Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Previously on MasterChef Australia...

Josh Niland! (APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

..our big-name guests...

DECLAN: Josh Niland, he's the icon of fish in Australia.

..brought even bigger challenges.

You'll be cooking my...

..pho suon bo dac biet.

You will not be given a recipe.

(CONTESTANTS GASP)

Oh, my God!

And the end of the journey for Grace.

GRACE: This has just been the coolest life experience ever

and I'm excited for what's next.

Plus... ANDY: Curtis Stone!

(APPLAUSE AND WILD CHEERING)

..this Aussie legend brought an Immunity Challenge

and the prize of a lifetime.

CURTIS: If you win round 2 today,

you end up on the shelves tomorrow.

(IMITATES EXPLOSION)

You might be onto something, Rue,

because this is really, really delicious.

Well done.

Yes! Stop it! (LAUGHS) (CONTESTANTS APPLAUD AND CHEER)

Tonight,

an elimination

means our top 10

become 9.

MALISSA: We're really in that part of the competition

where a simple mistake can be the make or break.

With a challenge set by a national treasure.

(SERENE MUSIC)

(BIRDSONG)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

RALPH: Oof! Black-apron day, guys.

MALISSA: Jeez, they come around too quick!

BRENT: Every time we put the black apron on,

there's a big dark cloud of pressure

and today's no different.

Send us good vibes!

(EXCITING MUSIC)

Whoo! Yes!

RHIANNON: Cloches. Look out.

I can see a line-up of ingredients.

I'm like, "Oh, my God, there's finger limes!"

I don't know what's going on,

but give me finger limes any day of the week.

Ooh! Finger limes.

I love them!

Well, it is elimination day.

Yeah.

But don't be disheartened

because whatever happens,

you have made it to the top 10 of MasterChef Australia!

Whoo! Whoo-whoo-whoo!

Even on elimination day, there's some fun to be had.

CONTESTANTS: Yeah.

Because today we've got another very, very, very special guest.

ANTONIO: Yes. Ooh.

This absolute legend has cemented herself

as one of the most well-known icons in Australian food.

Oh, my God.

For over 40 years...

(CONTESTANTS MURMUR EXCITEDLY)

..she's helped shape Australia's food scene...

CONTESTANT: Oh!

..in her restaurants, through her books...

..and on our TV screens.

(CHUCKLES)

The penny's starting to drop. Yeah.

She is the culinary queen who unites foodies all around the country.

Please welcome the one, the only

Maggie Beer!

(CONTESTANTS CHEER, LAUGH)

(CONTESTANTS CHEER WILDLY)

(WOLF-WHISTLES)

Oh, my goodness, it's Maggie Beer!

CATH: Oh, my God! ADI: Oh, my God!

Maggie brings back so many memories with my mum.

(LAUGHS)

We have spent all our life watching Maggie.

She's such an icon.

(MAGGIE LAUGHS)

Hey.

RALPH: Hi. (LAUGHS) Hello.

Rhiannon, your eyes pretty much popped out of your head

when Maggie walked through the door.

A little bit excited? Oh, my goodness.

I'm actually not kidding.

When my family watch this show, they are gonna be beside themselves

because all they want me to do is meet you!

And I... We just loved you our whole lives!

(LAUGHS) Oh, Rhiannon, that's lovely.

The good news is that she's here right in front of you now.

The bad news is...

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

..you gotta cook for her.

Nah, that's not bad. It's exciting. Yeah.

Alright, shall we get started?

CONTESTANTS: Yeah. Let's do it.

Oh, my God! I'm shaking.

Today, you're gonna be assigned an ingredient pair.

The one in front you can see

and the one behind it which is obviously concealed.

Maggie, why don't you run us through the ingredients we can see?

Tomatoes, rosemary,

kalamata olives,

prunes, finger limes,

witlof, blackberries,

dill and fig leaves.

I'm not sure what I'd do with the fig leaves if I get assigned that.

But everything else I'm looking pretty confident in.

These are all classic Maggie ingredients.

Today's a 2-round cook.

In round 1, you can either feature the ingredient you can see

or feature the ingredient in the cloche behind it.

Ohh!

But you'll have to make that choice

before you know what the ingredient under the cloche is.

OK. Ohhh!

(INHALES SHARPLY)

I don't know what to do.

You can cook whatever you want.

But the cooks that bring us the three least impressive dishes,

they'll be going into round 2...

..where you'll have to cook with whatever ingredient you have left.

Cloched or uncloched.

I'd rather work with what I can see than what I don't know.

I'm looking at the ingredients, I'm already making plans.

If I open the cloche

and it's something I don't know, I feel like I'm in more trouble.

Alright, time to find out who's getting which pair.

Yeah. We've numbered them.

Take a token.

Thank you.

How exciting!

What did you get? Number 1.

Number 5.

You're not gonna believe it. I went 5.

That's finger limes.

Some pretty good match-ups there.

Finger limes and Maggie! This is gonna be a good day.

Alright, a critical choice to be made.

And we'll start with number 1, Cath.

Are you going to go with the ingredient you can see

or would you like the cloche?

Ohhh!

Look, I'm gonna go with, um, the fig leaves.

Malissa?

I'm gonna stick with the dill.

DECLAN: You are a dill. (LAUGHS)

(LAUGHS)

Declan?

Blackberries or the cloche?

Um, I'm gonna follow the pattern and stick with the blackberries.

Pattern emerging. (CHUCKLES)

MALISSA: Ohh! Witlof for Adi?

Or the cloche?

ADI: I'm not super happy with witlof,

but I don't know what's under those cloches.

It could make witlof look like the best ingredient I've ever seen!

Oh, I'm really in two minds.

But I think better the devil you know

and I'm just gonna stick with the witlof.

I like this! Yeah.

This is confidence. This is good. (LAUGHS)

(ANDY CHUCKLES) MELISSA: OK.

I don't even think we need to ask Rhiannon.

(ALL LAUGH)

Rhiannon was just like... (ANDY LAUGHS)

Yeah, as soon as I walked in,

I went, "If I get finger limes, I'm like, 'Yes'!"

Anyway, yes, I'm choosing finger limes.

(LAUGHTER)

Theo?

I'm gonna stick with the prunes.

Not a single person has chosen the cloche yet.

There could be some spectacular things under here.

Or...or they could all be booby traps!

(LAUGHS) ADI: Yeah!

Antonio, you have kalamata olives.

Are you happy with that choice or would you like to choose...

Anything but olives.

I'm thinking I really want something that I can work into a dessert.

I don't know. I think... Ooh!

I think I'm gonna go with the cloche today.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Oh! I love this!

Yay!

Oooh!

Oh! Oranges!

Yeah! Yeah! CATH: Good, mate.

RUE: Not bad.

ANDY: Look at everyone else just going, "Damn!"

"Why didn't I do that?" See?

Oranges.

I'm ecstatic 'cause I know how to work with them. I love them.

(LAUGHS)

It looks like the gamble paid off.

MELISSA: OK, Ralph... Yes.

Um... Rosemary I know you've used...

I'm ready. Yeah. ..to great effect.

He's just like, "No, I'm sticking." I'm ready.

OK. I'm so sorry! (LAUGHS)

There's not that...that other part of your brain that's like...

Nope. .."Ooh, take a chance."

No? (RALPH LAUGHS)

Just straight in with rosemary. Rosemary?

OK, Brent.

Uh, I'm gonna stay with tomatoes, definitely.

So, right, one gambler. (LAUGHS)

(LAUGHS) The rest of us don't want to.

Right, in round 1 and round 2,

you'll have 60 minutes to cook your dishes.

Maggie, do you want to kick them off?

Your time starts now!

RUE: Come on, guys!

DECLAN: Righto.

Ooh! Whoa! Ooh! Oh, God!

CATH: Good one. Have fun, sweetie. RHIANNON: You too.

RHIANNON: I'm manifesting great vibes 'cause Maggie's in the house.

I'm even using Maggie Beer verjuice. Bonus points?

CATH: Yeah, I'm doing that too!

Maggie just reminded me of all of my upbringing.

I don't probably need that many.

So, I'm just gonna cook something from the heart today.

I see mussels and I go, "Oh, my God."

Mum's mussel curry for Maggie.

I think I'm good. Thanks, ladies.

Hi, Rhiannon!

Hello! Hello! Hello, Rhiannon.

What's the dish?

My dish is curry mussels with finger limes topped on the mussels.

Mussels and...oh, and finger lime!

It's my favourite thing in the world.

Lots of finger lime. I'll put lots.

I love them.

I... What's... Oh!

I love you with all of my heart. OK.

So that's...that's an adoration face, not a worry face?

No! It's like... this is a complete dream come true.

You have absolutely no idea.

We have watched you our whole lives.

I think I've watched every episode of 'The Cook and the Chef'

at least five times each.

I honestly cannot believe I'm meeting you.

You've got this. I have. I know! Thank you!

Food with love.

RALPH: You'll make me cry.

Even though I'm, like, really emotional...

Oh, gee!

..all I'm channelling is to get this done perfectly.

Oh! Far out.

Because, like, my mum would actually be so annoyed

if I bloody stuffed it up.

I hope I don't burn Maggie's lips off.

(CHUCKLES)

Go, sweetie. Sweetie pie. Thank you.

Well, I've got fig leaves.

So, my plan is to do a fig leaf granita

with a goat's cheese cream.

(LAUGHS) I love it!

Maggie exudes joy,

so I'm gonna just bring joy into the kitchen today.

RUE: Good job, Adi.

ADI: I've got witlof today.

It's not an ingredient I've ever cooked with.

I'm doing a tartare and we'll serve the witlof charred

and sort of, like, a cracker to eat the tartare with.

RUE: Don't spread yourself thin.

ANTONIO: Yep. Just hit the brief.

I was the only guy that actually took a risk lifting that cloche.

I mean, it was definitely a gamble,

but I'm liking my odds with orange, so...

Mr Risky here got a bag of oranges. But I'm really happy about that.

Nice!

'Cause I can definitely work oranges into a dessert.

I'm gonna start with a hazelnut ice cream,

a white chocolate ganache and an orange caramel.

I think I like the flavour profile

of, you know, the orange and the citrus with the hazelnut.

So, yeah, let's see.

This is definitely a dish that represents me.

Can do it, can do it!

This could be my chance to go all-out on round 1

and hopefully just forget about round 2.

I think today's gonna be a good day.

ANDY: I was baffled that Antonio was the only one to pick the cloche.

And look what he ended up with! JOCK: Exactly.

A fantastic result, to be sure. Yeah.

This season is Secrets & Surprises.

I think that maybe they were thinking that there was a stitch-up

under each of the cloches.

MELISSA: Oh! A stitch-up? Who would do that?

You know? Like... (MAGGIE LAUGHS)

If you had to pick an ingredient from here,

what would you pick and what would you cook?

Well, for me, I'd go fig leaf

and I just love birds baked in fig leaf.

Oh, yeah. Particularly.

Yum! What about you?

I'm keeping it simple in round 1.

When I saw olives and tomatoes, they went like that.

Yeah. Yeah.

I'd make a beautiful heirloom tomato salad.

Great. Some stone fruit.

A little olive tapenade.

Yum! And some fresh cheese.

Stracciatella, burrata. So nice!

Keep it simple. Yeah.

Of course, we are only looking for

the three least delicious dishes today to go into round 2.

From there, one of those three will be going home today.

We're gonna lose one of our first top 10.

RUE: Go, Brent!

BRENT: Another day in the kitchen.

Just with a bad apron on.

I'm the only one left with an immunity pin

which is absolutely great, I love it.

So, the mindset's really good.

Ah, so I've got heirloom tomatoes.

I'm going with charred squid.

I'm gonna make a sort of a tomato salad, 'nduja sauce.

It'll all sort of get tossed together.

I got such an amazing ingredient

and I thought, you know what, let's just back myself and just go for it.

With Maggie Beer in the house,

you must be inspired for a delicious dish,

but you've only got 45 minutes to go!

RUE: Come on, guys! Come on! JOCK: Let's go!

(APPLAUSE)

RUE: Good job, Malissa.

Go, Adi!

DECLAN: As as I knew I got blackberries,

I immediately thought Nan's apple-blackberry crumble.

RUE: Oh, yum! BRENT: Feeling good, Deccy?

Yeah, I'm feeling good today. Yeah.

I don't normally go down the sweet path,

but this is one that I'm familiar with, so...

Yep.

I'm inspired by Maggie being here today.

She's someone that just reminds me of, like, cooking with Mum and Nan.

And this dish, it's wholesome, it's warm

and it's a great dish to cook for Maggie Beer.

Declan. Declan.

Andy, Jock, how are you? Crumble?

Yeah. An apple and blackberry crumble today.

It just reminds me of my nan and my mum.

They weren't too crash-hot at...at...in the kitchen. Um...

This worries me, then.

But...but Mum and Nan could do an absolute killer crumble.

Is it killer enough to keep you out of round 2?

A crumble is a 10 a penny. What's different about your one?

I've put my cinnamon, um, 'twill' in. I've got nutmeg in there.

Oh, I wouldn't say it's an...elevation.

A cinnamon quill...

Um...

A crumble is a 10 a penny.

Is it killer enough to keep you out of round 2?

Oh, I hope so. I mean, I don't know.

Come on. Good luck.

(DECLAN WHISPERS) Oh, my God.

I'm just trying to think of a way to elevate it.

Alright.

I don't want to get into round 2.

What am I gonna add to this dish?

I really need to think fast here.

RUE: Hustle, hustle, please!

So I was thinking maybe I could make a blackberry gel

on top of my crumble.

And I just wanted to see how this would set.

I'm up against unbelievable, talented cooks.

Top 9's on the line and I hope that's gonna be enough for the judges.

Yeah, just a bit...a bit nervous,

but, um, hopefully this one pulls through.

RUE: Looking good, Declan.

I've been eating this fig leaf granita.

It's good? Got it all in my teeth.

Oh! Oh, gosh!

I'm quite nervous to be cooking for Maggie.

I want impress her.

I'm using the dill.

I'm gonna be making a prawn and dill mousse tortellini

with vegetable broth.

(EXHALES DEEPLY) As you can tell, I'm quite nervous!

My pasta dough is resting

and now I need to make a flavoursome broth.

Um...where's the salt?

When I'm making it at home, I've got all day to make it.

I can leave it on for hours.

But I've gotta get this done in about 35 minutes.

So, utilising the pressure cooker is probably the best way I can go.

RUE: Malissa, I can smell it from here.

Oh, my gosh.

RALPH: Let's go! Ralphie, how are you going?

I'm going alright.

I went with rosemary just 'cause I know the flavours very well.

I'm gonna make duck with rosemary oil and some parsnip puree as well.

So, I'm gonna try and put my best foot forward in this dish

and then make sure I'm...I'm safe and I'm up there with Rue.

(RUE CLAPS) Go, Ralphie!

Hi, Ralph! G'day, guys. How are we?

Hello. You met Maggie?

Ohh. Blessed to meet you. What have we got here?

Today I'm making a parsnip puree

with a rosemary oil and a lovely duck.

I love that you've chosen parsnip because they're often forgotten

and they're much maligned.

I need to nail it and balance it so that it works together perfectly.

But the idea's there. And the perfect duck.

You have the queen of game birds here.

(LAUGHS) A lot of pressure.

So I'll perform my best. (LAUGHS)

Oof! Yeah, look, queen of game birds.

That...that adds a bit of extra pressure.

Thank you, guys.

So, with the cooking of the duck, timing is essential.

Today, I guess the gamble is if this doesn't work out,

then I'm cooking in round 2 and I don't think I wanna do that today.

Better get a wriggle on, guys!

You've only got 30 minutes, guys! Let's go!

Come on!

It's not really 30 minutes, is it?

Yes. Yeah. (GASPS)

Come on! Come on, guys!

Maggie, she has this really calming sort of effect.

You're a rock star, Maggie.

Rock star? I'm an old girl. Come on! (LAUGHS)

Sort of at ease, you know.

Cooking for...cooking for Mum or something like that, you know?

Mmm! Yum!

I have prunes and I'm making crullers.

So it's a deep-fried choux pastry. I'm gonna have a prune glaze.

So I'm hoping that they come out really banging today.

ADI: I've got witlof and I'm doing a tartare.

A tartare can be served entirely raw,

but I kinda like it with just a little bit of colour on some of it.

So we've got, like, saffron through the mayo,

we've got some paprika through the beef.

Used the verjuice 'cause Maggie's in the house and I just couldn't not.

And then just witlof as a spoon.

Just pressure on to get it right.

RHIANNON: I'm just gonna have it so, like, um, the curry's in the bowl,

the mussels are in there, the finger lime's topped on the mussel.

Well, this is gonna be interesting! I know!

The first job my mum ever had was making curries

and this is a dish that she loves.

Oh, I've got tears in my eyes

because Maggie brings back so many memories with my mum.

(SNIFFLES)

I lost my mum a year ago to ovarian cancer.

And before she passed away,

I said I was gonna try out for MasterChef this year

and she said to me, "I'll be watching from above if you get on."

And, you know, like I've been... (SNIFFLES)

..cooking in this kitchen, like, for quite a while now.

(SNIFFLES)

And I kind of...

You know, I haven't really felt like Mum's with me as much.

(SOBS)

Like...like I feel like in the garden

and, you know, there's butterflies and she's around,

but, um...yeah, that was the first time, "Oh, my God."

(SNIFFLES)

My mum's here.

I just felt it.

(SNIFFLES) Yeah. It was really special.

I don't know.

I think it's just because Maggie resonates with us so much.

I just... (SNIFFLES) Yeah.

You know, to be top 10 cooking for Maggie Beer

and cooking my mum's curry,

I know she's watching, I know she's so proud of me.

RUE: Brent, you going OK?

Sweet! OK.

Squid games.

(SINGS) # Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, bi-di, ba-ba... #

I love squid on the hibachi.

But the star of the show is the heirloom tomatoes.

They're zesty, they're fresh as,

which is just gonna bring the life to the party.

Hello, Brent. Whoo-hoo!

Maggie, how are ya? MELISSA: Look at this!

I'm good. Yeah!

Gorgeous, vibrant sauce happening already.

Yeah. I am making charred squid... (GASPS)

..'nduja sauce,

a really fresh heirloom tomato salsa.

All those beautiful ingredients. What do you think?

The perfection of cooking squid is...

Yeah. ..absolutely, you know, your target.

Yep. Thanks, guys. Thank you so much. Lots of luck!

You know what, you never know in this competition,

especially now we're at top 10,

my dish might be an amazing idea and it tastes amazing,

but it just depends on what everyone else is doing.

There's no room for error.

THEO: Hey! Sorry, bruh.

Charcoal in that? Charcoal. Charcoal-infused.

ANDY: Doesn't matter what ingredient you picked,

we need to see your dish in 15 minutes!

RUE: Come on, guys! Come on!

Oh, thanks, Rue! Yeah. (LAUGHS)

Go, Antonio.

Do you love the ice cream? ANTONIO: Yeah.

And I also have a white chocolate ganache in the freezer.

Uh, I'm liking the dish so far. OK.

This is definitely a dish that represents me.

I...I love chocolate. I love ice cream.

And I'm also gonna do orange caramel to go with it.

I love oranges. It definitely was a good gamble.

I've done a few caramels in my life

and, yeah, I know you're gonna like this one.

Antonio. Hello.

Hello, Antonio!

The only gambling man in this...in this round today.

Yeah. I like... I'm liking my odds.

What are you doing with that win?

So I've always liked the combination of chocolate and orange.

You know who else likes the combination of chocolate and orange?

(LAUGHS) Yes!

Absolutely. OK.

So, normally it's paired with dark chocolate.

So, but I kinda like the citrusy that I'm gonna get from it

and counteract with the white chocolate.

OK. Oh!

So I'm gonna do a white chocolate ganache.

Hmm.

And I'm also including a little bit of a flavour bomb

with the hazelnut ice cream.

OK. Um...

White chocolate - much sweeter than dark chocolate.

Yep.

You know, really presents itself quite intensely.

Hazelnut, quite sweet.

And oranges, quite sweet again. Yeah.

So, for me, what I'm picking up here is...

A lot of sweetness. Yep.

OK. OK. Too sweet is...is...

It's not good.

(TENSE MUSIC)

Too sweet is...is...

It's not good.

It's going to be

how you balance those elements and give us some contrast.

OK. Thanks, Antonio.

If you tell me to hold back the charm, maybe I could do.

But hold back the sweetness?

That's... You know, that's me. I'm a sweet guy. (CHUCKLES)

Um...

I don't have time to make another element,

so I decide I'm going to take the caramel

right on the verge of basically turning bitter

to counteract for the sweetness.

So it's gonna be almost like a bitter orange, which is nice,

'cause it's not gonna be overly too sweet

with the rest of the elements of the dessert.

ANDY: 10 minutes to go!

JOCK: Let's go! RUE: Come on! Awesome, guys!

CATH: Oh, my God! Awesome!

My pasta feels really nice.

Quite happy with the filling.

I'm utilising the dill in both my pasta filling

and in the broth as well.

RUE: Don't forget your pressure cooker.

A lot going on right now.

I'm trying to, you know, get my tortellini in

and then I still need to focus on my broth.

Bit hot.

It's got a lot of flavour that it still needs to develop.

So I need to reduce it down slightly.

OK. OK. Alright.

Good job, Malissa.

How are you looking, good-looking? DECLAN: Good, bro. How are you?

Good, good. See?

The judges think an apple and blackberry crumble

is a bit too simple.

So I'm adding a blackberry gel.

RUE: How long do you have on your crumble?

It's golden brown already.

Oh, OK. Good. That's good. Yeah.

My gel's in the fridge and, yeah, I'm just giving it a crack today.

I check on my gel.

This is no good.

And it hasn't set.

Just think I'm gonna have to ditch it. It's not gonna work.

So I'm thinking...how else can I elevate this dish in five minutes?

So I quickly whip up just a simple Chantilly to go with it.

Alright. Cream Chantilly.

Jock and Andy really want to see a MasterChef version of the crumble,

but this is how I eat it at home,

so fingers crossed I'm not in round 2.

MELISSA: Heads-up, everybody! Four minutes to go! Come on!

ANDY: Come on, guys! JOCK: Four minutes!

I think we're good to go. Beautiful.

BRENT: Just finishing up cooking the squid.

Oh, Brent, that smells heavenly! Oh, thanks.

Gonna roll it through the sauce.

Pops of tomato all over it.

And then fried basil leaf on top.

A bit of olive oil. (WHISTLES) That's it.

There'll be great dishes out there, I know that,

so I gotta bring my A game every time.

RUE: Oh, Rhiannon, that smells amazing!

Whoo!

RHIANNON: This cook is me making Mum's curry my own.

The mussels are cooked perfectly.

And then I'm putting finger limes on top of the mussel.

That's the main thing. I love finger lime!

Better get a wriggle on, guys. You've only got two minutes to go!

RUE: Come on, guys! Come on!

Yeah, look, I got a bit of this going on.

I'm about to slice into the duck.

I'm expecting to see a lovely pink in the middle.

And I say a little prayer.

Yes!

Perfect medium-rare. Nailed it.

Parsnip puree's beautiful. I've infused that with rosemary as well.

And then you should taste that punchy rosemary flavour throughout that oil.

So, all of this should blend together

to help flavour the duck and bring it to life.

The dish, to me, is perfect.

30 seconds!

JOCK: Yes!

(JUDGES APPLAUD)

ANTONIO: The whole idea of the dish is chocolate, orange and hazelnut.

There are a lot of, you know, sweet things in...in the dish.

The white chocolate is sweet.

The hazelnut ice cream is sweet.

But I've really taken the caramel to the edge,

so it's almost gone bitter,

which is kinda what I want to, like, tone down the sweetness.

The gamble might have paid off.

(TENSE MUSIC)

Rue, give us a hand? Yes!

10...

RUE AND JUDGES: ..9, 8,

7, 6,

5, 4, 3,

2, 1!

That's it! (JUDGES APPLAUD)

Oh!

Look at that! How'd you go, brother?

Yeah, good. I'm happy. Nice.

Oh, sorry! (LAUGHS) Let me wipe. (LAUGHS)

(GIGGLES) Whoa!

The great Maggie Beer is in the house.

So, of course, it goes without saying

that that should inspire some pretty fantastic food from you guys.

The first dish we'd like to taste belongs to...

..Rhiannon!

OK.

Rhiannon, what did you make us today?

I made my mummy's mussel curry.

The only difference is

is Mum wouldn't have put finger limes on them,

whereas I love the pulp of the lime, yeah.

I tell you what is going on in this bowl.

Perfectly cooked mussels.

Perfectly cooked mussels.

Plumped and juicy

and just they've taken on all of that delicious flavour.

In terms of the curry matching with the protein, it was perfect.

A light, bright curry spiked with lovely bits of ginger

and then the coconut to give it a lovely richness.

A knockout for me.

The finger limes just did such a good job

and it really did exactly what it needed to do.

This is delicious.

I love the mussels. So perfectly cooked.

The coconut's luscious.

And then you have the pop of the finger lime.

It really is fantastic.

And I love it because of where it comes from.

Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you.

RHIANNON: Ohh. I knew it.

The next dish we'd like to taste belongs to Ralph.

What have you cooked us, mate?

So I've made a duck and I've made that with a parsnip puree

and a lovely rosemary oil.

Rosemary, obviously, was your ingredient.

You chose not to have a look... At the box? No.

Was not willing to gamble. Strategy there or...?

Just that I know that flavour very well

and, especially when we're cooking in these bad boys,

I need to make sure I can stick to my strengths and that's one of them.

Ralph, nowhere to hide here, huh?

Duck, puree, oil.

That's it.

Uh...

Beautiful.

The duck was cooked beautifully.

The render was fantastic. You nailed it.

The puree - silky smooth. It's got that hint of rosemary in it.

It is seriously impressive cooking.

Thank you.

I couldn't agree more.

You know, rosemary can be acrid if there is too much.

And you had it in the parsnip and then in the oil.

And it's just a perfect, perfect match.

Thank you. And the duck - wow!

Well done, mate. MELISSA: Nailed it!

ANDY: Nice one, Ralph! Thank you.

Good job. Thanks, Deccy.

Do one? One, two...

Yah!

(LAUGHTER)

JOCK: Cath.

CATH: Today I've made a fig leaf granita

with a goat's cheese cream, buckwheat crisp

and then a verjuice caramel.

MELISSA: You were definitely inspired by Maggie

in the kitchen today.

It feels like an interpretation of a dish Maggie would cook.

Yes. Beautiful execution.

Thanks.

Next up - Theo!

(APPLAUSE)

THEO: I've made you pruney crullers.

MAGGIE: It's so moreish. It really is.

Your batter is fantastic.

The way you had the ginger in with the prunes for the syrup,

very well done.

Thank you. MELISSA: Adi, what have you made?

I've made tartare with witlof leaves.

ANDY: I love the way that you treated the witlof.

It looked beautiful on the plate, how you fanned it out.

I think that that was really smart. Thank you. Thanks.

Next up - Malissa!

Phew! (APPLAUSE)

I feel like I've had a really good cook today.

I've made a beautiful pasta dish and I also made a really nice broth.

I just hope that I've done enough.

Hello! MELISSA: Hey!

ANDY: What did you make?

A prawn and dill mousse-filled tortellini

with a vegetable and chicken broth.

I've got bad news for you, Malissa.

(TENSE MUSIC)

The broth is salty.

(TENSE MUSIC)

I've got bad news for you, Malissa.

The broth is salty.

Oh, no!

Yeah, there's no getting around it - it's the first thing that hits you

and it's the last thing that remains on your palate.

Yeah.

Did you put straight salt in it when it was cooking or...

Yeah, I put salt in the pressure cooker.

Just... Ah! Ah!

I shouldn't have just... I know. I really had.

It's like when you add salt to a pressure cooker,

it's, like, minimal.

Your ability with pasta, it was so fine.

Yeah.

And that's...that's something in itself, which is wonderful.

The dill in the filling, it was beautiful.

But, yes, salty, which is such a shame.

I know. Damn it. That's OK. Thanks! Unlucky.

Thanks, Malissa!

Oh! (LAUGHS)

(SIGHS)

We're really in that part of the competition

where a simple mistake can be the make or break.

(SIGHS)

I'm probably gonna be in a bit of trouble today.

(SIGHS)

Gosh.

Antonio!

(APPLAUSE)

ANTONIO: I've put all my effort into trying to balance

the sweetness of this dish.

So, I'm hoping that will be enough to save me from round 2.

Guys.

What did you make?

I made you guys white chocolate ganache, hazelnut ice cream

and a orange burnt caramel.

Antonio. Hey.

The only gambling person of the day.

Yeah.

Are you happy with your gamble?

Um, I'm... Bit of trepidation there.

What's going on? I'm happy with the oranges.

I'm...I'm just hoping it pays off. Right.

(TENSE MUSIC)

The...the balance was out for me on this one.

And I'm gutted for you because, mate, that hazelnut ice cream...

Yes.

..you could put that on the plate with some orange zest

and I would have been super bloody stoked.

(JUDGES LAUGH)

At the start, I'm, like, OK, caramel, hazelnut, orange, getting delicious.

And then bang, the ganache gets in.

And that's it. It just goes sweet haven from there.

If I had have had just that beautiful ice cream

and the orange syrup and nothing else,

I would have loved it.

White chocolate is a very dangerous ingredient.

Thanks, Antonio. Thank you.

ANTONIO: I had an amazing ingredient and I managed to

do the one thing the judges told me not to.

Yeah, not...not feeling great.

Next up we'll have Brent.

BRENT: Squid, 'nduja sauce, heirloom tomato salsa.

Brent, I think it's another really solid dish, mate.

That little bit of lemon juice that you had the squid sitting in

has really tenderised it.

And then a nice little char on the hibachi makes it sing.

Mate, we can tell when you're in a good place in this kitchen.

Yeah. And it's happening right now.

Thanks, Andy.

I love squid.

And I think the tomato is doing

exactly what everyone hoped it would.

I love the combination.

Thanks, Maggie.

Nice one. Well done, Brent.

Beautiful. Thank you.

The next dish we'd like to taste belongs to Declan!

DECLAN: I am a bit worried

that this dish isn't as elevated as it could be.

But I'm really happy with the flavours,

so, yeah, hopefully it keeps me safe today.

Declan, what did you make us today?

I have done a blackberry and apple crumble with a cream Chantilly.

Declan, there's a special place in our heart for crumble.

However, we are at top 10. Yep.

And the techniques, flavours and execution

displayed here in this bowl,

while lovely,

it's just not top 10 worthy.

It is lovely comfort food for sitting in front of the fire

and the family would love it.

And I guess what Mel is saying is you have more, give us more.

The last blackberry dish that you brought us

was, like, so sophisticated.

Yeah.

But then you go all the way to the other end.

I don't think this is good enough for top 10.

JOCK: Unlucky, mate.

No, thank you.

Ah! (GIGGLES)

All good.

Unfortunately, some of your round 1 dishes

were a gamble that just didn't pay off.

If I call your name, you're in round 2.

Declan.

Antonio.

And, finally...

..Malissa.

The rest of you, congratulations. You're safe.

You can head up to the gantry. THEO: Good luck.

MALISSA: Thanks, guys. Well done.

(JUDGES APPLAUD)

Unfortunately, the three of you have ended up in round 2

and that means you need to cook with the ingredient

that you didn't choose in round 1.

ANTONIO: Olives! I get stuck with olives.

And, oh! Yeah, it's not a good scenario.

Antonio, you already know you're cooking with kalamata olives.

But, Declan and Malissa,

I bet you're keen to find out what you've got to cook with.

Yes.

Righto, so, Melissa, the ingredient that you have is...

..raisins.

Ooh! OK.

How do you feel about that? Friends? Oh, I wish it wasn't raisins!

(ALL LAUGH)

You look about as friendly with raisins as Antonio does with olives.

Yeah. (LAUGHS)

Oh.

Declan, your ingredient you're cooking with is...

..caraway seeds.

I like caraway seeds and, yeah... Perfect.

I can...I can make them work. Righto. Nice one.

Now, remember, in this round, you'll have another 60 minutes to cook.

You can cook anything you'd like but you must feature your ingredient

in your finished dish.

The cook that brings up the least impressive dish in this round

will be going home.

Your 60 minutes starts now!

(CONTESTANTS CHEER) ADI: Come on, guys!

Come on! Come on! Come on!

MALISSA: Does anyone know where the rum is?

I'd actually like to go and see what's in the pantry.

Go. Go.

Can I? Get in there.

DECLAN: Ooh!

Oh, God.

My gosh! MALISSA: Hello!

Look at this magic box of everything! How can you choose?

Mmm!

Oh, my gosh. ANDY: Don't mind us.

(DECLAN CHUCKLES)

Obviously very nervous being in round 2,

but, you know, if I've got any shot at surviving,

I've got to shake this off and just stick with what I know.

What are you cooking, Declan?

Baked Murray cod in, like, a tomatoey sauce with tahini dressing.

MAGGIE: Murray cod!

Wow! Stay here.

Yes, Declan.

RHIANNON: Yes! THEO: Come on, Deccy!

Oh, he's got a Murray cod!

DECLAN: So first thing I get started on

is a nice, rich, tomato-based sauce.

Caraway seeds. Mmm!

Beautiful.

I want this sauce to have that earthy spice from the caraway seeds,

so it needs at least 15 to 20 minutes to reduce down

before I put it in the oven with the Murray cod.

It's nerve-racking. Someone's going home and that could be me.

So, yeah, I just hope, like, these flavours all work together today.

Well, well, well. Very interesting.

Olives, raisins, and caraway.

Raisins - Malissa did not look happy with that at all.

Yes! I can't believe... No!

..anyone could not love raisins!

The same with Antonio.

But the thing is is that he's a dessert guy.

It wouldn't surprise me if he tried to do a dessert with olives.

You could. You could. You could.

I was really thinking I was putting a curveball here.

Caraway, yeah. But Declan's got it.

And he doesn't seem too perturbed.

One thing's for sure is they're gonna have to pull a good dish out

'cause they've got a 1-in-3 chance of going home.

(STOVE IGNITION CLICKS)

MALISSA: On! RHIANNON: Come on, Malissa!

Keep going! CATH: Come on!

ADI: You've got this, Mal!

MALISSA: I've never really cooked with raisins before,

but I've got to make peace and move on!

I'm gonna with a rum and raisin combination

'cause that's the first thing that comes to mind.

CATH: What are you up to, Malissa? I'm gonna do a rum and raisin...

Yeah, OK. ..semifreddo.

Yeah! With a raisin compote.

Cool!

I said rum and raisin straightaway 'cause it reminds me of my dad.

Yeah. I'm just trying to get my semifreddo all done.

You know, adding alcohol can be a risk

'cause it can cause it not to set.

This is a recipe I've never made before,

so that's a bit nerve-racking.

It's definitely a risk

making something that I haven't made before.

These situations, you have no choice. You have to do it.

RHIANNON: Come on, Mal! (CLAPS)

Can't really taste the rum.

I tried to play to my strengths in round 1 and it didn't work.

So, round 2, everything is riding on these raisins.

I don't want to go home.

You guys have got a lot to work out. Only 45 minutes to go!

ANDY: Let's go! Come on! Come on!

CATH: Come on! Come on! Yes! RALPH: Go! Let's go, mate!

Oh, sorry!

ANTONIO: Olives are not my pick of the litter,

but, you know, here we are.

So I'm going to be making a goat's cheese creme pat mille-feulle

with a kalamata olive, uh, caramel.

Antonio! Oh, my God!

RHIANNON: So he's doing a rough puff? Yeah, that's risky business.

'Mille-feulle' means 'a thousand layers'

and it's a very intricate dessert.

The rough puff needs to be fold

and then rested and then fold and then rested,

and that's how you create those amazing layers of flakiness.

It's not an easy dish to pull off.

Antonio. Hello, mate.

Shaking off, uh, the woes of round 1?

I mean, that's the only thing you can do, right?

So it's, um... It's a new cook, so let's do it.

What's the dish? What're you making? Yeah?

I'm doing a goat's cheese mille-feulle

with a kalamata caramel.

A goat's cheese mille-feulle... So you're making a rough puff?

Correct. I'm guessing? Wow. OK.

It's already, um, first fold. Two folds are already in the freezer.

So it's gonna be rectangular, so there are gonna be three levels.

And the layers in between the two?

So, layers in between is gonna be a creme pat with, um, goat's cheese.

I'm gonna do some of the kalamata olive caramel in between,

then repeat.

I've got one question before we go. Yep?

Park the rough puff, 'cause I think it's ambitious in an hour.

But I'm backing you. OK. OK.

Have you done these flavours before?

Park the rough puff, 'cause I think it's ambitious in an hour...

OK. ..but I'm backing you.

OK. Have you done these flavours before?

No.

I've never done them, but, I mean,

I'm parting from, you know, sort of like a cheeseboard

and I'm also parting from salted caramel.

Maybe I can get the saltiness from the kalamata olives

into the caramel.

Um... (EXHALES)

Hey, you've only got 40 minutes. Yes.

Get a wriggle on, mate. Good luck. Thank you.

The MasterChef kitchen is a funny place.

You can do crazy things and mix crazy flavours

and actually create and amazing dish.

Yowza! That's hot.

Hey, it looks like I'm a betting man, so I'm betting on myself today.

Hot news from the bench visit.

So, Antonio's decided to really push the boat out.

He's going to do a goat's cheese and olive caramel mille-feuille.

Is he trying to do a rough puff?

He's doing a rough puff. He's doing a rough puff.

And then there's also a big caramel

that's gonna carry the black olive flavour, right.

It's risky. It is.

(LAUGHS) It's getting there.

What do you think? Ooh!

Gosh, I might get drunk making this one.

(LAUGHS)

I'm making a rum and raisin semifreddo

with a raisin compote.

My semifreddo is done

and I've got to get this in blast chiller so that can set.

THEO: Go, Malissa!

(CONTESTANTS CHEER)

I know that I don't have a lot of time,

so I've pulled out the pressure cooker again to make a compote

because I want to rehydrate these raisins

and I want to make sure that they're nice and plump and juicy.

Malissa. Hello!

Hey, Malissa. How's it going?

I'm good. How are you?

Where are you at right now? What is where in your dish?

OK, so, the semifreddo is in the blast chiller.

Good.

I've got my compote in the pressure cooker.

Great.

I've got some hazelnuts in the oven

because I want to add a crunchy element, so...

Sounds fun. Yes.

..I've kinda just got that on the side.

I hope it's enough.

The best dishes are simple to understand

and don't contain too many moving parts.

OK. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Go for it!

(LAUGHS)

THEO: Come on, guys. Push now. Come on.

Come on! Let's go!

DECLAN: Alright, tahini time.

(CHUCKLES) Pretty nervous, hey.

My tahini dressing is done.

The fish is filleted.

Beautiful Murray cod.

I'm still reducing the sauce down.

Caraway seeds, they're a tricky one,

but I'm just gonna make sure that this time around,

I really do pull through with a MasterChef-worthy dish.

I've got to do a quick fried bread.

CATH: Yeah, yep, you can do it.

I'm adding some fried bread to mop up that sauce.

I'm really just trying to elevate this dish where I can.

Top 10 now, so I need to start doing some la-di-da fancy stuff.

Mm.

I hope you think my ingredients are worth going for it

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

(CONTESTANTS AND JUDGES CHEER)

30 minutes.

How are they going?

Oh, I'm a little bit worried about all of them, to be honest.

I feel like they're treating it like a 75-minute cook, you know?

I think MasterChef just creates, like, a black hole

that just sucks all your time up.

OK, let's go.

I'm a bit worried, but my creme pat, it's actually tasting really nice

and my rough puff is in the oven,

so now I really need to get the caramel done quick.

Alright, let's go. Come on, Antonio!

Let's go! Come on! Come on!

Get the olives out!

The first olive I pick, I notice they're not pitted,

so now I need to pit 100g of olive.

(SIGHS) Jeez.

They're not pitted, these olives.

Oh, you're kidding.

Antonio, I think we've come at the right time

because Maggie has some help for you.

Squash them, usually on a board,

and it squeezes out without destroying the whole olive.

CATH: Ah, good, good. OK. Awesome, Antonio.

You can use a knife if you like. Oh, good on you, Maggie.

You've chosen a very ambitious idea. Show us an ambitious dish.

Yes. Thank you, girls.

Give him some love.

(CONTESTANTS CHEER AND APPLAUD)

20 minutes!

Bit hot.

My compote that I've got from the pressure cooker is done.

The raisins are plump. They've hydrated really well.

RUE: How is it? How is it tasting?

It's a bit sweet.

Some vinegar? Have you got some vinegar?

No, I'll get something.

Bit of a light bulb moment for me.

To balance out the sweetness, I'm adding in verjuice,

one of Maggie Beer's famous products.

Go, Malissa. Yes, Mal!

Verjuice. Yeah, verjuice.

For sure.

I've also added in some cinnamon just to break up those flavours.

I've got that reducing down

and I'm just continually tasting and trying to get this right.

More of this.

Jeez, I used nearly the whole bottle!

We all hope that you can deliver on those big ideas.

You've got 20 minutes.

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

DECLAN: I have all my elements done,

so now I'm just gonna work on my sauce

that I'm gonna baking the fish in.

I want to do caraway seeds a justice.

Very strong flavour.

That smells good, Dec. Thank you.

(SINGSONGS) Declan. Jock.

What's happening? How are you, mate?

Yeah, good. So, I'm doing baked Murray cod.

It's got the caraway seeds. Here?

Yeah, I've already toasted them all off in there.

Toasted and blitzed or just toasted and whole?

Just toasted and whole. Oh, yeah?

And then what's gonna happen with that? Is it going to stay whole?

Yeah, yeah. OK.

Could...could that be an issue?

Um...

Hey, um, I'm gonna... I'm gonna leave you.

Yeah, of course. Good luck.

What's gone wrong? I'm not sure.

Of course I taste it

and these caraway seeds get stuck in your teeth.

It's like a raw grain of rice.

Nah, it's going.

Oh, shit.

I quickly ditch the whole sauce and start from scratch again.

Oh, my God.

20 minutes to go.

Shit.

This could be me going home today.

RHIANNON: Come on, mate.

Come on, Dec. Let's go, buddy. RALPH: Let's go.

DECLAN: That needs to come off.

Come on, Dec! Come on, Deccy. You can do it.

Come on, chin up, sweetie! You got it!

Regather yourself.

I've chucked my original sauce out.

And the new one, I'm just gonna blitz these up in the spice grinder

so you don't get that grittiness in your mouth.

And, yeah, starting from square one again, so...

Yeah, I'm pretty nervous.

It's not ideal that I need to start this sauce again,

because I wanted to cook it down,

really sort of get some depth of flavour.

I don't have that time now.

We all hope that you can deliver on those big ideas.

You've got 15 minutes to go.

(CONTESTANTS CHEER)

RHIANNON: Come on, Antonio.

You bet. CATH: Come on, Mal!

BRENT: Yeah, come on! Let's go, Deccy!

Pretty nervous, but it's crunch time.

I need to get this fish in the oven now.

I know the flavours of the sauce

aren't gonna be as punchy as I would have liked.

But time isn't on my side.

I've just gotta get this fish cooked perfectly.

Right.

Whew. It's a lot riding on... on the one dish.

Come on, Antonio. You've got this, love.

The pressure points for my dish today are definitely the rough puff

and the olive caramel.

So I need to finish off my caramel,

balance the flavour with the olives

and check my rough puff that's in the oven

and then assemble, pretty much.

He's got a lovely idea, but I just think

he's just trying to do too much to do a mille-feuille in an hour.

I know!

OK.

I hope I've balanced it.

How is it, Mal?

Good?

Nice, Mal! Good one!

I feel like the flavours work.

Keep going! Not long, guys. Let's go.

OK!

OK, you got a clear idea, Mal? You know what you're doing?

Yep.

I've got all eyes on me while I'm trying to unmould this semifreddo.

When you add alcohol into frozen elements,

it can stop it from setting, so it's such a risk.

Yeah, Malissa! Come on, looks good!

It's perfectly frozen...

(CONTESTANTS CHEER)

..and I'm so relieved.

So now I just need to bring it all together

and make sure that it all works on the plate.

Listen up, guys. Listen up!

Use your raisin! Don't get carried away.

'Olive' you have only got five minutes to go!

(CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)

Let's go, come on!

ANTONIO: You know, you're so focused in the kitchen

that you don't realise what else is happening.

I'm putting all my effort into the olive caramel.

How's that, Antonio?

(LAUGHS) Not bad!

You're nearly there!

Today was a gamble, but I'm really happy about my decision.

You have the savouriness from the amazing goat's cheese creme pat.

The saltiness from the kalamata-olive caramel.

So now I need to just bring it all together

with my flaky rough puff.

These look like a biscuit.

Basically just looks like shortbread.

They were supposed to be soft and flaky.

That's one of three elements that's gone wrong.

Let's go, Antonio. Get everything together.

But I'm really liking the olive caramel

and I'm happy with the creme pat,

so let's hope that those two elements

can be enough to save me.

30 seconds! 30 seconds, let's go!

DECLAN: I take my fish out of the oven.

The fish is looking perfect.

Yeah, I'm really happy with the cook on that.

So fingers crossed. I hope I've done enough to keep myself safe.

(CONTESTANTS SHOUT)

10, 9, 8,

7, 6, 5,

4, 3, 2, 1.

That's it!

Yay, Antonio!

MALISSA: Oh, good job!

(CONTESTANTS SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

(CONTESTANTS CHEER) CATH: Yes!

Good job!

MALISSA: You are amazing.

ANTONIO: I'm gutted.

I know how it should taste. I know how it should look.

RHIANNON: Antonio. Big air hug.

Just giving you a big hug. (WEEPS)

You right, buddy?

(SNIFFLES)

Oh, Antonio!

You right?

Yep. You did great.

You did so great.

Thank you. You did amazing.

You did amazing too.

ANTONIO: When you put your heart and soul into something

and it doesn't work out,

it's devastating.

NARRATOR: Get inspired by our fabulous home cooks.

Stream full episodes of MasterChef Australia now on 10 play.

Three very interesting cooks that just happened.

It's all very well and good for us to say,

"Well, you can do lots of things with caraway and olives and raisins,"

but when you have to lean into something

you feel uncomfortable about...

I don't know.

I'm really interested to see whether or not any of them were successful.

Shall we get the first one in? Mm-hm.

MALISSA: Good luck. Thanks. Thank you.

DECLAN: Good luck, buddy. Cheers, buddy.

I'm super disappointed that I couldn't get

a nice and flaky, crispy piece of rough puff.

Hey, Antonio. Hey, guys.

But I know the rest of the elements are amazing

and I'm hoping that will be enough to save me.

Antonio, what did you make us today?

I made you guys a goat's cheese and kalamata caramel mille-feuille.

Let's just dive right in there.

Looking at the texture of the pastry...

It's a bit tough.

..I'm guessing that's not what you were intending.

Uh, no.

I'm sensing a lot of emotion bubbling up here.

Whew!

It's the perfectionist in me and... (EXHALES)

..the possibility of going home.

(BREATHES SHAKILY)

Making the promise to my grandma pushed me to here,

but I feel that I want to do it for me now.

(WEEPS)

I definitely lack confidence in many areas of my life

and I feel confident in the kitchen.

Whew!

Sorry. It's been a rough puff and a rough day.

(LAUGHS)

Antonio, you are so young.

I was 34 before I found food

and it was that clicking moment that, "This is what I want to do."

And I think you're even younger than that.

Um, no, 34 actually.

(LAUGHS) See? You've got it.

Antonio, have self-belief. We'll taste now.

Thank you. JOCK AND ANDY: Thanks, Antonio.

Yeah. MAGGIE: Thank you.

(PENSIVE MUSIC)

JOCK: There's...there's a real waft of olives.

It's kind of a sweet kalamata smell.

Thank you.

How many times do we hear contestants say, "Hopefully the flavours work"?

These flavours really work. Yeah.

The combination of the goat's cheese cream and the olive caramel...

..confoundingly spectacular.

I love the concept of it.

I love what I would call a cheese course instead of dessert.

But you can't have a mille-feuille without a good puff...

..sadly.

Had he have nailed the pastry, this would've been safe as houses.

But it's such a critical component of the dish,

you just can't ignore it.

Yeah.

This is in the danger zone. Yeah.

ANTONIO: Good luck. Thank you.

Good luck, Mal. Thank you.

I started this cook with an ingredient

I'd never cooked with before

and now I've managed to make a beautiful dessert

that I'm really happy with and I'm so proud of that.

I hope that this will keep me safe.

JOCK: Hi. Hello!

ANDY: Malissa. Hi.

Why don't you introduce your dish?

So I've made a rum and raisin semifreddo

with a hazelnut crumb and a raisin compote.

Are you happy with it?

I'm happy. I...I hope that I balanced it well.

Right. Yeah.

The raisins were a lot sweeter than what I thought they would be,

so I've tried to balance that in the compote.

Why don't we put you out of your misery?

Please do. And we'll taste.

Enjoy. Thank you. Thanks, Malissa.

She couldn't get out of here quick enough.

(MELISSA LAUGHS) 'Bye!

(CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC)

(ANDY SNIFFS)

She's done it again.

She saved some of her best cooking for round 2.

The semifreddo is silky.

Like, it is luscious and delicious.

And then the hazelnuts for some texture.

It's a really delicious dish.

MELISSA: And then you have the compote,

these plump, juicy raisins

that have been rehydrated with all of that aromatic goodness

and I really like that it's not too sweet.

It's so beautifully balanced against the whole.

It's creamy. The texture is also in the raisin.

I mean, it's a dessert I want to have.

Her ingredient was raisins and, I mean, how good are they?

The texture of them, fantastic.

There was this sort of agrodolce thing going on...

Yes!

..where it was very high acidity,

but because they were very sweet, it's perfect.

Good luck! Good luck, buddy.

Thank you.

The biggest thing that I'm worried about

is the tomato caraway seed sauce.

I know it needed more time for that flavour to really enhance.

Yeah, I'm extremely nervous.

JOCK: Declan. Hello.

Ooh. (EXHALES SHARPLY)

(TENSE MUSIC)

Ooh!

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

What's the dish?

Caraway and tomato baked Murray cod

with a tahini dressing and fried bread.

How many times have you been here in elimination?

One dish away from going home? How many times?

Yeah. Seven, eight, nine.

Yeah. (GASPS)

Yeah.

How do you stop coming here, man?

Um, I think I just need to cook with flavours that I know and I love

and dishes that I'm good at cooking.

What's your passion levels for the dish you made?

The dish as a whole, I'm happy with the flavours.

I'm happy I'm not getting grit in my teeth from the caraway seeds.

Mate, we're gonna taste this now. MELISSA: Thank you, Declan.

MAGGIE: Thanks, Declan. Thanks, Maggie.

Thank you.

Um...I'm really worried for him.

The tomato-based sauce is...underwhelming

because it just hasn't been committed to.

It's lacking in dynamics.

Absolutely.

The sauce is the most disappointing part.

But I think the Murray cod is really good.

My bit was delicious.

It was glossy and silky inside.

It was super nice.

That's what he does. He does that naturally very, very well.

Um, and he's done a reasonable job with the caraway.

There is this waft through that tomato sauce,

nice and sweet and beautiful.

Um, but it's one of those middle-of-the-road dishes.

He's left himself vulnerable

and you never wanna be like that in round 2.

I chose these ingredients because I love them.

And I know that some of them have challenged you.

And I'm not sorry.

I'm not sorry because this is the arena

for you to expand your knowledge,

so always be ready to learn.

Give it up for Maggie Beer, everybody!

ANDY: Tell you what, guys.

This competition is getting mighty fierce.

A talented cook is going home today.

Let's talk about your dishes.

Malissa... Yes.

It was sweet, sour, agrodolce, boozy goodness.

You are not going anywhere.

Oh. Yay. Well done.

ANDY: Well done, Malissa. Malissa!

That means we're down to you two - Declan, Antonio.

Declan, you brought us a sauce with a fair few faults,

but the fish itself was perfectly cooked

and delicious.

Antonio,

both your creme pat and your caramel were beautiful.

However, the integral part of your dish, the pastry,

not only was it not a rough puff,

it marred how the dish ate as a whole.

And I hate to say it, Antonio, but it's why you're going home.

It's OK.

Oh, shit.

Good man.

Antonio, you've brought us

so many delicious dishes throughout your time here.

We are going to miss eating them.

We're going to miss you.

(SNIFFLES AND EXHALES)

I've loved every second of it.

It was always a dream for me to cook for you guys.

And... Yeah, it's just... It's been an honour.

Well, Antonio, come give us a hug.

Thank you very much. Great honour, man. Pleasure to meet you.

See you, brother.

Keep believing in yourself, OK?

Thank you.

(SOBS)

Thanks for cooking for us. Pleasure meeting you.

34 is the magic year, OK? (CHUCKLES)

Thank you. 34.

(CONTINUES INAUDIBLY)

ANTONIO: For me, sharing food is the way I say, "I love you."

I'm gonna miss you.

Food brings people together.

It's been an amazing experience, surrounded with amazing people, so...

CONTESTANT: 'Bye! (ALL LAUGH)

(BOTH SPEAK INDISTINCTLY)

I've learned so much.

Give it up for Antonio, everybody!

But I'm leaving with my head held high...

(LOUD CHEERING)

..and I think my grandma definitely would be proud.

NARRATOR: This week on MasterChef Australia...

Lift your lids now.

(CONTESTANTS EXCLAIM)

Surprise!

..it's a week of wonder.

THEO: How cool's this? MALISSA: Oh, wow!

CATH: Oh, look at that! (GASPS)

WOMAN: In the MasterChef kitchen,

there's surprise, intrigue, mysteries.

So there's never been a better time...

MALISSA: I just want this immunity so badly.

..to dazzle with their best dishes yet.

It's boom, it's pow, it's whack, it's wow!

Captions by Red Bee Media