothers and sisters or cousins of each other,

which is a little bit scary.

I see the leaves of something that looks very familiar.

I have a smell.

I think it's cinnamon myrtle but can't be sure.

Having a very keen smell.

Oh, no?

Nearly.

Oh, man.

Anyone got a coin I can flip?

What are you going to go with?

I have another look.

And I see something that is very clearly saltbush.

So I'm going to go for that.

22.

Saltbush.

I need more information.

Oh, man.

The only other name I know for it is old man saltbush.

Sorry, Daniel. It is not old man saltbush.

It's coastal saltbush.

Never mind.

JOCK: Unlucky, Daniel. ANDY: Unlucky, mate.

Oh, I thought I'd banked on something quite safe there.

So I'm spewing that I'm in round two.

(SIGHS) Oh, bad luck.

OK. Daniel's found himself in round two,

and we're looking for four more to join him.

Matt, you're up next.

As I'm looking at the wall,

I reckon basically all of the easy ones are gone.

How are we feeling?

Nervous. Nervous?

The top left-hand corner,

I spot a leaf that I think might be something I know.

Confident? Not really.

What do you think that number one is?

Is it gai lan?

It is gai lan. ANDY: Well done, Matt.

Billie, you ready? Yeah.

Come and forage.

The green wall.

It's like it swallows you and you can't really see anything anymore.

It's quite intimidating.

I don't know what I'm looking for.

I think I'm just hoping to see something familiar.

It is getting tough. It's getting tough. You're right.

I choose something and it smells a lot like celery.

And I know lovage has that similar smell.

So...I don't know.

What do you think 20 is? Lovage?

Billie...

..number 20...

..is not lovage. Oh, bugger.

It's sea celery. Oh. OK. Thanks.

Sorry, Billie, that means you're into round two. Bugger!

Oh, my God.

Tommy, let's go, mate.

There's not that spring in your step.

It's tough now, eh? Yeah.

Number seven, please.

What do you reckon seven is? Sawtooth coriander.

Correct, mate. Good spot.

31. JOCK: 31.

Lemon balm. Sure you got it?

I do. You do. Well done.

Sarah, let's go.

DANIEL: Let's go, Sarah.

There's a few leafy greens that I know I know on this wall,

like mustard greens,

but I want to leave them for the next round

because they're quite unique.

I just want to have a good look around -

hopefully find something else, so I can keep that one up my sleeve.

(GASPS) I ate it.

You ate it. No. I didn't. I didn't.

You totally did. No, I didn't.

I spat it out because I was, like, I forgot that I can't eat it.

But you just did. Shit.

So, there it is, number 15. Oh, my God.

I didn't mean to eat it.

Oh, Sarah!

Oh, my God. What have I just done?

Am I stupid?

What is that?

Take a guess. I need an answer, unfortunately, 'cause you ate it.

Oh, my God.

What is number 15?

Oh, Sarah!

Take a guess. I need an answer, unfortunately, because you ate it.

Oh, my God.

What is number 15?

I don't know.

Succulent.

The correct answer is bower spinach. Oh, my God. No.

Unfortunately, you're in round two. Oh, my God.

I did not mean to eat it. What the hell was I thinking? Idiot.

It's just was such a reaction to eat.

I know.

It's just like, why did I put it in my mouth?

OK.

Let that be a cautionary tale for the rest of you.

You can touch it. You can smell it.

But until you are committed to it, you can't taste it.

Montana, you're up.

I am even more nervous than I was at the start of the day.

There are some insanely talented cooks in that second round already,

and I don't want to put myself in that situation,

so I'm going to try as hard as I possibly can, this guess,

to trust my senses,

to make sure that what I pick in this round is right.

Lemon verbena.

You're right.

OK, Harry.

Please, please, please, please. Oh, please.

What do you think number 10 is?

Is it chicory?

Of course it is.

Steph, you nervous? Yep.

I'm nervous, too. Good. Makes two of us.

Number three.

I think it's mustard greens.

That's right. Well done.

Now it's you. Come on. Go, Keyma.

Give some good energy.

Shimmy on down to the wall.

Come on.

Let's do this. Let's do this.

Celery leaves.

You're correct.

Alvin. Feeling lucky?

Always.

Not.

I might take 71. 71?

Your answer is...? Purple kale?

Correct. Oh, my God.

I'll go for 47.

So, you have chosen number 47, which is...?

Bay leaf. Bay leaf unmistakably, yes.

Daniel, Billie, Sarah, you're in round two.

We're looking for two more.

Let's go around again.

Ali. It's up to you.

Alvin guessed the purple kale, which was my next one.

I've been eyeballing it

and, unfortunately, he got there before me.

I'm struggling to know anything else on this board now.

I see something that's got, like, an unusually shaped leaf,

and I think I might know what this is.

Number 42...

..is...?

Sheep sorrel?

Sheep sorrel is incorrect.

It is French sorrel.

You're in round two. Sorry.

Unlucky, Ali. Sorry, Ali.

The line-up is ferocious on this elimination.

Daniel, Billie, Sarah. Come on.

And Sarah has got an immunity pin.

This is going to be hell.

We're just looking for one more person to go into round two.

And up next, it's you, Michael.

Smells familiar? It does, yeah.

Let's go 28. OK.

Thai basil. Thai basil.

Correct.

Oh...

Matt, you're up next.

As I'm looking at the wall, I don't think I know any of them.

I know there's some varieties of lettuce.

There's some natives maybe left.

There's plants that I've never seen before.

But whatever I pick up is purely going to be a guess.

This one.

We're tasting and we're choosing. It's 63.

And what is 63, please?

I think it's a gem lettuce.

A gem lettuce.

Gem lettuce is incorrect.

It is red oak lettuce.

I'm sorry, Matt. That means you're in round two.

ANDY: Good on you, Matt.

Everyone else, you are safe.

You can head on up to the gantry and join Julie.

ANDY: Well done, guys. JOCK: Well done, guys.

I'll have to cook my butt off today because I really want to stay here.

I don't feel like I've been here long enough.

Oh, well done.

So, I have to really bring my A-game.

JOCK: Ali, Matt, Sarah, Billie, Daniel,

in this round, we want you to cook us a dish

that celebrates what's on this wall behind us.

You'll have 75 minutes to cook any dish you want, sweet or savoury,

as long as it features and showcases

and celebrates something on this wall.

The pantry and the garden are both open.

I've got to remind you,

the worst dish in this round will send its maker home.

Good luck, everyone.

Your 75 minutes starts now.

DANIEL: In round two, I'm going up against Billie, Ali, Matt and Sarah.

Where's the spinach?

And they're all amazing cooks. Nuts, nuts, nuts, nuts, nuts, nuts.

There we go. Give me some of that.

I'm not ready to leave at all.

I feel like I'm just really getting the hang of things.

So I want to show the judges

how much I've learnt while being here.

And that starts with redemption.

Whoa. Oh, flex, right there.

Yes, Dan. Whoa! Full flex.

MEL: Kale! Kale! More kale. Come on, Dan.

I've had a rough history with kale.

I had to use it in a cook a while back,

and I sort of stuffed myself over with it.

If it was a ricotta challenge, you would have nailed it today. Yeah.

My question to you is where's the bloody kale?

I know you don't like it. Yeah.

But you've got to use it.

You haven't featured the kale adequately. Yeah.

Go, Dan.

This is an opportunity for me

to turn kale into something that I would order at a restaurant

and turn it into something yummy.

Daniel. G'day.

Mate, you grabbed more kale than I've ever seen in my life for this dish.

You wouldn't read about it, eh? This is redemption kale for me.

What are you cooking?

I'm going to do, like... I'm going to do some braised kale

in, like, a sort of Japanese sort of broth.

And that's going to be served

with a clean sort of green cucumber broth with lemon myrtle

and that sort of thing.

I'm going to have an aniseed chilli myrtle.

So, is it cold or cold? It's cold. Yeah.

The dish sounds interesting. Yeah.

This is...you're playing with a lot of flavours... Big time.

..which is going to need a lot of good balance.

So, yeah.

Very, very hard dish to execute. Yeah. Yeah.

Someone's going home today. Yeah. Yeah.

Don't make it you. Come on, guys.

Thank you. Let's go, guys. Come on.

I know it's risky, but I can't just do something mundane.

I want to show the judges that I deserve to be in this competition.

And hopefully, I manage to keep myself safe.

Come on, guys! Let's go! Go, go, go!

You got this, guys.

Go, Ali.

MICHAEL: Is that your kale protein shake?

Nah, this is a cucumber protein shake. (LAUGHS)

JOCK: Alright. King-sized wall of healthiness behind you.

What would you do?

I think I'd go towards the cavolo nero...

Yeah?

..and, yeah, I'd probably do a pasta.

Ooh.

Do a green sauce with the cavolo nero,

sneak a couple of anchovies in there, maybe.

(MEL LAUGHS) Of course you would. A couple or two.

What would you cook?

I keep thinking of a dish that's very near and dear to me.

It's a southern Italian dish

of silverbeet, lemon, chickpeas and chilli and garlic.

Yum! Yum.

But it's all about the silverbeet visually,

and also it is the heart, the soul, and just the substance of that dish.

What about you?

I can't help but look at that wall and think about grilled lettuce.

Yeah. Ooh!

So I would do some fresh lettuce, some grilled lettuce,

and then concentrate on a really luscious green herb...

..like a green goddess, but a luxury version.

So it's, like, celebration. Just...

Celebration. That's it. Celebration.

Can you have it in the name? (LAUGHS)

You're celebrating it. It's a celebration!

There's so many things you can do. Yeah.

You've got to make a dish that celebrates something off that wall.

We've got some good cooks, and we're about to lose one of them.

Yeah.

I know I've got to have a focus on vegetables today, and greens,

so I don't want to detract from that

by, you know, cooking a piece of meat,

'cause immediately that becomes the centre of the plate.

trying?

Eh? Just trying the stem?

Yeah. Really cool, man.

I want to keep it vegetable focused

but, growing up, protein was always the centre of our dinners,

and my experimentation with vegetables

as the main thing in a dish

has only been in, like, the last year,

so I've got very little experience at that,

so it definitely takes me out of my comfort zone.

I'm making a charred broccoli

and then reforming the broccoli florets with the crispy kale leaves,

pairing it with some pistachio emulsion as well.

I think the nuttiness of the pistachios go well

with some nuttiness of the broccoli.

Come on, Matt.

Tie it together with some fat from the pistachios

and the cavolo nero oil,

some acidity from lemon -

hopefully, a nice little vegetarian dish.

Just got to cook hard now and hope I make it through.

Come on, Ali!

This is only my second elimination cook in the competition,

and I'm feeling really disappointed.

I feel like my mojo levels are running a little bit low.

So, going into this, I'm feeling a little confused.

I've kind of got an idea that's creative and different,

and I'm hoping that the judges can see where I'm going with them.

I'm cooking cavolo nero gnocchi

with a cavolo nero and fennel puree,

an orange and bronze fennel dressing, and some haggis crumb.

I think these go really well together.

Fennel and orange - they're great friends.

And haggis, the way I'd best describe it to people,

it kind of just tastes like spicy mince.

And although fennel and haggis is not a traditional pairing,

I'm not serving haggis in a traditional way.

I'm literally going to fry it so it's all crispy.

Little Scottish reference from me.

I've always been a creative person

and cooking is another way for me to express creativity.

MONTANA: Smells good, Ali.

Prior to having kids, I ran a design business in London for 10 years.

But running a business full-time

and then trying to be a mother as well,

they just weren't compatible,

so I had felt that I had to walk away from my business

to concentrate on spending time with my kids and being a full-time mum.

And now my kids are a bit older,

MasterChef represents an opportunity

to pursue my passion for food and reclaim my identity.

I'm definitely not ready for my MasterChef experience to end.

Green is good! One hour to go!

Come on, guys!

ALDO: Come on, guys! (SPECTATORS SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

HARRY: Dan, are you doing cucumber base for your broth?

Yep.

Go, Billie! Come on, Billie.

I'm focusing on the curry leaves today, and doing a dessert -

a curry leaf parfait, spiced white chocolate,

some passionfruit and coconut gel.

The first thing I need to do for this dish is make the parfait.

It needs to go into the freezer as soon as possible

so that it sets in time.

I think curry leaves will go well with coconut and passionfruit -

they're kind of tropical flavours,

and I think the curry leaf flavour should balance well with those.

But there's 73 different herbs and greens on the wall,

and only picking one herb from the wall could potentially be risky.

Dumb, maybe. Come on, Billie.

(CHUCKLES)

I need to make sure to get as much curry leaf flavour

into the parfait mixture as possible.

Tastes like kaffir lime leaves.

Um, no, it doesn't.

That would be bad, wouldn't it?

That was a joke.

It tastes like curry leaves.

Beautiful, Billie.

My biggest concern is that once it's frozen,

that flavour can be muted a little bit.

And if I don't get the curry leaf flavour right in this dish,

I'm not hitting the brief, and I'll be going home.

I'm making sarson ka saag.

So, I'm using mustard greens, spinach, coriander, bay leaf -

lots of greens, basically.

And I'm going to serve it with roti today.

It's actually a dish that we would eat once a week

with my son's grandmother.

And, yeah, one of the first dishes I learnt from her.

Very authentic, and I felt like I had to cook it.

This dish means a lot to me

because my son's grandmother has sadly passed away,

and she taught me so many incredible, authentic Punjabi dishes.

I have really fond memories

where she'd be watching a Bollywood movie on the left

and she'd be throwing all these spices

and different ingredients into the pot,

and I'd be standing next to her, writing down all these recipes.

For her, it's just, you know, second nature, and such an intuitive cook.

The crazy thing about a lot of these cuisines

is that the recipes aren't really written down,

that I had this incredible opportunity

to take all of her beautiful recipes and keep them alive.

And to be able to cook these in the MasterChef kitchen

is just such an incredible moment.

I've got this.

And I only won this pin last Sunday,

so I've not really even had long to wear it.

I'm cooking a dish that I know and love

and whoever I cook it for absolutely adores it.

So, I'm determined to hold on to this pin.

Today, we want more than just a salad.

You've got 40 minutes to go.

ALDO: Come on, guys! Come on!

Go, Billie! Go, Sarah! Go, Ali! Go, boys!

Matt. Hey, Matt.

Hello, gents.

How are we?

Good. How you doing? What are you cooking?

I am...

..making some charred broccoli.

Charred broccoli with a pistachio and herb emulsion underneath,

a cavolo nero oil,

then I'm going to reform the florets of the broccoli with crispy kale.

It's there broccoli on the wall?

There's not broccoli on the wall, no.

Are you celebrating the wall enough?

It's the first thing you said - charred broccoli.

Yeah... Seems to me to be the main...

..you're celebrating the broccoli.

Nah, cavolo nero.

Because...oil?

Yeah. Well, also the... the crispy florets.

I reckon you're walking a line. I reckon so too. Walking a fine line?

I reckon you're walking a fine line, man.

OK. OK.

I would consider that. OK.

MICHAEL: You good, Matty?

I had a pretty clear vision of what my dish was going to be,

and now that's been thrown out the window.

Now, what can I do instead?

I'm already out of my comfort zone with this cook.

And now to have half my dish ripped away from me by the judges,

I'm in panic mode.

I reckon you're walking a fine line, man.

OK.

I would consider that. OK.

Jock and Andy came up to my bench

and they put fear into my heart in this cook.

Jock's pointed out that broccoli is not on the wall,

which it definitely isn't,

and this cook is all about

celebrating the things on that green wall.

I need to change my dish.

I need to have a look and see what else on this wall.

I know the clock is ticking, and I know I have to pivot quickly

in order to get another dish that I'm going to be happy with.

(SIGHS)

I still like the idea of my dish

and how it's going to come together, and the flavours I'm going to use.

But I needed something to replace that broccoli stalk.

Oh.

That's when I realise, like, "Oh...

"I usually eat gai lan stem.

"That's also Chinese broccoli. That makes sense.

"I should probably use this in my dish."

It was also one that I guessed. It's come full-circle now.

Matt. Talk to me.

Broccoli wasn't on the wall. No.

Ditched the broccoli - going for the gai lan.

OK, great. Uh, similar idea still.

I'm going to create the stalk,

use the kale chips as sort of the leafy bits on it.

Use the leaves in my pistachio and tarragon emulsion.

Give it a nice really green colour. OK. Yeah.

Well, it definitely sounds like you took what the boys said on board.

And I think this is heading down a really good track.

Thank you.

Ali. Hey, Ali.

Hi. I can smell haggis.

There is. There's haggis brewing.

Get outta town! Well, you know what?

It's a bloody elimination cook, so...

That's it. ..I'm going to do it.

It's a haggis crumb. We're keeping it...

Haggis crumb? Yeah.

Alright. What's the dish?

I'm doing a green gnocchi. Yep.

And then I'm going to do a charred fennel and a cavolo nero puree.

I'm also then going to do an orange and bronze fennel dressing over...

Yep. ..and some wedges of fresh orange,

garnished with bronze fennel, haggis crumb.

And so the things you're highlighting off the wall

is cavolo nero, bronze fennel. Bronze fennel.

And I'm kind of using just regular fennel

just to kind of back it up.

And fennel and haggis?

I'm having difficulty imagining those two things together.

I've done it with black pudding.

I'm ready for something different.

I've never had fennel and haggis on the same dish,

so, like, I'm ready to be... Who has?

..I'm ready to be surprised. (LAUGHS)

(SPECTATORS SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

Is now a good time to say that I've never tried haggis before?

(LAUGHS)

Shut the door! You've never had haggis?!

Nah.

Jock's, like, kind of excited I'm using haggis on the one hand,

but on the other, he's worried about fennel and haggis together.

Um, I don't think fennel and haggis is risky.

MICHAEL: Great work, Ali.

I'm being creative.

Hope you haven't hit the wall,

'cause you've still got 30 minutes to go!

Come on, guys! Let's go!

See what I did there?

Very good. Very good.

ALDO: Come on, guys!

Go, Billie! Go, Sarah! Go, Ali!

Go, boys at the back.

Thanks, Aldo!

In round two of the cook, we have to celebrate green,

and it's really important for me to show the judges

how far I've come as a cook in this competition.

So I'm going to try and put everything that I've learnt

into this one dish.

I'm going to braise my kale,

and I want to make the stock as yummy and flavoursome as possible,

'cause the kale seems to absorb anything it's cooked in anyway.

It's kind of like a sponge.

So, I'm thinking back, when Jock did his MasterClass with eggplant...

JOCK: I'm going to start by making an aromatic stock

to poach slices of eggplant in.

And I've picked lots of aromats from the garden

and we're just building up layers and layers of flavour.

..and I want to do something like that.

I fry off some garlic, I throw some stock in there,

and I've put a big old chunk of kombu -

that's going to give me, like, this meatiness, this umami

that's going to go through the broth

and the kale is going to soak that up.

Mm. Yep, yummy. Yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy.

I've got some green kale here.

It's rough and it's curly and it's frayed.

I want something that's going to drape and be a bit meaty.

And now, looking at it, I don't think, even if I braise it,

it's going to give me the same sort of thing that I'm after.

Hey, Michael, maybe I should use that other kale -

that one with a big fat leaves?

Yeah, yeah.

Give it a go.

What are you going to do with it? You gonna braise it?

The one that... Oh, this one. Is it this one?

Yeah. Yeah, cavolo nero.

Yeah, this one.

That's exactly what I'm after.

So I run back, I knock the leaves off,

and I practice braising that, and see if that works.

And it just goes tender and meaty.

It's got, like, a bit of a bite to it.

I'm stoked.

Billie!

Hey, Billie. Hi. Hello.

How you going? Yeah, good.

Yeah.

Yeah. Is...?

(GASPS)

That's a mark. Sorry.

I didn't think it even got you. Oh, no. It fell off.

Oh. What's the dish?

I chose curry leaves....

Yep. ..from the wall.

It's a curry leaf parfait with a spiced chocolate crumble,

passionfruit and coconut gel.

I'm excited. I'm super excited about passionfruit and curry leaf.

Yeah. And white chocolate as well.

Yeah. Yeah. I think that could be, like,

just a combination that could blow our minds.

I hope so. Yeah.

How prominent are we going to go in the curry leaf parfait?

Pretty strong. We'll need to - it's the only one you've taken off the wall.

Yeah. I blitzed the curry leaf into the sugar

rather than steeping it - I just wanted to get it all in there.

Cool. Get it all in.

So, hopefully, it's prominent, yeah. Yeah.

Obviously, you don't wanna go home today.

I don't wanna go home today, no.

But execution's where it's at, right?

Execution. Absolutely, yeah. Yep. Big-time. Good luck.

Good luck. Thank you.

After winning MasterChef and working at the Fat Duck,

I'd had a bit of a break from cooking for a while,

so coming back to MasterChef

was an opportunity to get back into the kitchen.

But I feel like I have more to show and more to prove.

So I'm hoping the flavour combinations of this dessert

will help me stand out to the judges.

You're entering the last crucial stage of this cook.

15 minutes to go.

TOMMY: Whoo! Come on, guys!

MICHAEL: Come on! Come on, guys! Whoo!

HARRY: That's it, Matty.

Beautiful gnocchi. Come on, Ali.

MICHAEL: You good, Dan? Yep.

MONTANA: Smells so good, Billie.

Sarah, it smells amazing.

SARAH: Rolling out the dough for my roti,

and it's coming together beautifully.

I'm tasting this sarson ka saag

and it's so tasty and nostalgic and beautiful, and I'm loving it.

But this pin is all of a sudden feeling extremely heavy.

Gosh. Now...

..the pressure is just building up in my mind.

I have to just use it, no?

Are you happy with the dish? Yeah.

MICHAEL: Sare, if you love it, back yourself.

You love it?

This decision is huge, because... (SIGHS)

..if I go home wearing the pin, I would never forgive myself.

And on the flip side, if I serve this dish

and I'm safe and I get to keep the pin,

it would potentially change the course

of my time in this competition.

What are you thinking?

I think I'm just gonna play it.

ALDO: Play it, don't play it -

just make your mind up and you're fine.

I'm going to play it. JOCK: You're going to play it?

Yeah.

Alright, Sarah's playing her pin.

Yes, Sarah Todd!

TOMMY: No regrets, right?

What was the final decision?

Um, I just don't want to risk it. I just don't want to risk it.

Alright. Up to the gantry. You're safe.

Yeah. Thank you. Well done, Sarah.

ANDY: Well done, Sarah. ALDO: Well done, Sarah!

Ugh! I've done it.

And, I mean,

to be honest, I feel slightly relieved.

I mean, the pressure of that pin.

I mean, I thought it was a good thing.

You've done very well.

I'm surrounded by some of the best contestants

in the MasterChef kitchen,

and it's just not worth the risk for me today.

It's not worth the risk. It's not worth the risk.

I'm not going to have any energy tomorrow.

They're looking good, Ali.

ALI: Sarah's just played her immunity pin,

but it just means the odds are worse.

I'm now thinking, was this the day really to make an experimental dish?

But if I can pull it off, hopefully, the judges love it.

Haggis and gnocchi. How's it all going, though?

I've added some spinach into my cavolo nero and fennel puree.

I'll do a really nice, fresh salad with basil and fennel

to go on the top. Yeah.

I've made some bronze fennel oil... Yeah.

..with a little bit of orange and lemon

and just the haggis is only really going to be

a little kind of crunchy, crispy element. A crispy flourish on the top.

Yeah. OK.

It's not really a big, you know, haggis, you know, gnocchi.

There's a lot going on here.

I think, um...

..gnocchi, puree, salad, lots of different temperatures and textures.

Yeah. Really think about...

I think, if you can actually plate some up

and figure out how it looks and how it eats

with enough time, if you do have it, then I would do that.

Yeah.

Come on, guys!

MICHAEL: Let's go, guys. Come on!

Come on, Matt.

After swapping out that broccoli stalk for a gai lan stem,

I'm really happy with how all the elements are coming together.

Matt's making tarragon emulsion.

I'm going to use the gai lan leaves in my tarragon and pistachio puree

to give it a really nice bright green colour.

It's going to add the creamy element to this dish

and the creamy texture of this dish

that's going to make it luxurious.

So, it's adding fat through the nut,

which you need in a dish which is so lean

because it's made of mostly vegetables,

and it'll add some complexity to this dish.

HARRY: That's it, Matty.

I'm here in the competition in MasterChef

to affirm my passion for food.

I mean, I'm a teacher,

and part of my job is to help kids find passion

and students to find the things they like.

And now I'm getting that chance to find something that I really love,

and it makes me feel, like, more whole as a person

and, like, I know I've got somewhere

that I fit in really well within this world,

so I'm not ready to go home.

DANIEL: I'm happy with all of my elements,

but the judges are concerned about

how it's all going to work together, how it's all going to balance.

So, I'm doing a test plate so that I can try it all together.

JULIE: Hey, Dan! Have you kaled it?

(LAUGHS)

Have I kaled it?

Nailed it!

Oh. (LAUGHTER)

I like it.

I'm really happy with the way this all worked.

The flavours are there, and they're well balanced.

It's exactly what I was after.

But...

..there's something really bugging me, and it's the colour of the broth.

I just...I don't know if I like a colour.

It tastes great, but...

You want it to be greener? I want it brighter. Like, whiter.

It's very dark green.

And that kind of just blends in with the dark green of the kale.

I could probably brighten it up.

I've got seven minutes, and I'm weighing up the odds,

and I go, "Do I have time to make another broth?"

I've got seven minutes, and the broth is really annoying me.

I want to put up a cracking dish,

because I don't want to go home today.

KEYMA: How you doing, Dan?

Just want to quickly do another broth.

Oh, my God.

I've got...

..seven minutes just to whip up another quick broth.

I reckon I should be able to do it in time.

I just don't like the colour of it. It tastes great, but...

Just knock off some of the skins, make it a bit brighter,

which will offset on the kale,

be a little bit lighter on the bitterness and, uh, yeah.

Come on, Dan.

Look, I'm playing with some really big names today.

I may as well try and make it really nice and pretty,

and taste as best I can.

Final decisions, guys!

You've only got five minutes to go!

(SPECTATORS SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

Come on, guys! Come on, guys! Bring it home!

Come on, Ali!

ALL: Whoo!

ALI: Just for dramatic flair.

All the elements are ready, and I'm pan-frying the gnocchi

so I can actually put a little selection of this together

and taste it.

Yeah, it's nice. Well, I like it.

To plate up, I've got my green puree

with basil, cavolo nero, spinach and fennel.

I've got my gnocchi, bronze fennel oil,

I sprinkle the haggis over the top.

And because the sauce is quite thick and flavourful,

I've got wedges of orange to kind of cut through it.

MONTANA: Very green, Ali. Looks gorgeous.

This is a creative and experimental dish

and, hopefully, the judges like it.

Come on, guys! MICHAEL: Come on!

(WHOOPING AND APPLAUSE)

Go, Dan. Go hard, baby.

Come on, Billie.

HARRY: Boys, make it beautiful.

I plate up my dish, and as I'm eating it and tasting it,

it is eating really nicely together.

It's got the firmness of the gai lan stem,

it's got creaminess and fat from the oil and the puree,

and it's got that crispy leaf as well.

Happy? It's good.

A bit more acidity, I think. Yeah.

I think I've got the balance right.

I've got the textures I want in the dish, and it's tasting good.

But it's so unfamiliar to me,

and it's not a dish I've ever seen before.

So, I'm still confused about whether it's great

or whether it's absolutely terrible and the judges will hate it.

I've just got to wait till the tasting to find out.

We've only got three minutes to go!

MICHAEL: Let's go, guys! Come on! ALDO: Come on, guys!

Yep. Go, Dan.

Stay cool as a cucumber, Dan.

DAN: I really love the way this one looks.

It's like chalk and cheese from the other one.

It's so much brighter, so much vibrant -

exactly what I was... actually imagined in my head.

It's tasting just as good as the first one.

Just looks a bit prettier.

I've got my kale on the plate, I've got my oil there,

and then I'm thinking, it just needs something else.

I'm going to chuck some flowers on it too.

HARRY: You got it, Dan.

MEL: Wheeeey! (ANDY LAUGHS)

Hurry up! Get it on the plate!

You've only got one minute! Come on! One minute! Come on!

One minute!

To plate up, I pour some passionfruit and coconut gel

in the centre of the curry leaf parfait,

put some white chocolate spiced crumbs on top,

and then finish off with some more coconut gel

and the sugared curry leaves.

I'm definitely worried about this brief.

I only picked one item from the herb wall

and, looking around,

everyone else's dishes are through and through green,

and mine is white.

If the judges don't think I have

enough curry leaf flavour in this dessert,

I could be going home.

It's been a big day, but, gantry, let's go!

ALL: Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!

Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!

JOCK: That's it!

MICHAEL: Great cooking, guys.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Well done.

Ohh. Well done, you. Well done, you.

Well done, guys.

Well done, bro.

Looks good. You got your broth?

DANIEL: I'm not ready for my time to be over,

but I would have never been able to do this,

you know, like, five, six weeks ago now.

So, I'm really happy with that.

So, I came here to kind of reclaim my identity.

Like a little kind of, you know, reinvention after the kids,

and after the career and everything I've done in my life.

It just felt like... I never even thought I'd get in.

I don't want to be greedy,

but I would like to stay a little bit longer, if that's OK.

enjoy another serving

or savour past seasons at:

JOCK: Here he is. MEL: Ooh!

DANIEL: Hey, guys.

Sauce away, mate. Yeah?

MEL: Just go ahead. You got a spoon or are you...?

Thank you, mate.

No. Thank YOU.

DANIEL: I've never made anything this pretty.

It's a little piece of braised kale

with some flowers and a light-green broth.

This is so not me. And I'm just stoked.

(CHUCKLES)

Please, introduce your dish.

This is my braised kale

with a vibrant cucumber broth

with aniseed and cinnamon chilli oil.

And does it kind of blow your mind

that we're nearly halfway through the competition

and would you have ever conceived of making a chilled cucumber broth

with a kale on kale on kale thing?

Never.

I'm... Yeah, I'm proud as punch with that.

I think we all remember the disdain

in which you approached that kale challenge.

And today, you've chosen to lean in to that,

which shows a heap of growth, as it is.

I've come to actually... like it, kale.

Sorry, what? I've come to like it.

(LAUGHS)

I noticed that you changed kale.

So, you had the standard, regular... Curly one.

..the kale that was on your kale matrix,

and then you've swapped that out for cavolo nero, I noticed.

I have, yes.

You know, the biggest thing here was, "How would this tie in together as a dish? How would it eat?"

And that kale I don't think would have worked

in the same way that this has,

how it's gone tender and it drapes around.

The other one was a bit curly and rough.

I love that...I love that you're thinking this way!

Like, it's just... it's such a transformation

from the Daniel that first walked in the MasterChef Kitchen.

Honestly, the way you're talking and thinking about food,

the way you're making good decisions during a cook,

it's stuff like that that wins the competition.

Yep. MEL: Alright, thanks so much.

Thanks very much. Thanks, Daniel. ANDY: Thanks, mate.

Well, well, well.

If you'd put this in a...a line of dishes,

you would never, in a million years, have picked that Daniel cooked it.

No, sir.

It looks beautiful. It really does look very striking.

I absolutely love that.

What a dish.

That change in the kale from curly kale to cavolo nero - smart move.

It's more tender.

The braising liquor that he used for the kale, fantastic, brilliant.

But the balance that he's got in the cucumber soup

is what I'm really impressed with.

It is beautifully seasoned.

There's a perfect balance of acidity.

He was correcting that all the way up to the dying minutes.

Did you see him peeling the cucumber and...?

Yeah, two minutes to go.

It was so impressive to watch.

The Daniel that walked in on day one versus this particular Daniel,

it's night and day

because there is a lot of consideration, a lot of intellect,

a lot of deft movement within all of the elements

in order to make them perfectly balanced.

The oil, with all of its complexity -

it's not just a straight-up chilli oil.

There's so many aromats going on.

And it's the last thing you experience,

and it's really begging you not to forget it as a dish.

I think the most, uh, pleasing thing about Daniel in this dish

is his palate.

And I think that's probably a testament

to how far he's actually come.

I want Daniel to continue to cook like this

'cause that's one of the better dishes that we've had

in this competition so far,

in terms of complexity, in terms of execution,

in terms of hitting the brief.

It's only up from here.

Matt. Andy.

How you goin'?

Matt, what's the dish?

Uh, I've made you brassicas...

..with tarragon and pistachio.

Roller-coaster cook for you. It was.

We started off with broccoli. We did.

And we took a squint at the, uh, wall,

realised there was no broccoli on there.

Yeah. (LAUGHS) So, how did you pivot?

Um, so, I went and had a look at the wall,

um, and I went to trusty gai lan.

I mean, I think this one, I'm pretty confident it meets the brief.

JOCK: Yeah.

Basically, everything on the plate there is from the wall.

100%.

ANDY: Let's put you out of your misery. It hits the brief.

JOCK: Yeah, it hits the brief, totally.

Do you think you would have missed the brief if you did the broccoli?

Well, you said I would, so, probably.

(ALL LAUGH)

That's the right answer.

MATT: This was definitely a cook that put me out of my comfort zone.

Not usually you would find me cooking with all green things.

You know, protein is my safety 'cause I think I cook them well.

And to cook without a protein, it challenged me,

but it also made me think about the dish

a lot more than I would usually, probably.

Thanks, mate. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Good to go? Yeah.

That was an absolute master class in vegetarian cooking.

Very substantial, and I'm quite shocked to see a dish

as fully realised and perfectly balanced as that in here.

Because, usually, it takes years

to be able to hone that specific style

of literally nowhere to hide.

That is magic tricks and then some.

On a pivot as well, don't forget. On a pivot. Yep.

Even down to how tender the gai lan was, from stalk to tip.

The pistachio and tarragon cream

is, like, perfectly seasoned -

the perfect balance between the nuttiness of the pistachio

and that aniseed hint from the tarragon.

Amazing complexity and simplicity, at the same time.

In and amongst that, that rich dark-green pool

of cavolo nero oil...

Come on! Get after it! It was just delicious.

Even down to the crunch of, like, you know, kale chips.

I never thought I'd say this, but... Here we go. Here we go.

..actually, kale chips...

In this, I'm... Here, I'll have it. What about the kale chips?

I'll have it. I liked it.

There we go! (LAUGHS)

I think this was...

..Matt's best dish.

ANDY: Hey, Ali. MEL: Ali.

Ali.

Today, I wanted to make a dish that was quite experimental and creative

and I really hope the judges are gonna like it.

What have you made us? I've made green gnocchi.

The green sauce is roasted fennel, cavolo nero, some spinach,

um, some basil

and the bronze fennel oil,

with a haggis crumb.

And then...you went to town on the garnish.

Orange - where did that come from?

Um, well, I kinda just thought it needs a little lift.

I find the orange is quite complementary to the fennel

and it just gives a nice little pop of kind of flavour

and kind of brightness.

Thanks, Ali. OK.

I love Ali. I love haggis.

I love gnocchi.

This dish...I do not love.

The problem with this dish is that it is confused.

Mm.

Let's talk about the gnocchi.

It's beautiful - it's pillowy soft, it's beautifully cooked.

But the orange on top is confusing.

Bronze fennel, haggis...

MEL: It does feel like an amalgamation of lots of ideas.

You know, the fennel and orange goes together.

There's a pesto-y kind of idea there.

I think it definitely hits the...the celebration

with this vibrant green sauce.

But when you dive in, it's quite heavy.

And then, in Ali's attempt to freshen up with the orange,

for me, it just... it doesn't really work at all.

BILLIE: The thing that I'm most worried about with this dish

is, "Have I hit the brief?"

Hello.

Billie. Hi.

OK.

Is there enough curry leaf in there to keep me safe?

Billie, what's the dish?

Uh, it's a curry-leaf parfait

with passionfruit, coconut

and spiced white chocolate.

MEL: Um, interesting flavours.

These are not logical things to necessarily pair together...

BILLIE: Yeah. Yeah. ..in a way.

You seem to be coming out of your shell

at this point in the competition.

Is that because you're sensing that now is the time to strike

and really dig your heels in so you stay right till the end?

Yeah, yeah.

It's really getting down there.

Um, it feels like we've been here for a long time.

Yep. But, um, there's only 15 left.

So, it really...

I mean, from last experience, it goes really fast from here, so...

I've got one question, final question, about the dish.

Because I think you're the only person

who has only picked one ingredient off the wall...

Yeah. Yep.

..to kind of celebrate the wall. Mm-hm.

So, is the curry leaf going to do that?

Um...

I bloody hope so, Andy.

(LAUGHTER)

So, one way to find out.

We'll taste. Rightio. Thank you.

Thanks, Billie.

It's a, uh, very restauranty-looking dish, isn't it?

Mm-hm.

Wow.

What a dessert. That's crazy, that one.

What a dessert!

ANDY: That is, like...

That's a 10. Like, it doesn't get any better than that.

An interesting concept,

the execution of the concept

and the flavour, the overall balance and flavour of the dish,

that's a 10.

Literally, it starts out as acidic passionfruit.

Then you get the curry leaf... Yeah.

..which then transforms it into the garam masala.

And then the sweetness of the white chocolate goes through,

and then it just goes on loop...

(LAUGHS) Yeah. ..on loop, on loop.

And it's...and the good thing is that the last flavour that you're tasting is curry leaf.

So, um, definitely a celebration of the wall,

albeit one ingredient.

I love that parfait.

It's undeniably curry leaf, absolutely all the way.

And then you put that lens of beautiful garam masala spice

over the top of it,

and you have something that sort of feels familiar

and is, yet, completely unlike anything

any of us have ever had before.

I could see that on a fine-dining, south-Asian-inspired restaurant

any day of the week.

It's absolutely beautiful.

JOCK: This is, I think, what has been missing

out of Billie's consistency.

It's, like...it's consistent cooking

but there hasn't been a dish that's, like, really poked its head out

in the way this has, with flavours and balance

that are going on and make you pay attention to it

and you want to eat more of.

That's a danger for anyone else that's in the competition.

It's dishes like that that win this competition.

Mm.

Well, you all certainly tried to conquer the wall today.

But in round one, some of you found it insurmountable.

You then had to utilise those ingredients

that landed you in round two

to get you out of the firing line.

Let's go through them, one by one.

Daniel...

..your broth, it was complex and perfectly balanced.

But more than that, every decision that you made in the cook,

it improved the dish.

Honestly, mate, everything that you've learned in this competition

was in that bowl, and we absolutely loved it.

More, please.

Matt...

..every single element was at its peak.

It was a stand-out dish from you.

It showed just what you're capable of in this competition and beyond.

Billie...

..what you put on the plate today...

..was testament as to why you won your season.

It was delicious

and it was masterfully executed.

Ali...

..you're an inventive cook who always pushes the boat out.

And that dish was no different. It really made us think.

But, in the end, it left us confused.

On a day when everyone else hit the bullseye,

unfortunately, you missed the target.

I'm sorry, Ali. You're going home.

OK.

Honestly, Ali, we are so glad and grateful

that you signed up for this crazy MasterChef experience.

How's it been for you, in the MasterChef kitchen?

It's definitely pushed me to be more creative

and more thoughtful about what I put on the plate.

And for that, I'll be forever grateful

'cause it's set me on a path to a new cooking adventure

and that's fantastic - I'm really grateful for that.

Time to say goodbye. OK.

Well done, Ali. Thank you.

Oh, look, I'm really proud of myself.

I'm proud of myself that I even got in this competition.

It's a really important little voyage that I've just undertaken,

to do something for myself, to find out who I am,

and to explore something with passion.

ALDO: Yes, Ali! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And I'll take all these memories with me forever.

Give it up for Ali, everybody!

(CHEERING)

ANNOUNCER: This week on MasterChef Australia,

it's a hive of inspiration.

Wow!

I couldn't have dreamt this dessert up in my wildest dreams.

Whether they're surrounded by works of art...

BILLIE: It's astonishing. It's just so magical.

..or...in the presence of greatness...

Oh, my God!

Please welcome Marco Pierre White!

Allow simplicity to inspire you,

not to confuse you.

It's unmissable MasterChef.

CONTESTANTS: Whoa!

Because they're cooking up a storm.

Oh, my God!

Captions by Red Bee Media