0:00:04 > 0:00:06It's the last of the MasterChef
0:00:06 > 0:00:08quarter-finals.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11And this week's best amateurs are back to face
0:00:11 > 0:00:13two more daunting tests.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'I'm massively excited and I'm hugely nervous.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:23I feel all fired up and competitive
0:00:23 > 0:00:24and I can't wait to go further.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29'Feels strange to be in the quarter-finals.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30'I knew I could get this far,'
0:00:30 > 0:00:33but I'm hoping I can take it further still.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37I don't like losing.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39I want to get to the end, I want to feel that
0:00:39 > 0:00:41I can do better than everybody else.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45I know what to expect now,
0:00:45 > 0:00:46so nothing can get in my way.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50GREGG: 'I love quarter-final days.'
0:00:50 > 0:00:52This is the point where they've got to start to show off.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54- JOHN:- 'We're going to push them to the limit.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:57And they know their competition life is at risk.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12This is the palate and skills test.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15I love the look of these ingredients on here. What actually is the dish?
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Today, I'm going to be making Singapore chilli crab.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20Let's go!
0:01:20 > 0:01:24First thing I'm going to do is prepare the crab.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27The way you take the top off is with the back of a spoon.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Here you go.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32There are bits of the crab that now need to be discarded.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35So just pull the mouth out.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38Now, the gills.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41There is a myth that if you eat these gills, they can kill you.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Then, they won't, but they taste pretty awful
0:01:44 > 0:01:45and they're probably full of toxins.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48And split it down the centre.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And then each one of these legs - crack.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Cos as it cooks, I want all those flavours to go inside it.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Ready to go. And I'm going to make the paste.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Black beans, dried chillies and garlic.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Hot oil.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09And then blend.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Oh, that's seriously punchy. Cor!
0:02:15 > 0:02:18The next thing is our pepper chilli paste.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22So, some ginger, green peppercorns, a dried whole chilli,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25fresh turmeric root and coriander root.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26Lovely.
0:02:26 > 0:02:27Good colours.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36And now, going to take our crab.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Whoa, that is really strong.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44Wow!
0:02:44 > 0:02:47And then, we start to add our herbs.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55So there you go.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57There's my Singapore chilli crab.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Come on, then. Sleeves rolled up.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Oh, look at that!
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Oh, John.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I'll tell you what, that is just lovely.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Let's get them in and see if they can make that dish.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Oh! I really hope so.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33There's a dish in front of you.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36And what we want you to do is to eat it.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42And then, list down all the ingredients
0:03:42 > 0:03:43you think are in it.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Ten minutes, guys. Go for it.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I've only eaten crab once.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54So...
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Yeah, I am struggling.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Like, there's something that I've had before,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03but I just can't quite put my finger on it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Like think it's a... It's annoying me.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Yeah, it's complicated and it's all lots of leaves I've never...
0:04:12 > 0:04:14I don't know what that is, it's spicy.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Actual spicy leaf.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18Not sure.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22It's really nice.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I'm just trying to work out what's in that paste.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27I'm getting there, just keep eating.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Now you've worked out what's in it,
0:04:35 > 0:04:36we want you to make it.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40We're going to give you 45 minutes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Over to you.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48The ingredients have been separated onto four trays.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51One for the crab, two for the pastes
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and one for the garnish.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57The one ingredient not required is the butter beans.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- Cleaned a crab before, then? - No.- Ha!
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I like Sophie. I like Sophie's Italian food a lot.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17I have no idea what Sophie knows about Asian food at all.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19This could be completely alien to her.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24There's that weird thing of the further I'm going now
0:05:24 > 0:05:26in this competition,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28the more amateurish I feel.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32I'm realising how little I know.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Sophie has prepped her crab very, very well.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43But the thing is, she needs more paste.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46SHE COUGHS
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Tim's food through this competition has always been about style.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54It's about skill, it's about technique.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02This, in its own way, doesn't have very much style.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03How will he cope with it?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I think I can get big flavour into my food.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10That is the one thing that I think is letting me down
0:06:10 > 0:06:12in this competition so far.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14But the longer it lets me down,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16the longer I'm in danger of being sent home.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Young Tim has just blended up a whole tin of butter beans with some
0:06:22 > 0:06:25chillies and some black beans to make the paste.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26GREGG LAUGHS
0:06:26 > 0:06:27God love him.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Sorry for doing this to your dish.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35JOHN LAUGHS
0:06:38 > 0:06:39You've had 20 minutes,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41you've got 25 minutes left.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44It's flying by.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Never cooked the whole crab in my whole life.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Megan has given me delicious dishes
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and I believe she's got exceptional taste buds.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I don't know whether Megan knows the techniques that make this dish,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09but hopefully, she can work it out by tasting it.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I definitely have a good palate.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17And I want to show them that I do know what I'm doing
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and I'm not going to buckle under pressure.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23I'm just hoping I'm doing OK.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- What is that?- I've no idea.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27It came out of the crab, but I don't know what it is.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- That looks to me like the gills. - Oh, right, oh. Didn't realise that.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32- Which are poisonous. - OK, let's not serve that then.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- Right.- OK.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38I am more than concerned now.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Because I've just picked the crab gills out of Megan's wok.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46So I'm going to very gingerly be tasting Megan's.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Edd came into this competition all guns blazing.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Since then, he's gone off the boil a little bit.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Thing is, is it his sort of food?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05It's a big bowl of crab.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09'I think I was lucky getting into the quarter-finals, to be honest.'
0:08:09 > 0:08:12But now I'm here, I've got to do the best I can,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and concentrate and focus.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19What's the most difficult bit of this, do you think?
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Personally, I think, actually the sauce.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28You've got just five minutes.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41That's it, your time's up.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Stop, please.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52This is a Singapore-style chilli crab.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And it should be covered in sauce. It should have lots of it.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59It should be voluptuous.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Uh, varying degrees of success.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05Megan...
0:09:14 > 0:09:18That sauce on the outside of the shells is really powerful.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22It's sour, it's hot, and once you mix it with that lovely white meat,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25you end up with a delicious dish.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26I'm really impressed with you.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Thank you.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Apart from nearly poisoning us with the gills,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32- you've done well.- Thank you.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34I'm really happy, actually.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I'm still a bit in shock that I did so well there.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39Sophie...
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Ooh!
0:09:48 > 0:09:51You've got a little bit of ferocious heat in there I like.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53I like the saltiness that's coming off that rub
0:09:53 > 0:09:55that you put on the outside of it.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58But it needs to have the whole outside of it covered.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Your sauce is nice.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I mean, it's not John's.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07I get the feeling, you've made what you THINK should be in it
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and not actually what you taste.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11'It could have gone better.'
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It does feel really horrible. It feels like you're being told off.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Um, and I'm a mummy and a teacher.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20I'm not used to being told off myself.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21Right, Edd. It's your turn.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32John's dish is wet. There's no sauce.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35What I get is Thai parsley and a flavour of coriander.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Smell your dish. It smells of herbs.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It doesn't smell of ginger or heat.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Nothing.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- I find this quite frustrating, actually.- Sure.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47Because it's nothing like it
0:10:47 > 0:10:49and there's all those ingredients on the tray,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I don't understand why you can't just make a paste out of it.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Doesn't make any sense to me.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55'Yeah, not good, to be honest.'
0:10:57 > 0:10:59I couldn't work out how to get the sauce,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01so I tried my attempt to make a stew.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Erm, but it just dried in the pan.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07And, yeah, I just got hammered for it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08Tim, your turn.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Your dish isn't wet enough at all.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Although you did have the crab in the wok with a paste of sauce
0:11:17 > 0:11:19that you made - from butter beans.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Yes.
0:11:27 > 0:11:35You've served me a crab claw that I can't access the meat.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And an empty crab shell.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39I don't understand. I don't get it.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I'm a bit disappointed in this. I know you're disappointed.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44I'm not going to harp on about it.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45Your butter bean paste -
0:11:45 > 0:11:48at least, you were trying to work out how to get texture.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- You know it's completely wrong.- OK.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53'Disappointed and ashamed.'
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Yeah, it was not good.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02I hope this doesn't deflate them.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I hope this doesn't knock their confidence, because we have one
0:12:05 > 0:12:09more dish to go and then we have to make a decision on these four.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12And as yet, our four cooks have no idea that we've invited
0:12:12 > 0:12:15somebody who knows all about food to help us taste.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19The very clever, sharp-tongued,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Kate Spicer.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I'm not poisonous by nature, no.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28But, as a journalist,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30you can't be worried about what people think of you.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32It's not a job you go into to make friends.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Like so many people, my love of food comes from my family.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41Um, my mother cooked three, sometimes four meals a day.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42And my dad relaxed by cooking.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47I've been writing about food and restaurants for about 20 years now.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50One of the first things that I did as a young journalist was enter
0:12:50 > 0:12:53The Independent's Young Food Writer Of The Year Award.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Um, unfortunately I lost out to a 13-year-old,
0:12:56 > 0:12:57what I did was runner-up.
0:12:59 > 0:13:05You are now cooking to stay in the competition.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07One incredible dish.
0:13:07 > 0:13:0880 minutes.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Let's go.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21What are you making?
0:13:21 > 0:13:27I am making today red bean with apples, mussels and a curry sauce.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Have you eaten fish and apple before?
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Well, I've tried this and it's quite nice, so...very nice.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33Has anybody else tried this?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- My dad has. My dad really liked it, so...- Right.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Your hopes of mixing fish
0:13:39 > 0:13:44and fruit is resting on the culinary expertise of your father.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Kind of, yes. My dad's to blame if this goes very wrong.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57Megan is being very, very dangerous, because she has got mussels,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00curry sauce, apples and fish.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03I've got an open mind here,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05because I know one thing -
0:14:05 > 0:14:07her food up until now has been
0:14:07 > 0:14:09nothing short of delicious.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I feel confident about the dish. It's one of my favourites.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18So I'm hoping they'll maybe have their doubts at the beginning,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20just because of its uniqueness,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24but hopefully, they'll love it as much as me and my family do.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35How do you feel getting back to the safety and comfort of your own food?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37More comfortable with this one, much more.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39And I had a bad round this morning,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41so I'll have to pull this one out the bag.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- All right. What is the dish? - I'm playing with the classics.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46It's duck a l'orange, a la Tim.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Sorry, that's great.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53I love this classic dish. I want you to do it justice.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54Thank you.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Classically, duck a l'orange is made from a roasted duck
0:15:00 > 0:15:02and it's raw-cooked all the way through.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05The orange sauce and the duck are magical together.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10But pink duck and orange sauce, I don't believe works.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16It's always dangerous playing with a classic
0:15:16 > 0:15:19and I'm sure John might slap me for it,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22but if I pull it off right, then, he'll kiss me for it.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28You lot are halfway.
0:15:28 > 0:15:3114 minutes left of your quarter-final.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38Edd, by the looks of this,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41you're turning back to your love of Japanese food.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Well, this is going to be a mix of Japanese tastes,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46but with French technique.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47I'm fascinated. Tell me.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50So, it's going to be a chicken ballotine
0:15:50 > 0:15:56with poached pumpkin and fish stock dashi, soya, sake and mirin.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58- France meets Japan.- Yeah.- Wonderful.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05I'm really pleased to see Edd going back to the flavours of Japan.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09We've got ourselves a classic chicken ballotine
0:16:09 > 0:16:12filled with a mousse made from sweet pumpkin which has been
0:16:12 > 0:16:14cooked in dashi.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16It could be absolutely delicious.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Fusion can be difficult and you have to get it right.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27As long as I think clearly and don't let myself get confused.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29No mistakes today.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35You have got just 20 minutes.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Focus or it might be your last MasterChef 20 minutes.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44What are you making, Sophie?
0:16:44 > 0:16:49It's going to be a roast loin of venison with smoked black
0:16:49 > 0:16:51- pudding spaetzle.- What's spaetzle?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Spaetzle's like a little sort of noodly dumpling.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- Served with? - Served with roast beetroot
0:16:57 > 0:17:00and a beetroot and horseradish puree and a red wine sauce.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01Wow.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02- You've sold it to me.- OK, cool.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- All you've got to do now is cook it. - I know.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08I love spaetzle.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11They're one of my favourite things in the whole world.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14What she needs to do now - that venison has to come alive.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Really hot pan, huge amounts of seasoning,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21big, woody flavours of beetroot, wonderful spices of black pudding,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23all coming together in a red wine sauce.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24That's what I want.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26What I get, who knows?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31I just have to keep my focus.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36If I overcook my venison,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I might as well not bother.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41But I am really determined.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Got a little fire that's burning.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52This is your final five minutes.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53Final five minutes.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02I always judge food on MasterChef as if it were in a restaurant.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05And people say, "Oh, you're so mean."
0:18:05 > 0:18:08But it's actually no, if that dish was brought to me,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10I would have complained.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12And I don't feel afraid of complaining here.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16You've got just two minutes.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32That's it! Stop. Stop.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40We've invited somebody to come in and taste with us.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Someone whose forthright opinions on food are well known.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Ladies and gentlemen, tremble.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Kate Spicer.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Hello, Kate. Good to see you.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Edd, could you bring your plate up, please.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Edd is serving a chicken and pumpkin mousse ballotine
0:19:21 > 0:19:24poached in a Japanese dashi fish stock
0:19:24 > 0:19:27with spinach, fondant potatoes
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and a shiitake mushroom sauce.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33It's not necessarily that pleasing to the eye.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34I don't think orange is something
0:19:34 > 0:19:36we look at and go, "Yummy."
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Potatoes are cooked great.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Everything's cooked well.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49But it is overwhelmingly quite sweet.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Almost puddingy sweet.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53The sauce is too sweet.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56And it becomes a bit overwhelming.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58It's unbalanced but not awful.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Thank you.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I have a sweet tooth, I love the sweetness of that.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Unfortunately for me, I find the chicken a little dry.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08I agree with both of them.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11I agree with Kate, it's far too sweet for me.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13I agree with Gregg, I think the chicken's gone dry.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Would I order it again in a restaurant? Probably not.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18It's just too sweet for me.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22'They weren't 100% pleased with it.'
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Don't think it did enough to pull me through, to be honest,
0:20:25 > 0:20:26cos I've made mistakes in the past.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30We'll see.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31Sophie.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Sophie has cooked a fillet of venison,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48smoked black pudding spaetzle
0:20:48 > 0:20:50with roasted beetroot,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53a beetroot and horseradish puree
0:20:53 > 0:20:55and a red wine sauce.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03I really like this dish.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07It's earthy and all the flavours work together.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Frankly, it's a yes from me, Bob.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11LAUGHTER
0:21:11 > 0:21:13The venison's cooked really well. I love your sauce.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I love how rich it is.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I adore that bit of black pudding with a smoky flavour,
0:21:18 > 0:21:19really great.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22What I don't like is - you need more horseradish in the puree.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Apart from that, lovely flavours.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26I think it's great.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I love that you've come in and made spaetzle.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31I think they're amazing, lovely little things.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33You've got some lovely, little dancing flavours.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34I think it's lovely.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Great.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39That was really incredible that Kate Spicer was there.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Um...
0:21:41 > 0:21:43because she's very scary, but she was very nice then.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45So I suppose that's a good thing, isn't it?
0:21:45 > 0:21:46SHE LAUGHS
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Tim, please, sir.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Tim has made his version of duck a l'orange,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02with pan-fried duck breast,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04fondant potatoes, baby turnips,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08orange jelly, roasted carrots
0:22:08 > 0:22:10and a brandy and orange sauce.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11Stunning presentation.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I'm not sure I agree about the presentation.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16It's quite intimidating.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Huge lumps of meat and there's
0:22:18 > 0:22:20an awful lot on that plate to have gone wrong.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23Shall we see if anything has?
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I felt like it was a bit of an assault course,
0:22:33 > 0:22:34tearing through that meat.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Actually, really lovely.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Acute orange in the jellies, but why?
0:22:40 > 0:22:41Why bother?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44It's burnt. It's definitely not going to taste nice.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46It's burnt carrot.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48For me, this dish doesn't work.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Love the bitter-sweet orange sauce.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Um, the biggest problem for me is that duck. I would send that back.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57That's far too rare for me.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I'm with Gregg on this, it's too rare for me.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02I don't think it delivers on flavour and what I'm doing at the moment
0:23:02 > 0:23:05is I'm running on this sort of mellow world of orange.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07And that's all I've got.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10'Little bit gutted.'
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Said it needed a lot more flavour, so...
0:23:12 > 0:23:14I fell short on that, I think.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18Megan, yes, please.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Finally, it's Megan.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31She's made grilled red bream,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35with apples and mussels served in a curry sauce.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37I know it doesn't look great.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40It was meant to have mussel shells just like balanced,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42but I totally forgot to put them on, so...
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Well, if you think the lack of mussel shells is the only problem
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- with that presentation... - Yeah, it does look great, I know.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Let's taste it!
0:23:55 > 0:23:58That's one of the most ill-judged dishes I've eaten
0:23:58 > 0:23:59in a long, long time.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03The sauce has absolutely no subtlety to its flavour.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04It's quite one-dimensional.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07It's quite salty, the fish, but you know, it's cooked reasonably
0:24:07 > 0:24:10nicely, but it's just got such an unpalatable appearance.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12It just hasn't fallen together at all well.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17As soon as I got into apple, and out came all that sharp,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21sweet juice, I thought, "What on earth is that doing in there?!"
0:24:21 > 0:24:23It almost made me recoil from it.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- No, I think you got this one wrong. - OK.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It's not very good, I'm sorry to say.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31I'm annoyed, I'm really disappointed in myself.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33I had to eat it, you're annoyed?!
0:24:33 > 0:24:34I know. Sorry.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38I've done so well so far and then, to get to the final hurdle
0:24:38 > 0:24:42and just do something so disastrous, it's such a pain.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Thank you, Kate. It's really lovely to see you again.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Ah, Gregg, no problem. Bye, John, thank you. Good luck.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- See you later.- Bye-bye.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55- MEGAN:- I'm so mad.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59You look disappointed.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02We only had one good dish and that was the venison dish from Sophie.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Sophie's dish - the venison cooked beautifully.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Absolutely lovely.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12I'm disappointed that Tim still seems unable to flavour food
0:25:12 > 0:25:15properly despite many warnings.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17A lump of raw meat.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19The duck wasn't even seasoned, it was weird.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I'd be surprised if I don't go.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25But I'd love another opportunity to show the judges that I can,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28you know, deliver more flavour.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31I'm disappointed for Edd, he's never reached the heights he did
0:25:31 > 0:25:32when he first walked in here.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35And his palate test this morning was atrocious.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38We'll see what happens, actually. I don't know.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41It'll be another leap of faith to keep me in.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43I'm so disappointed for Megan.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46I mean, what a time to come up with a duff dish.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47It was ghastly.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52Megan's dish, it ripped my heart and soul out. That really concerned me.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56My day today started off on a total high.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58But the second dish was just a total disaster so...
0:25:58 > 0:26:00I don't know.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04This is our last quarter-final. We know who else we've got.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05And how good they are.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Just think, are any of these good enough to be able to compete with
0:26:11 > 0:26:13the people we've got gone through?
0:26:25 > 0:26:29It's difficult at times because we have to make sure that we pick
0:26:29 > 0:26:32the right people to go further on.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Actually, the cooks we believe who have a chance of winning it.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Big call.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Decision we've made is...
0:26:48 > 0:26:50..to take one of you through.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56We're only going to take Sophie through.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- Congratulations, Sophie. - Congratulations, Sophie.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Edd, Megan, Tim...
0:27:04 > 0:27:06thank you very much for all your hard work.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Off you go.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11- TIM:- 'Well, gutted.'
0:27:11 > 0:27:13But it's your performance on the day that counts
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and, obviously, it wasn't good enough.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- EDD:- 'It's a lot harder than you think it'll be.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23'It's not going to stop me cooking. Definitely not.'
0:27:23 > 0:27:24It's just...is the way it is.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Falling short right at the end was a bit of a nightmare.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33But do you know what?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I've come this far and I'm very proud of myself for getting this far
0:27:36 > 0:27:37in the first place, so...
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Very, very well done.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Oh, my goodness.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49I'm completely thrilled. I'm gobsmacked. I'm really amazed.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55I can't wait. I really can't wait, actually,
0:27:55 > 0:27:56to see what is around the corner.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Had a little taste of it and I'd like to have a big bite of it now.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Next week - MasterChef knockout week begins.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Sophie will join nine other exceptional amateurs.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16For the first time, they'll be thrown into professional kitchens.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17It's so salty, it's unreal.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- It is salty.- Yeah, fix it then.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Two trout now. We go, we go!
0:28:21 > 0:28:23I'm not going under.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Only the best will become semi-finalists.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I'm expecting fireworks, John.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30Culinary fireworks.