All language subtitles for masterchef.australia.s15e47.1080p.hdtv.h264-cbfm

Thanks, guys. Thank you.

NARRATOR: Previously
on MasterChef Australia...

CONTESTANTS: Aww!

..our top four
received letters from home...

Sorry, guys.

"MasterChef Winner 2023
will look so good on you."

..and requests
for family favourites.

"I've missed
your chilli prawn pasta."

(JOCK LAUGHS)
(CHORTLES)

They were eager to do
their loved ones proud...

RHIANNON: Oh, my God,
that tastes way better

than I used to make in Townsville.

..but got pushed to the limit.

THEO: What a task
she has actually set me here.

Laure, what are you doing to me?

Their dishes wowed the judges.

ANDY: I can guarantee, that is
the best version you've ever cooked.

MELISSA: It's everything
that you want.

This is unbelievable.
Mate, I'm so proud of you.

And Brent was the standout,
winning immunity.

Well done.

Tonight...

..a massive Pressure Test

with an even bigger twist.

DECLAN: This isn't
your normal Pressure Test.

This is on a whole nother level.

(RHIANNON SIGHS)
Black-apron day, guys.

THEO: Ooh!

Today, stakes are super high.

Pressure Test going into semifinals.

There's a lot riding on this.

And we're so close to the end now

that I know that this is
gonna be super difficult.

(JUDGES CLAP)

Hey!
Hey!

MELISSA: Hey!

Morning, everyone.
RHIANNON AND DECLAN: Morning.

Well, we are well and truly
in the swing of Finals Week now.

And the stakes, they are
just getting higher and higher.

Speaking of higher, ho!

Brent. Look at him.

Up there in the gantry, mate.

Good gig.

First contestant into the semifinal.

Mate, you can kick back and relax.
Yep.

Because these three - hoo! - they're
about to get put through the ringer.

Today's Pressure Test
is going to really test you.

Not just because it's Finals Week.

Not just because it's been set

by one of Australia's
most accomplished chefs.

But also,
because in this Pressure Test,

you'll be taught to make the dish
by the chef who created it.

And you'll need to remember
every single step...

..off by heart.

Oh!

(HISSES)

How's your memory, Rhiannon?

When you eat something, can you
remember what it tasted like?

Palate is great.

That is my memory.

Like, if I taste something, I can
just go, "Yep, yep, yep, yep."

So that's what I'm really
gonna have to rely on.

Absolutely.

Theo, does this play
into your hands, you think?

Um... Yeah, I'm sure I'll kill it.

So...um...
(OTHERS LAUGH)

Yeah. We'll, uh... We'll see.

The real kicker to this challenge

is that the chef is not about
to walk through those doors.

Because today you're going to learn
from him in his kitchen in Sydney!

(ALL LAUGH AND EXCLAIM)
That's pretty good.

See you, Brenty.
See ya!

Bye-bye.
'Bye!

(RHIANNON LAUGHS) OK. Oh, jeez!
That's pretty cool.

See ya!
DECLAN: See ya, Brent.

'Bye.

(MAJESTIC MUSIC)

THEO: Oh, my! Look at this.
RHIANNON: Here we are.

This is so cool.
(CHUCKLES) The Opera House!

I am looking around.

Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney Harbour.

These iconic landmarks.

DECLAN: Beautiful day. Sydney's
really turning it on for us.

Really has, mate.
Sure is.

And then I'm looking up
at the Opera House.

Oh, look who it is!

Oh, hey!
It's Peter.

Hello, guys.

Peter Gilmore! (LAUGHS)

Peter. Declan.
Nice to meet you.

Rhiannon. Lovely to meet you.
Nice to finally meet you.

Welcome to the iconic
Sydney Opera House.

This is the home of my restaurant,
Bennelong.

The Opera House is celebrating
its 50th year this year.

What a perfect time for you
to come and visit.

Wanna come into the kitchen?

We'd love to!
Awesome.

Peter Gilmore has created

some of the toughest Pressure Tests
in MasterChef.

I am so scared,

but I'm also so bloody excited
to meet him.

I can't wait.

Wow!

What a cool kitchen.
MAN: Hey, guys.

Hey. How you going?
Hello.

Yeah, good, thank you.
G'day.

Welcome to the Bennelong kitchen.

Guys, I'd like to introduce you
to my head chef.

This is Rob Cockerill.
Hello.

And my senior sous-chef, Mark Firla.

Hey, guys.

They're gonna help me show you the
dish that you're gonna be preparing.

You're not getting the recipe.
Yeah.

So you gotta remember it. (LAUGHS)

Easy.

You wanna have a look?
Yeah, love to.

Let's get into it.
OK.

Oh, wow!

Squid, scallops and pipis...
DECLAN: Yum!

..on crispy eggplant
with a XO sauce.

Beautiful.
Oh, wow!

DECLAN: This dish looks
so intricate.

That's a piece of art right there.

Looks amazing.

This is gonna be difficult.

OK, guys. Let's get into it.
Yeah, awesome.

Alright, first of all,
we're gonna cook the XO sauce.

We've got 800 mils of chicken stock
in here.

And I want to infuse
this chicken stock

with 200g of pipis
and roughly three spring onions.

OK.

The idea is
it's quite a layered sauce,

so there's lots of flavours
going in here.

So you have to use
all your wits about you

to make this happen, OK?

There are so many ingredients
in Peter's XO sauce.

We're gonna add 50g of eschalots.

Then we've got the garlic. 15g.

And then you've got
about 13g of ginger, OK?

Shiitake mushrooms, 50g.
And 30g, some bacon.

If the measurements are wrong,

it could throw off the balance
of the whole sauce.

Now the next thing we're gonna do
is we're gonna add the chilli paste.

Now, this is fermented
Korean chilli paste.

Wow.

This is what is
my secret ingredient...

Yum.
..in my XO sauce.

Oh, wow.
Yeah.

And we actually make this ourselves.
Oh, wow! Epic.

Be 30g, 32g.
That smell.

Yeah.
Oh, it smells amazing.

Now the time to add the stock.

Beautiful.
Nice.

Lots and lots of flavour.
Yeah.

The colour's amazing.

Essentially, you're gonna reduce
this liquid by about half.

Alright. Yep.
OK?

Trying to remember the flavours,
the balance is pretty full-on.

So we've got the XO sauce simmering
away there just very gently.

So we're gonna move on to making
the brown butter aioli.

MARK: First of all, we need
to make the brown butter.

It needs to be quite dark, otherwise
you're not gonna get the flavour.

OK.
Alright?

Yeah, just have a look in there now.
That's what you're after.

Then we're gonna add our oil.

So we're gonna put our eggs in first
and then confit garlic.

Alright.
RHIANNON: Yep.

And then we're gonna slowly add in
our brown butter oil.

(FOOD PROCESSOR WHIRRS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Wow, look how creamy that looks.

We'll move on to the next thing.

OK.
Beautiful.

Hey, guys.
CONTESTANTS: Hey.

Rob's gonna show you the squid.

A great textural element
for the dish.

Yep.

We want a beautiful
silky squid noodle.

Just gonna this head.

Gently removing...the innards out.

Just making sure, keeping
everything nice and intact

so it doesn't make an inky mess.

Yeah.
Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

It's really important
to watch every hand movement,

everything he does,

It's actually quite technical and I
have to remember every single step.

Next, you're gonna cut through
down to the thicker membrane.

And just pull the knife up
at...at that point.

You can feel it almost
with the knife.

And by doing that, you're gonna keep
a nice bit of structure to the squid

but also we're gonna be able
to pull this off in one hit.

Yeah.

Alright, the first is just to take
that seam down a little bit

and that's gonna give you
a nice purchase

to take the rest of the squid down.

And it should just come off
in one go.

How long's that gonna take us?

I think that was four minutes or so.
You'll be right.

Very quick. Yeah. Very impressive.

Rob just made it look so easy.

We're gonna try and get a 1mm noodle.

But there's a lot of finesse
involved in all the elements.

MARK: So we're just gonna cut them
horizontally, OK?

The prep of the scallops.
PETER: Like that.

RHIANNON: Yeah.

Then the pipis.

What we wanna do is open them up,
take them out,

'cause you're gonna be heating them
in some clarified butter

to get hot for the dish.

The thickness of the eggplant.

That's the sort of diameter
that you're looking at, guys.

Yep.
OK.

And around about
that sort of thickness.

Down to the bacon.

Best way to crisp this is in a hot
pan with another smaller pan on top.

And then the peanuts.

They have this natural stripe.

And everything
has been thought about

and integrated with each other.

It all looks like
it's really, really intricate

and that's something
that I'll have to focus on.

OK, guys, so that's
all of the seafood prepared.

Crispy bacon. Peanuts.

The XO sauce,
just about perfect now.

Let me show you
the consistency we're after.

Oh, yep.
See how that's reduced down?

DECLAN AND RHIANNON: Yeah.
OK.

Glossy.
Beautiful.

Exactly.
Yeah.

We're going to strain it

and we're going to add
a very small amount of xantana.

OK, and we're doing this just
to emulsify it a little bit, OK?

There's a lot to take in.

I am chaos in the brain.

The only thing that makes me
feel comfortable

and at home is the XO sauce.

Mark's gonna do the eggplant.

From that hitting the fryer,

you've got four minutes
to get everything else ready.

OK. Cool.
OK?

You've got the squid
and the scallops.

We're gonna put them
into the butter bath.

So now you need to keep
moving quickly.

Put one on each plate and Rob's
gonna start layering the seafood.

A little bit of squid.
A little bit of pipis.

A scallop and then bacon and then
we're gonna repeat that process.

So you can see all the elements
on top, OK?

You've really gotta work fast
in these final minutes

because the eggplant tempura
will go soggy,

the seafood will be overcooked.

So that's how it ends up.

The plating is gonna be so important
to this dish.

So there you go.

You're gonna replicate

our XO, pipi, squid and scallop
on crisp eggplant.

Amazing.
Beautiful. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Thank you, guys.
Oh, that's amazing.

Oh, so good.
Cheers. Good luck, hey!

Thank you.
So enjoy.

Alright.
It is spectacular.

Just how delicate.

Everything serves its purpose
on the plate.

So there's quite a few steps

and you've gotta get
all the elements right

but the presentation's very clean.

Yeah.

And then you've got
all the flavours and textures.

It's an incredibly refined dish.
It's so refined.

Yum.
OK, guys.

I'm gonna see you back
in the MasterChef kitchen.

Alright.
Good luck.

Thanks, guys. See you later.
Yay. Can't wait. Thank you.

See you, guys. Thank you.

JOCK: Come on in.
Straight to your benches.

Welcome back.
Thanks.

How was that?
Awesome.

Quick trip up to Sydney.
Yeah, very quick.

Hopefully you were paying
close attention.

Here's how it's gonna work.

You'll have 2 hours and 15 minutes
to re-create Peter's dish.

Wow.

We want four perfect plates.

One for each of us and, of course,

one for Peter,
who's gonna join us shortly.

The cook whose dish least resembles
Peter's...will be going home.

This is the most important cook
of the competition so far.

So take a deep breath.

Focus.

And remember what you learnt.

Good luck.

Your time starts now.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

THEO: I hope my brain is good enough
to remember what Peter was cooking.

You know, replicating that dish

exactly as it should be,
um, yeah, is gonna be tough.

But feeling good actually.
Um, I'm feeling confident.

Um, just gotta keep my wits
about me today

and not let the pressure get to me.

BRENT: Go, Theo. Go, Deccy.

Fully going off your memory,
this isn't your normal Pressure Test.

This is on a whole nother level.

Let's go, Deccy. Come on, mate.

But cooking with seafood,

it's definitely playing
to my strong points.

First up, I'm just working
on this stock for that XO sauce.

The pipis and spring onions
are in that.

And now I'm just working
on my mise en place.

It's absolutely crucial
to remember everything.

If the measurements are wrong,

it could throw off the balance
of the whole sauce.

30 mils of oil.

Have you cut up your shiitake
for the XO sauce yet?

Nup.
I reckon it's 30g.

30? It's too much?
I don't think it's 50. That's 30.

Holy shit.

I am really good
at trusting my instincts.

This whole dish hinges on whether
I can remember those flavours.

We believe we have the recipe
all in our heads

but it's gonna come down
to, you know, taste

and making sure
that you're balancing right.

So, yeah, I think
we've all gotta use our instinct

in this cook for sure.

I reckon it is 50.

You reckon?
Yep.

Right now, all I'm thinking about
is quantities.

There needs to be 15 ingredients
that go into this sauce.

Eight. Nine.

Honestly, there is
just so many things

that I've gotta remember right now.

I don't wanna make a mistake.

So I'm gonna actually take my time.

You've got a lot going on.

There's squid, there's scallops,
there's pipis.

But the XO sauce is, like, legit
the main thing for this dish.

If you don't get the balance
and the XO sauce right,

you don't have the dish.

JOCK: Rhiannon.
G'day, fellas.

You have to rely on
your instincts for this.

100%. And what Peter showed us.
You know?

No letters and numbers on a page.
Nup.

It is literally
down to what you remember.

And then your instincts take over.
100%.

And I'm putting time into the sauce

because, honestly,
that's where it's at.

You're exactly right.
It all hangs on that sauce.

But then, also,

something that you need to be
very careful and mindful of,

how much time you have.

Yeah.
How fast you're moving.

You can spend all the time
in the world on this sauce.

Yep.

But the seafood needs
to be cooked perfectly.

Everything does.

The eggplant needs to be
super crispy and delicious.

If you don't have time
for everything else,

it doesn't matter how good the sauce
is, you might be going home.

(TENSE MUSIC)

If you don't have time for
everything, you might be going home.

Yeah. Thanks, guys.
Good luck, Rhiannon.

Go, Rhi-Rhi.
Where did my spoons go?

Every single element
needs to be perfect.

So it's like,
"OK, work at pace, work calmly

"and make sure
you get everything done."

How you going, Deccy?
DECLAN: Good. How are you?

Good, bud.
Alright.

Today's a tough challenge.

But we all seem to be on track.

Peter was just saying,
"Bring this to a gentle simmer

"and let this simmer
and reduce by half."

(SNIFFS) Beautiful.

We're all helping each other out
where we can.

Do you strain this, Theo?
Strain what?

Do we do it to half with the stuff?
We strain it twice at the end.

At the end. Deccy, have you
figured out what that lemon's for?

The lemon's for the aioli.
Oh, yeah.

You want a squeeze of lemon.
That's a lot of lemon.

But at the end of the day,
it is a competition

and I need to move on
to the brown butter aioli.

Brown butter.
Brown butter.

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

Peter really brought
that butter to the edge.

It was nice and brown and then it had
that hint of confit garlic in there.

Peter's was velvety and rich
and silky in texture.

And that's what I've gotta
bring forward today.

Taste, taste, taste.

Are you happy with that?

Beautiful.

It's delicious. It's so
full-bodied and full of flavour.

How's that, Rhi-Rhi?
Yum-ah!

Where's the lid for it?

I've finished my aioli.
I am loving the consistency of it.

I'm loving the colour of it.
Oh, that's nice, Theo.

I'm feeling quietly confident
about this dish.

I've got this.

We want four perfect plates
in an hour and a half.

And guess what -
Peter Gilmore's in the house.

There he is!
(ALL CHEER)

Hey, guys.

How you going?
Hey.

OK.

These are big...big squid, eh?

Yeah, it is a big boy.

RHIANNON: Preparing the squid
is a massive pressure point,

because I bloody don't know
about squid.

I remember Rob saying
that I needed to wipe it down.

Slippery little sucker.

Cut it down.

BRENT: That's it, Deccy.

You know your way around
a bloody knife and a seafood.

RHIANNON: Turn it over.

Slice it and rip the membrane off.

Well done.

(SIGHS) Yeah, I got it.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

ANDY: Declan got it.

THEO: Alright.

Um... (EXHALES)

I'm really familiar with squid.
I really love squid.

Do I pull from here?

But I'm trying to think about Rob
peeling this squid at Bennelong.

And...it's just escaping me.

I just can't remember.

RHIANNON: You right, Theo?

Did you get it, Deccy?
I got it. You alright?

It's just not working for me. I...

At this point I'm thinking,
"Alright, I've got time.

"Just keep working on this.
Just try and peel it."

I'm just not getting it, though.
I can't figure it out.

I don't understand.
Like, theirs come apart so easy.

I can't get this off.

Peter, this looks
absolutely stunning.

Do you wanna sauce it? I can't wait.
Yeah, absolutely.

MELISSA: God, it smells
incredible, doesn't it?

Thank you.

There we go.

(CHUCKLES)

Talk about the sauce, Pete.

'Cause, like, I'm guessing
that's a huge part.

It is. It's a massive part
of this dish.

The secret ingredient there

is I actually use
a fermented Korean chilli paste.

Gotcha.

And that gives it a really beautiful
umami boost and a depth of flavour.

I love that. It is. It's just...

Nice little bit of a glow.
Nice little bit of a glow.

Oh, perfect.
Yeah, it's...

It's delicious, Pete.
I expect nothing less.

Thank you.

RHIANNON: It's fiddly.

This whole dish needs to be
a lot of multitasking.

You can't just be stuck on one thing

because there's only
2 hours and 15 minutes.

So while I'm prepping the scallops,

why not get some bacon on?

DECLAN: Low and slow, baby.
Low and slow.

So bacon's cooking away.

XO simmering away.

Squid. Scallops.
They're prepped in the fridge.

Just slicing my eggplant now.

Just really trying to work
on that mise en place.

The eggplants that Peter had were
about 10-13 mil thick.

I've gotta make sure
they're all uniform.

But I really don't have time
to muck around.

Oh!

(CHUCKLES) Oh, shit!

ANDY: Ooh, eggplant down.

Take two on the eggplants.

JOCK: I know it's been a big day,

but the hardest bit is yet to come.

You've only got one hour to go.

Come on!
BRENT: Come on, guys, let's go!

(ANDY CALLS OUT)
Go. Come on, Theo!

Come on, Rhi. Deccy!

Theo's still going on his squid.

MELISSA: Yeah. I'm really worried.

(SIGHS)

DECLAN: You alright, Theo?
Nah.

(EXHALES)

25 minutes I've spent on this squid.

Time's passing. I'm starting
to get even more stressed.

(TENSE VIOLIN MUSIC)

BRENT: Come on, Theo, mate.
Just keep going. Keep pushing.

Good work, Rhi-Rhi.

RHIANNON: So I've sliced
my scallops in half.

I've also gotta cook my pipis.

I've got that going.
I'm onto the squid.

You know, I struggle to stay
in one thing at once.

But today,
you've gotta be so careful.

How's it taste, Deccy?

DECLAN: It's getting there. Hoo!

It's got that kick.

I feel like I can't afford to stand
around and wait in a Pressure Test,

so I'm multitasking.

My XO sauce is bubbling away.

I've got my bacon cooking.

And I need to hit these pipis
in the pan with a splash of water

so they open up a fraction.

I've got everything under control.

That bacon's sizzling.

(NORTHERN ENGLISH ACCENT) Ooh!

Couple of them
are a little bit crispy.

Ooh, Deccy!

Ooh!
Careful, mate.

I'm watching Declan. He's starting
to make some silly mistakes.

I'm getting really worried for him.

My bacon's turned into charcoal.
(CHUCKLES) So I've...

I've gotta get some more on.

Just took my eye off it.

So a little bit going on.
I gotta be a bit more careful.

Declan.
Declan.

Gents, how are you going?
How are you doing?

Um...I'm just purging my pipis.
Yep.

XO's cooking away.

And that bit of bacon.

Are these all...
Yeah, they're scrap.

They're scrap.
Scrap metal.

And then these are my good ones.

You got a lot on the go.
Yeah.

These are popping.
Yeah.

Definitely overcooked.

An overcooked pipi could be
the thing that sent you home.

If you are doing something
that only takes a minute...

Yeah.

..be standing over it for a minute.

(BIRDSONG)

DECLAN: Definitely overcooked.

Overcooked pipi could be
the thing that sent you home.

Just be careful, man.
OK.

This was a close call. So I'm gonna
work on one thing at a time.

Good luck, Declan.
Keep moving, mate.

I will. Thank you. Alright.
(OTHERS CLAP)

I can't afford to make
any more mistakes.

I've just got enough pipis
to do a second batch,

but I've gotta watch this
like a hawk.

RHIANNON: Where did I put my sieve?

The pipis are done.

Gotta pull them out and then just
get the little sac off the end.

I've gotta slice the eggplant.

Make sure that
all four look uniform.

I'm feeling, like, weirdly calm.

BRENT: Did you do the cut?
THEO: Huh?

Did you do the cut?
Yeah.

And then I should be able
to just pull it off, right?

Maybe if I cut a bit more here?

I'm still struggling
with this membrane.

I can't peel it off. I'm, like,
losing my mind on this thing.

From the demo, I remember them
holding down with some pressure

and peeling back that squid.

Ooh.

There we go.

You know, I think I've got it now.
I think...

I think I know where I'm going,
so I try to give it another try.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

(SIGHS)

How far down did you guys cut?

Did you do it like this?
That's the in...

That's the inside of it.
You cut it like that and then pull?

Yeah, so hold...use your cloths
and just get grip.

And then just like...just like that.
So, yeah.

You've just gotta get it
so you can rip it.

Mm. OK.

You just need a little bit
further through. Not much, though.

(BRENT CLAPS) Theo, come on, mate.

I'm watching Theo struggling.

And at the same time, I can see the
clock and it is just ticking away.

It sucks because he's looking up
at me, like, you know,

I can throw him a Hail Mary
and help him.

(SIGHS)

Just take a breath, Theo.

But nothing I can do up here
in the gantry.

It's hard.
Can't get it.

Why is this so hard for me?

(EXHALES) I'm losing patience.

I'm losing time.
(SIGHS)

Why can't I get this?
Everything's getting away from me.

I'm so frustrated.

Come on, mate. You can do this.

Like, seriously,
just take a deep breath.

Do something else. Come back to it.

It takes 30 seconds to cook.
Yeah.

Righto. Do something else.
OK. Thanks.

Keep going. Keep pushing.

I start on my tempura batter.

I've still gotta chop my eggplant.
Prep all the seafood.

I've still gotta cook my pipis,
fry my bacon.

And it's always in the back
of my mind,

that squid's still waiting for me.

BRENT: Good work, Theo.

Oh, there's a bit going on.

Oh, yeah.

Theo just can't get
the membrane off the squid.

Sounds like he needs a bit of
a win in some other element

in order for him to then go back
with the right positive mindset

to dominate
and get that membrane off.

Yeah, the worst thing
that can happen for him

is the domino effect, you know?

You know when you make one mistake,
you normally make three?

You see it happen so many times
in Pressure Tests.

Yeah.

THEO: I feel like
I'm just getting nowhere.

BRENT: Oh!

Oh, shit.

Everything's going wrong.

Have you got more pipis?
Yeah.

Yeah, just ditch it.

(WHISPERS INDISTINCTLY)

You've only 30 minutes to finish
off all your elements. Let's go!

Come on. Let's go, Declan!
Theo. Come on, Rhiannon.

Half an hour to go
and, um, I've done everything,

apart from clean these pipis.

I gotta get my tempura batter done
and I've gotta peel my penis.

My peanuts. (CHUCKLES)
I've gotta peel my peanuts.

So, um, I'm on a good track

and, you know, eyes on the prize.

RHIANNON: Currently I'm working
on the tempura for the eggplant.

I've got all my seafood
in the fridge.

I've done my aioli.
My XO sauce is nearly done.

I feel like everything's
gone pretty good so far.

So I'm pretty happy.

BRENT: Good work, Rhi-Rhi.

THEO: My second batch of pipis
is done now.

I've got my eggplant cut up.
I need to get back to this squid.

And I'm still struggling.

I'm going through
so many emotions in my head.

(SOLEMN VIOLIN MUSIC)

Come on, Theo, mate.
(THEO SIGHS)

I can't do it. I can't do it.

Shit!

I'm starting to get angry.
I'm starting to get upset.

Waste of time.

DECLAN: You alright, Theo?
RHIANNON: You right, mate?

THEO: I'm stuck in this
negative feedback loop.

(THUMPS BENCH)

I've put in so much work
in this competition,

that it comes down to this, and
it just keeps playing on my mind.

Take a deep breath, mate.

Take a deep breath.

The more you struggle,

the more your emotions
are gonna get the better of you

and you're just not gonna get
the right result.

Righto?
Yep.

Theo, I'm telling you right now,

if you don't get out of
this headspace, you'll go home.

Theo, I'm telling you right now,

you have to take a deep breath.

You have to park your emotions...
Yeah.

..because that is
what will send you home.

Not the squid, not anything else
but your emotions.

So deep breaths.

And this will happen, but it won't
happen the way that you're going.

Thanks.
JOCK: Good luck, mate.

Come on, Theo. You got this, bro!

Being in a bad headspace sucks
and it's hard to get out of it.

But I've gotta try.

(EXHALES)

DECLAN: My XO sauce is
at the consistency that I want.

I strain it through a chinois,

really pressing out as much of
that flavour and aromats that I can.

I add a pinch of xanthan gum.

I really wanna keep an eye
on stirring this

so it doesn't all split.

Let's go, Rhi-Rhi.

Feeling good?
Thanks, buddy. Yeah, I'm going OK.

Yep?
Yep.

I'm straining the XO sauce.

Looks good, Rhi.
Yeah.

Looks...looks really vibrant.

Tastes really nice.
Yeah?

Yeah.
Tastes like his?

Yep.
Yep?

It's got the nice after-kick.

I put a pinch of xanthan gum.
I whisk it in.

And at this point, I'm just motoring.

I've got to batter my eggplant.

Eggplant needs to be super crispy.

I've gotta get the peanuts on.

Get my seafood cooked
in the butter bath and plate up.

(CHUCKLES) Not much.

(THEO EXHALES)

Right.

Theo.

You need a hand? You good?

Good?
Oh, yeah.

If you like, mate.
Don't feel like you need to, though.

Alright. Good? You've made the cut.

Yeah.
Alright.

So just start back a tiny bit.

A legend.
Mm.

Absolute legend.

This is the side we flip, yeah?

Yep. Yep. Yeah.
Then peel this side.

So just work from the corner first.

It's...

The first bit's
the hardest part, yeah?

Taking time,
showing him how to do it.

OK. Alright.

So see that?
Yep. Alright.

Now keep pressure there
and pull back.

Alright. Thanks, buddy.
OK.

You got it.

Don't push too hard with this.
OK.

And with this hand,
keep it flat across.

Oh, yeah, OK.
Yeah? And now move back there.

Keep moving up, keep pulling.

Nice, bro.

You're right. Keep moving
and wiggling and pushing.

Yep. Thanks, buddy. Legend.

Can you see?

He's just shown him how to do it.

Well done, Declan.
You're a legend.

That's big, mate.

THEO: Declan, he's such a legend.

Come on, Theo. You got this, mate.

MELISSA: He'll get there.

You got it, Theo?

Yeah, it's coming, yeah.

ANDY AND JOCK: Come on, mate.
BRENT: Let's go, Theo. Come on!

ANDY: That's it.

I start peeling back the squid
and it's coming.

BRENT: Oh, my God!

Slowly, slowly,
I'm finally getting it.

And...
Oh!

(GASPS)

Yes!

Boom!
Whoo!

I finally pull off
that damn membrane.

RHIANNON: Go, Theo!
Thanks, Deccy. Thanks, mate.

You're a legend, mate. Thank you.
RHIANNON: Oh, that's awesome.

I lost a lot of time
on that damn squid.

I've got so much to do.

I'm running out of time.

No matter where you're at,
it's time to think about plating up.

15 minutes to go!

(JUDGES CLAP)

DECLAN: Bada bing, bada boom!

Peter's dish today was so tender
and delicate.

So much is riding on the cook
of this seafood,

so it has to be bang on.

THEO: I'm worried
because there's so much finesse

that needs to go into this dish,
but I don't have time.

How long have I got, Brent?
Uh, you got...um...

Eight. Eight minutes.

I am so far behind.

I'm working triple speed right now.

I'm just going for it.

Shaking like a leaf.

Let's go, mate, come on.

Thanks, brother. Let's do it.

Let's...

Guys, you've only got
three minutes left.

Go for it!
Come on!

Three minutes!

DECLAN: The plating is so important
to this dish.

On my eggplant,
I'm going squid, scallops and pipis,

with some little bits of bacon.

And then I'm finishing it off
with seven squirts of the aioli

and time's running out.

30 seconds!

Ooh. Look at that.

Beautiful XO sauce.

RHIANNON: I'm pouring
my XO into jugs.

Get 'em in, get 'em in, all of 'em.

It smells amazing.

But then...

Far out, mate.

How you going, Rhi-Rhi?

I've just realised
the sauce has split.

Oh, man,

I can't fix it.

It's too late.

Here it is. 10...

JUDGES: 9, 8, 7, 6,

5, 4, 3,

2, 1.

That's it!

(EXHALES)

Thanks, buddy.
Take a deep breath.

Thanks, mate.
All good. Did a good job.

Thanks, mate. Love ya. Thank you.

RHIANNON: Got it done, mate.

THEO: Nah, didn't.

You did a good job.

Don't be angry at yourself.

Yeah, it was tough. Lost my cool
halfway through the cook.

Um, yeah, it was really difficult.

I'm happy with the flavours.

Um, the...XO sauce is really nice.

Um, I didn't get it...the finesse
I wanted to in the end.

Everything that is on there is good.

Um, you know, I missed the flowers
and a few of the peanuts.

I certainly hope this is enough

to keep me in the competition,
but who knows?

Yeah, it was tough.

Good luck, mate.
Thanks, guys.

Yeah, you got this, buddy.

Whoa!

Theo.
Hey, guys.

Hey, mate.
Hey.

Hi.

Big day, huh?

Yeah.

You had your highs and lows there,
for sure. Talk me through that.

Yeah, um...

I lost my cool. Um...

(SOFTLY) It's OK.

NARRATOR: Get inspired
by our fabulous home cooks.

(EMOTIVE MUSIC)

(SOFTLY) It's OK.

Theo, don't be too hard
on yourself, mate.

We're all human.
We're all under pressure.

Having to do new things like that.

So it's not unusual to, you know,
get a bit flustered or...

Yeah.

I think seeing what you do up there

and, you know,
being inspired by it all.

Like, I wanna open a bakery

but I think it's taken on
more than that now.

Like, I get goosebumps
even now just talking about it.

Like, it's, yeah... It's love.

There's just so much -
as you saw in today's cook...

JOCK: Yeah.

..so much passion inside me, um...

Alright, mate. It's time.
We're gonna taste it.

Thanks, Theo. Well done.
Thanks. Thanks.

There's obviously a few things
that are wrong in this dish.

I think the problems
he had with the prep

has really affected his final result.

Couldn't agree more.

The seafood's undercooked,
particularly the squid.

Undercooked eggplant, peanuts,
flowers, both missing off mine.

It's a shame because
had he not have lost it

with himself preparing the squid,

I feel as if that cost him
a lot more than just time.

Yeah, unfortunately, yeah.

Yeah, it was...it was hard
to watch Theo there for a bit.

Yeah.
Um...

You know, you never wanna see
someone go through that

to the point where they're...
they're so upset with themselves.

In saying that,
there's a lot of problems here.

You know, he's done it all, apart
from the peanuts and the flowers,

but nothing is really perfect.

Mm-hm.

And that's where he might be
in trouble today.

Good luck, mate.
Good luck, bro.

DECLAN: I'm inspired by what
Peter, Mark and Rob have done today

and I can definitely see myself
following that food dream.

Declan.
Hello.

Hello.
How are ya?

Hi.
Very good, thank you.

Thank you.

You're, like, peaking.

(LAUGHS) I am.

I think just seeing
the boys and Peter in the kitchen,

it just really opened up my eyes
to the possibilities.

I could definitely see myself
in a kitchen like that.

I've always, like, thought,

you don't work a day in your life
if you enjoy what you do,

and I love food
and it can definitely take me places.

You know, you definitely had
an air of confidence about you.

Let's hope that this tastes like
a chef from Bennelong

put it on the plate.

Thank you, guys. Enjoy.
Well done, Declan.

JOCK: Well done, mate.
Thank you, Peter. Thanks, Jock, Mel.

ANDY: Looks pretty good.
Alright, put the sauce on.

Yeah.

Actually, you know,
every component's lovely.

The sauce is really lovely and
the seafood's really well cooked.

The pipis especially.
I'm glad he did them again.

MELISSA: I agree.

Overall, um, the flavours
are pretty damn good.

He's done a pretty reasonable job,
that's for sure.

One thing that I love about your food

is that it is so delicate, precise,
romantic, beautiful.

And it's a really tall order to ask
someone to try and replicate,

but I think that he, you know,
did a really incredible job.

I loved how soft and delicate
the eggplant was,

compared to the crunch
on the outside.

Beautiful seafood.

And in the XO...is...is gorgeous.

It had that warm glow
that you want...

Absolutely.
..out of it.

So I thought it was great.

He's come in from day dot and said
he's a seafood guy and it shows.

The squid, the pipis, the scallops,
all cooked perfectly.

Look, it's not hard
to be inspired by you,

let alone in your kitchen
with your team.

Yeah, it sparked his imagination
of what he could do himself.

I think we all witnessed
Declan find the thing

that he came to
the MasterChef kitchen for.

You know, that's such
a beautiful thing to see.

RHIANNON: I cannot believe
that the XO sauce split.

Go, Rhi-Rhi.
Good luck, Rhi-Rhi.

Thanks, guys.

I'm gutted. I'm so gutted.

Here she is.
Hey.

Hello.
Hello.

Here you go, Peter.
Thank you.

(SIGHS)

Rhiannon, flying to Sydney
to stand in Bennelong

with the Peter Gilmore,
what was it like?

Epic. And, like, I'm legit stoked.

(LAUGHS)
Like, that was...

I feel like I've just lived
all my MasterChef dreams at once.

Aww.

Let's talk about this dish here.
Yep.

And the cook.

I had a vision
that I have the tweezers

and I was gonna beautifully
place the flowers at the end.

And you went, "Hoo!" (LAUGHS)
Yeah, pretty much. (LAUGHS)

Get 'em on!
OK, so we'll taste now.

Thank you. Thanks, guys. Enjoy.
Well done.

Thank you.
Thanks, Rhi. Well done.

Thank you.

Alright.

All pour?

Oh!

Oi!

Completely separated.

Ooh, this one's, like,
super oil slick.

Oh, wow. You got a really split...
Mm.

Completely separated.

Ooh, this one's, like,
super oil slick.

(TENSE MUSIC)

One of the things that Rhiannon
is very good at

is balancing a sauce.

It tastes like yours,
it smells like yours,

it just doesn't look like yours.

Yeah, for me, the sauce
is...is not emulsified properly.

But I agree with you,
the flavour's right.

The eggplant was crisp,
which I think is really important.

And I think the seafood
was cooked really well.

Rhiannon, I think,
pounds flavour into food

like no-one else in this kitchen.

But because that sauce
isn't emulsified,

it just doesn't give you
that beautiful satisfaction.

I hate this part.

Well, team.

Peter Gilmore is renowned

for setting some of the toughest
Pressure Tests in this kitchen.

Peter, how impressed were you with
what you saw from these three today?

Oh, it's super impressive.

The fact that you only saw that dish
being run through once

and you come back and you did it
all in the one day.

You should all be really proud
of yourself.

Today you had to trust your palate,
your instincts

and, most of all, your memory.

You had to bring us a dish
that mirrored a master's.

And one of you, awfully close.

The cook of that dish

and the first contestant going
through to the semifinal today...

..is Declan.

RHIANNON: Yeah! Well done, buddy.

Yeah! (LAUGHS)

(JOYOUS MUSIC)

Whoa, he's gone already.
I don't even get to talk to him.

(ALL LAUGH)

Bloody hell.

(WHISPERS) Oh, good luck, buddy.

Theo, Rhiannon...

..unfortunately,
both of your dishes had flaws.

Rhiannon, your XO sauce was split.

But...

..your seafood
was cooked beautifully.

And the flavours of the dish,
as a whole, were well balanced.

Thank you.

Theo...

..you spent a fair amount of time
on that squid today.

And unfortunately
the dish suffered as a result.

Both your eggplant and your seafood
were slightly undercooked.

And it's because of that,

I'm sorry, Theo,
that you're going home.

Fair enough.

Oh, buddy.

(MURMURS)

(SOFTLY) Get over there.

(WHISPERS) Well done, buddy.

JOCK: Oh, Theo.

Throughout this competition, you've
blown us away time and time again.

You've brought us some of the best
bread that we have ever seen.

But it's not just your dough skills
that got you this far, mate.

It's things like
the slow-roasted lamb shoulder,

the peri-peri squid,
the kangaroo tacos.

I could go on and on and on and on.
Thanks, mate.

How would you describe your time
here in the MasterChef kitchen?

Yeah, um... It's been a wild ride.

The passion from bread spilled over
into the passion for food

and that's probably why,
you know, I came undone today.

You know, he's...
he's an angry little Greek...

(OTHERS LAUGH)
But...

But that's what you love about him.

I tell you what,
if I could ever find a passion

like he has a passion for bread,

um, yeah, I'll...I'll be
a lucky man.

You guys are all amazing.
Amazing people.

Like, really, you know, Declan
helping me out today with the squid.

You know, like,
you didn't have to do that.

Theo, mate, for now,
it's time to say goodbye.

Fair enough, guys.
Come on, brother.

(OTHERS CHUCKLE)

Well done, mate.
Yeah, thank you.

Thanks, guys.

Well done, mate.
Thanks, mate.

I've got so much passion and so much
drive in me to succeed after this.

All the best! I'm gonna miss you.

You're so amazing.

(OTHERS CLAP)

Give it up for Theo, everybody!
(ALL CHEER)

What I'm gonna do after this
is gonna be something epic.

NARRATOR: Tomorrow night
on MasterChef Australia...

Curtis Stone!
(ALL CHEER)

..a MasterChef favourite returns.

He sets a delicious challenge
that's not for the faint-hearted.

You guys are gonna have
to keep up with him.

Ooh!
DECLAN: Oh-oh.

And...
CURTIS: Stop messing around.

CONTESTANTS:
Yes, Chef!

..competing for
a huge advantage

in the semifinals...

Is everyone keeping up?
No.

..the stakes...

Oh, man!
..are massive.

DECLAN: I've
probably screwed up

the main element
of today's dish.

Captions by Red Bee Media