Episode 24 MasterChef

It's Finals Week on MasterChef...

Go, go, go, go.

You're running out of time.

..and the battle for the title is almost over.

Whoa!

The competition has completely taken over my life.

My boyfriend has been fed so much,

I think he's put on probably about 3st.

It's completely all-consuming.

It's been a great journey and we've managed to cook in so many different

places. No-one wants to come this far and go home.

The whole competition, for me,

has just been an incredible learning curve.

I could cater for my friends' weddings.

I've already got a few requests in.

To get to the final three would be the dream, the absolute dream.

That would just be, like, probably the best moment of my life.

So fingers crossed.

Today, our final four become our final three and earn the right to

cook for the Chef's Table.

Hey, guys, we've got 21 minutes.

-All set?

-They won't forget today, will they?

-No!

It tastes fantastic.

This is Chef's Table.

This is the biggest challenge that MasterChef can set.

Welcome back.

What comes next is the toughest challenge that MasterChef

can actually throw at you. That is the Chef's Table.

However, only three of you will be taking part.

So the deal is, coming all this way,

do you really want to go home at this stage?

Your job today is to cook one classic dish with your stamp on it.

It should show process, it should be technical,

and it should be absolutely delicious.

90 minutes, and at the end of this...

..three of you will be finalists.

Ladies and gentlemen...

..let's cook.

Doo, doo, doo.

I've loved Saliha's food.

She's introduced me to a style that seems her own.

It's just mouthful after mouthful of just pure joy.

I think she has gathered pace just at the right time.

We've seen a girl take vegetables and spice and raise them

to dizzy heights.

It's just been so busy.

Work, having a child who's only two years old,

and fitting MasterChef in.

Sometimes I'm just like, "How am I even doing this?"

You know, "How am I managing to physically fit everything in?"

But then I just plod on with it anyway because the rewards of being

on this show are so incredible that it just motivates you to push

yourself on.

It's fine.

You look happy to be here.

I am happy to be here. I'm delighted, in fact.

I'm excited to show you a different form of fish and chips today.

-You're kidding me?

-No.

Why have you decided to do fish and chips?

Growing up, we used to love eating fish and chips,

but our elders always used to say, like, "Oh, it looks nice,

"but it's just so bland."

And we used to say, "Oh, no, no, it tastes lovely."

In actual fact, I think spice actually takes really well to fish

-and chips.

-Tell me your take on fish and chips.

The fish I'm using is tilapia.

The mushy peas are going to be full of chilli and coconut milk.

The chips are not made of potato, they're made of cassava.

-Sure.

-The brown sauce is tamarind and date.

The ketchup is like a spicy tomato.

-What's in the batter?

-Cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric,

lemon juice, two types of chilli powder.

-Is that all?

-And there's also some fenugreek leaves and garam masala...

I wish I hadn't have asked.

I think Saliha's idea of spiced fish and chips is inspired.

Everybody loves a curry, everybody loves fish and chips.

Put the two together and I tell you what,

most people are going to be very, very happy.

It's the presentation that concerns me, because fish and chips is big,

it's bold and it's usually served in a piece of paper.

And this is for a place in the final three.

Quite hard to make it look pretty.

25 minutes gone, guys.

-Really?

-25 minutes, gone. Yeah.

Alison does dainty, she does pretty, she does creative,

and she also does daring.

Something I've never seen before on MasterChef.

I love the taste of it.

There's always something excitingly different about Alison's food.

Alison, you've got pineapples and peppers.

I'm almost scared to ask - what's your classic dish?

It's Southern fried chicken.

-Is it?

-Yeah. Kind of a traditional Southern fried coating,

some cayenne pepper, paprika,

with roasted pineapple and a yellow pepper puree.

And a beetroot vinaigrette and I'm also going to serve dirty rice,

which is rice fried with chicken livers.

And I'm adding lots of herbs and spices and stuff.

Fabulous!

-Can you give me an extra big portion?

-Yeah!

I should put extra chicken on, there's been a few requests.

I just wanted to do something kind of fun.

I wanted to do something, like, that people actually eat every day.

I think it's quite a risky dish, actually.

This is what Alison's all about -

taking bits and pieces from all round the world and bringing them

together onto one plate.

She's using a little baby chicken, a poussin,

which could go dry very, very quickly.

The pineapple has to be soft, but still not overpower the chicken,

and a sweet yellow pepper puree?

Anything could happen here for Alison.

Guys, you are halfway.

45 minutes left, please.

Steve loves process and technique.

But he takes the classic, he takes the ordinary,

and he builds it into something truly special.

Mate, you are a talent, you are a real talent.

And when he really uses that technique,

you know there is a star in the making.

Steve is promising us a rabbit stew.

I think his intentions are fantastic.

Take the rabbit, pull it apart, use every single part of it.

Take the leg and make a sausage from it.

Take the loin and fry it.

Use the livers in various ways.

That's absolutely fantastic.

But Steve's dish will live and die by the broth, simple.

If that broth is watery, the dish is finished.

Been looking through Mrs Beeton's cookbook,

published mid-1800s, I think.

So I've just taken a little bit of

the inspiration from that and those classic spices.

You know, so it's mace, nutmeg, clove, black pepper.

So I'm going to run that flavour through the dish.

-Why a rabbit stew?

-It's a dish that sort of gets forgotten about.

Rabbit was a staple on the dinner table.

It's a meat I really love as well,

and I was lucky enough to have a butcher that used

to get wild rabbit, and rabbit stew was probably one of my favourite

things to cook on a nice autumn night.

Tell me how much you want a place in the final three.

I've obviously had a great run,

so whatever happens today I'll be happy, you know.

-Oh, yeah.

-I'm not going to be disappointed. Be a little bit

-gutted, but it's still good.

-I love that. "Not going to be disappointed.

-"However, I will be a little bit gutted."

-Yeah!

Happy days, mate, happy days. Look at that.

20 minutes left, please.

Giovanna was brought up with the stunning cuisine of Italy and that,

for me, is where her strength lies.

Giovanna also does fantastic puddings.

I think this is a stunning dessert.

Glad to see one of you is doing a dessert.

I've had quite a lot of success with puddings,

which is maybe why I chose this one.

But I don't know, I hope my luck doesn't run out.

I think you have to feel confident at this point,

otherwise you'd crumble, because...

Sorry.

I'm doing a very classic apple and blackberry crumble.

You're going to get into the final three on MasterChef

-making a crumble?

-Well, I hope so.

How good and how different is your crumble?

Well, I think I'd be disappointed if I was promised an apple and

blackberry crumble and the flavours were very much messed around with.

So I decided not to do that.

However, I've got some Calvados flambeed apples,

a blackberry sorbet,

a blackberry puree, a set vanilla custard,

and I've got a tuile that's meant to sort of taste like the corner of the

crumble, the bit that goes like almost burnt but not quite.

Her ideas, I think, are fascinating and really sound.

Everybody likes it slightly different.

Some people like the corner, some people like the edges,

some people like the bit in the middle,

and she's going to deliver the whole lot.

But Giovanna has given herself a huge amount of work to do.

Set custard, making sorbets, making tuiles.

I just hope she gets it all done.

Oh, why does it always take so much longer than you think

it's going to take?

Ah!

No!

Giovanna, you're on fire.

-Thanks.

-Ten minutes left.

Just ten.

Should have enough time to plate it up.

That's always the tense bit, isn't it?

You don't really get second chances for that one.

Guys, please, you have one more minute, that's all you have.

-Have I forgotten something?

-You've got the sorbet to go yet.

Stop!

-All right, babe?

-SALIHA SIGHS

Oh, my God, that's so pretty.

At least someone's going to fill someone up.

-Mine certainly ain't going to fill you up.

-Mine's quite substantial!

Saliha, could we see your fish and chips, please?

Saliha has made spiced fish and chips,

serving tilapia with chilli, cumin,

coriander, garlic and fenugreek,

cassava chips,

and mushy peas with coconut and lime.

She's also made smoky ketchup,

a brown tamarind sauce and a cauliflower mustard.

It's got to be the most colourful fish and chips I've ever seen.

I've got to applaud you for your presentation.

For me, your textures of fish and chips, your flavours of Far East,

altogether on one lot, and I think it's great.

I love the concept, I love the execution.

I love the coconut flavour in that pea puree with the chilli.

The batter's crispy on the outside. The fish is lovely and soft.

I think it's fantastic.

I think it's terribly, terribly clever,

cos there is the familiar and the unusual,

and it comes together, for me, in quite a thrilling way.

Those cassava chips, they feel like chips,

but it's the two dips that you've got with them that are exciting.

They're both very tangy, sweet to start with and spicy at the end.

You've always had great flavours.

You haven't always found a great style.

Lately, you're managing to combine the two and I think it's actually

quite thrilling.

Oh, my God, I'm so glad they liked all the elements because I put a lot

of effort into getting them right.

I'm just really happy it paid off.

-Well done, sweetheart.

-You did very well.

-Thank you!

-Well done.

-Thank you.

To earn his place at Chef's Table, Steve has cooked rabbit stew,

with braised leg, fried liver mixed with onions, smoked bacon,

mace and nutmeg, and wrapped in consomme jelly

and sous-vide rabbit loin.

He's also cooked a rabbit sausage,

carrot and pea puree,

swede and potato

and served it with a rabbit consomme.

A rabbit stew.

Loosely, a rabbit stew, I suppose.

Yeah, yeah.

But you know, I've got to admire your work, Steve.

I think it looks fantastic.

There's a huge amount of skill involved in it.

But stew it's not.

That's stunning.

Your consomme is light, it's very, very well seasoned.

Every little bit of meat on there is as soft as you like,

almost melting on the tongue.

But what is brilliant is your bits of veg, your puree,

your flowers are all giving good spike of flavour.

Mate, what a time, what a time, I think,

to present the best dish you've done

in the competition by a country mile.

Stunning piece of work.

-That's excellent, Steve.

-Thank you.

I think the consomme is absolutely stunning.

But around the outside of the bowl, the gems.

And all of it wrapping up very nicely with the subtle flavour

of rabbit.

All I've asked throughout this competition,

make it look good and make it taste as good.

Bingo.

I was a little nervous, obviously taking something, like he said,

is a stew and then, you know, I knew it wasn't, you know,

a stew, if you like.

I had my mind set and just thought,

"I'm going to just try and nail it," and thankfully they liked that.

So, yay!

-Nerves still going.

-You did so well. Well done!

-Unbelievable.

-Still nerve-racking as ever.

-Yeah.

INAUDIBLE

Alison has chosen to cook Southern fried chicken.

She's served it with dirty rice -

wild rice flavoured with chicken livers,

bacon and whisky,

roasted pineapple

yellow pepper puree,

beetroot vinaigrette,

and pineapple puree.

You're never one to play it safe, are you?

No.

It's just completely bonkers.

It's right out there.

Liver and pineapple?

And then of course it's sweet peppers,

sharp pineapple, and then the chicken.

The chicken is the thing that holds it all together.

If it was in a restaurant menu,

I'd probably be really quite frightened about ordering it.

However, if I did order it, I'd be really pleased I did.

I think it's fabulous. I love it.

It starts off sweet, it finishes with chilli.

You've got deeper, richer notes of liver running through that rice.

It matches that perfectly cooked chicken very, very well.

This is challenging in a very, very good way.

Overall, I'm feeling really, really happy, really happy.

They commented on my style and the fact that I took a risk with it,

but I think it paid off. So yeah, it went well.

-Well done! Are you relieved?

-Yeah.

-Eish!

-It'll be good.

-It looks amazing.

-Yeah, but then what happens?

-I don't know.

Giovanna has made apple and blackberry crumble,

with Calvados-infused apples,

poached blackberries,

blackberry puree,

blackberry sorbet,

set custard,

oat crumble,

and a corner-of-the-crumble tuile.

I feel like I'm around at somebody's kitchen table,

I've had Sunday lunch,

and up comes the most comforting dessert of all time.

The star in the show, that set custard.

Brings it all together.

And these little bits here do taste like the corners of a crumble dish.

Giovanna, I think it's delicious.

However, I'm an Aussie...

Oh, God.

I honestly can't get enough of that.

The vanilla custard is just wonderful.

And with apple brandy that you've cooked the apples in, is just giving

the apples a deeper, without a sharper, flavour.

As a pud fan, you probably don't know,

but my favourite pudding is a crumble.

That's... And I hate it when people mess about with crumbles.

That delivers crumble plus.

They tasted what I wanted them to taste and it gave them

the experience that I wanted them to experience.

So I'm so pleased. Obviously, everyone's had exceptional feedback,

so whatever happens, I'm just really pleased that in the end

that's what they got.

-Oh, God, now what?

-Well done!

Oh, thanks, guys. Well done, everyone.

Everyone's done really well.

Now what happens? We all go through, yeah?

I know that my learned friend has been nervous about this moment

since the start of today.

And for good reason.

We expected this whole round to be really strong,

and you haven't failed to deliver, all four of you.

Your food's been fantastic.

But we have to make a decision.

Thank you very much indeed. Off you go.

It was always going to be a great round.

All four of them are really determined.

-All four of them want it.

-I hate them.

They're not all supposed to cook brilliantly in this round.

I hate them. This is just terrible.

-They're all brilliant.

-Do you have a dish of the day?

The dish of the day is the rabbit.

Yeah, I agree with you.

I think Steve's rabbit today was really complex,

technically absolutely extraordinary.

Giovanna took a humble, humble crumble...

-That rhymes.

-It does.

..and turned it into something actually quite spectacular

without losing the essence of a crumble.

I think that dessert was absolutely fantastic, and really,

really pretty on a plate.

I loved Saliha's food today because that blend of British traditional

with Asian spicing is very exciting.

Fish and chips with beautiful flavours.

It's clever, John.

Alison's somebody who does not play it safe,

and she hasn't played it safe again.

Southern fried chicken with pineapple, dirty rice,

yellow pepper puree and a beetroot vinaigrette.

Great. Great, great dish.

Only somebody like Alison would do it and be able to pull it off.

We knew we had four brilliant cooks and they've delivered dishes that

really are without fault.

So you can't send one of them home cos they've made a mistake.

The only thing we can do is decide

what our three favourite dishes were.

I don't envy them, to be honest.

I don't envy their decision.

I literally couldn't separate any of us,

but I don't feel like I let myself down at all.

I think I did myself proud.

You don't come this far without wanting to get into the final.

I can't do any more. It's out my hands now.

You know - what will be, will be, so...

Fingers crossed.

I do think that if I were to go out today it would be because there was

three better people and not because I didn't put in the best effort that

I could do, which is an OK way to go, in my opinion.

Not that I want to go. Obviously, I want to stay.

Kind of bittersweet because I got really good feedback,

but everyone got really, really good feedback,

and I'm trying to weigh up where I sit in all that.

And at the moment, I haven't a clue.

Really only in a number of weeks,

we've gone from 64 amateur cooks down to you four.

The unfortunate thing is we only have three places in the next round.

It is with real regret that we say goodbye to one of you now.

The contestant...

leaving us...

..is Alison.

Oh, babe, I'm so sorry.

-It's all right.

-I'm so sorry.

-It's OK.

You have been absolutely amazing and it was the tightest.

-Yeah, I know.

-Tightest of margins.

You've had an amazing competition, Alison.

-Thank you.

-OK. Thanks, guys.

-We'll see you soon.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye. Thank you.

Yeah, it's disappointing, it is.

But, you know...

I tried my best and I'm still happy with what I did,

and I'm still happy with how far I've come in the competition.

But, yeah, it would have been amazing to be in the final three.

So, oh, well.

You three are our final three.

Well done, everybody.

Oh, my God! We did it!

Are you joking?

Up next for you three is the incredible challenge

of cooking for Chef's Table.

Best of luck.

This year's Chef's Table will be mentored by one of the world's most

influential culinary talents,

Sat Bains.

Born in Derby to Punjabi parents,

Sat started cooking almost by accident.

I went to college for two years.

I went to enrol, didn't know what I wanted to do.

This assembly room had loads of little tables with courses above it,

and I remember seeing one with loads of girls around it,

and it was cooking.

So I kind of joined that queue and here I am.

Regarded as one of Britain's most creative chefs...

..Sat has turned his Nottingham restaurant into

an international culinary destination.

Winning a Michelin star in 2003

and a prestigious second in 2011.

Our food is modern British.

It's flavour-driven.

We use different textures,

temperatures and tastes.

We try to look at it as an adventure of flavours.

Now the three finalists will have a unique opportunity to learn

with a modern culinary legend.

And serve their food to six of the best chefs in the country.

I want them to give it everything.

You know, I'm going to take it seriously,

I want them to take it seriously and I want them to use the knowledge

we've got and be hungry for it.

Good morning. Today's going to be very hectic for you and very busy.

We've got three dishes that's been specifically done for this menu

for some very special guests today.

Shaun Rankin.

Paul Ainsworth.

Tom Kitchin.

Steve Groves.

Ashley Palmer-Watts.

And Clare Smyth.

So no pressure at all.

They're only human and they'd like to eat.

You'll all be doing one dish each.

Got a lot to do, so let's crack on.

The very esteemed chefs have seen food and they've travelled all over

the world, so we've got to give them world-class dishes today,

that they go, "Wow, these amateurs have produced this."

-JOHN TORODE:

-Our three today are going to learn

a huge amount, but let's just remember - it's full-on pressure.

Sat is not going to sacrifice his reputation today at all.

He is not going to take any prisoners.

I'm so excited to cook for Sat Bains.

I went to his restaurant for my 21st birthday and it was my first

introduction to, like, fine dining.

I really hope I can keep up to his standards.

I would never have envisaged when I started this process that I'd get to

this point. It's incredible for me.

I'm just ready and raring to go. I just want to go for it, now.

Sat's food is quite technical, it's very obviously very high-end.

Yeah, really intrigued to see the recipes and get stuck in, really.

So, Steve, you're in charge of the starter,

which is roast scallops from the Isle of Skye.

The scallops are an intricate starter.

Served on a thin layer of pig's head terrine, or brawn,

topped with Granny Smith apple, pickled turnip,

a layer of ponzu and dashi jelly,

bonito mayonnaise, wild rice,

shiso leaf and fresh nori seaweed.

The one thing they've got to get right is cooking the scallop.

Because that is the showcase of that dish.

Now, you've got Tom Kitchin in there,

the kind of scallop king of Scotland.

-No pressure.

-You want to make sure that these are cooked well.

The searing, it's got this lovely caramelisation,

that's where the sweetness comes from.

-See that colour? It's incredible.

-Yeah.

We've got here the brawn. The meat from the pig's head.

They've got to get that on to the pressure cooker

and then they've got to pick it, shred it, season it,

add some stock, lay it out, chill it down for slicing.

So that's a big job.

This is the jelly, like a ponzu.

-Mm-hm.

-You've got some wild rice and it pops.

-Like savoury Rice Krispies, aren't they?

-Yeah, exactly.

-We finish this with seaweed. So this is the nori.

-Right.

There's a lot of tasting that they've got to do all the way

to make sure that when you taste it all as a whole,

it's really balanced.

-So that's the dish you will be doing.

-Wow!

This is exactly the kind of food I love and, you know,

some of the techniques I've tried to do in the past.

I'll be interested to see them done properly this time.

HE LAUGHS

Giovanna, you're in charge of the duck main course.

There's quite a few processes.

Giovanna is cooking Sat's duck, cabbage, pine and thyme.

Duck, cooked three ways,

and glazed and served with confit cabbage and bacon,

wrapped in a braised cabbage leaf,

drizzled with a rich duck jus

and served with a hollandaise

topped with pine oil

and thyme and pine salt.

You have to blanch it first, six times,

and then you cook it for 90 minutes at 58 degrees in the oven.

And then you cook it in a Josper, which is the barbecue.

You glaze it and then let it rest.

We're going to take the little fillet off

and basically get just pure flesh,

so you've got this beautiful kind of breast here.

This is garlic that's been aged for three months.

And then you baste it. And what it does, it adds a layer of flavour.

We are finishing with XO sauce, which is very high in umami,

so it's got this incredible, deep, deep flavour.

Bacon, shallot, pine, thyme, garlic.

Loads of characters going on there.

One duck.

Then I have a sauce made out of the carcasses.

You've got to be able to taste the duck, the aromats.

Again, layering flavours.

That's the main course. How do you feel?

Yeah. It's a lot to do.

-Any questions?

-Yes. Many.

It's all quite complicated. It's all quite technical.

It's not really stuff that I've done before.

So, yeah, it's a bit nervy.

Saliha, dessert.

It's the last thing they are going to remember.

Saliha's dessert contains a unique combination of flavours,

inspired by Sat's travels.

So, it's a beautifully kind of baked chocolate mousse.

It's just set and then you freeze it.

Then you've got a yoghurt mousse.

So, everything's got to be physically weighed.

Obviously, you want the same depth on everything.

And then to finish it all off, you've got all these aromats

and they are made into a granita.

It's got coconut water, lemon grass, galangal, ginger, coriander.

These aromatic flavours have got to be shaved on a mandolin

and infused in this liquid.

Saliha will have to flash-freeze the granita mix in liquid nitrogen

just before service.

So, have a little taste.

It's got lovely, little kind of nuggets of aromatics.

-Mm.

-It's mad, isn't it? It's got all these flavours.

Yeah, it's lovely.

You've got to taste every single part of this dish

to make sure that the balance is right.

A tiny bit of salt.

-And that's it.

-Fantastic.

-So, very simple

in execution,

-but the work all goes into the preparation.

-Yeah.

It looks very simple, but I'm 100% aware

that it's not very simple at all.

Getting the balance of how much ginger

and how much limes to put into a dessert is really complicated.

And then the setting of these little discs,

I think it's going to be really tough to do it.

The finalists have three hours to prepare these complicated dishes

before service begins.

Could be quite chaotic.

Cos the pressure is - food's got to go out at a very specific time,

of a very high standard.

You add all that together, it's almost a recipe for chaos there.

Steve's first job is getting the pig's head in the pressure cooker

to make the brawn terrine.

Some of the best meat you find in any animal actually is the head,

the cheeks and all that is really tasty.

So to get the chance to do that from scratch is pretty cool.

-Is that it?

-Yeah.

He also has to prepare the wafer-thin dashi jelly.

Are you supposed to be spilling it all over the work surface?

It's a good excuse to get a bit messy, isn't it?

So, just need to let it set and then get the old ruler out

and cut it into rectangles.

Just sit perfectly on top of a perfectly cooked scallop.

-That's correct.

-This is another level up, mate.

Each piece of the set jelly must be precisely the same size

and thickness and Steve needs eight strips.

-What's it like?

-This side are all right.

I think this side is a little bit thin.

Melt it back down and just do it again?

Yeah. Do it again. But if you know now this side is thin, so aim...

-Yeah.

-..under that light, you know...

-It's in the middle, yeah.

The table is a little bit uneven,

so in some places it sets a little bit thinner than others.

-Dashi.

-This is the food that Steve has been aspiring to.

However, it's not all going to plan.

That dashi jelly, he's had to do twice.

This is not easy. This is why chefs are so mad.

On the main, Giovanna is focused on browning the bones

for her duck sauce.

How do you get as much flavour out of the carcasses

that elevates the dish to duck jus?

-Yeah.

-Even the sauce, you are building layers.

To ensure its depth of flavour,

bones are deglazed with three different types of alcohol

and cooked down in stock for over two hours.

The sauce is really exacting.

The tiniest bit that goes wrong can just make it taste bitter or not

exactly how he wants. So, yeah, you've just got to get it right.

There's no other option.

Put all three in at the same time, yeah?

And then do it six times.

While her sauce cooks down,

Giovanna gets on with the painstaking work

of cooking her duck,

based on a traditional Chinese method.

Come on, little duck.

First, she has to blanch it to render down the fat.

Not just once, but six times.

You boil it for ten seconds, you rest it for 30 seconds,

and then do it all again.

Wait. We put them back in.

Who cooks duck in four or five different ways?

She's enjoying it, but I think she realises

that this is more complicated

than anything she's ever taken on.

Oh, that's hot.

They've had over an hour.

And on dessert, Saliha's started on the yoghurt mousse.

I'm just being as absolutely systematic as is humanly possible.

I've not done anything like this, to be honest.

I don't think anybody's ever done anything like this.

Come on.

To give the yoghurt extra tartness,

Saliha needs to carefully balance the flavour with citric acid.

I'd add a little bit more in there.

-Taste again. Yeah?

-OK.

I'm very scared of it.

Taste it.

Cool.

Saliha, I'm a little nervous for you and desserts.

It's not really what you do, is it?

I think it's not what I've done historically.

But I'm treating it very much scientifically.

So I'm following the process and trying to understand exactly what

we're trying to do with the composition of these chemicals

to make it taste delicious.

-Is this Dr Saliha, I see?

-Yeah. Absolutely.

It's Dr Saliha on desserts.

What's the trickiest bit here?

Liquid nitrogen. I've never done that before.

I mean, we usually freeze corns with that.

SHE LAUGHS

So apart from that, I've never used it.

So this is the top layer.

I mean, loads of work goes into each one and because it's dessert,

you have to be so careful.

So I'm just hoping that pays off for me now.

Saliha has got three parts to her dessert.

If you like, she's got three separate desserts.

-SAT:

-That's really important that gets done right now, OK?

-Yeah.

And they've all got to set.

So she's got to make them, lock them away, and just pray that they set.

Bring it up to 220.

There is now just 90 minutes until Steve has to serve the first course.

But with over five garnishes to prepare,

including popped wild rice...

pickled turnip

and bonito mayonnaise, he's feeling the pressure.

And he still needs to make the terrine.

The pig's head isn't cooked, for whatever reason.

It should normally take 45-50 minutes.

It's not right, is it? It's still really tough.

It's been on for an hour and a half. Needs to pick that.

So it's going to be red hot. Season it, set it into a terrine.

But the pressure's on him.

We start service in an hour.

-Are we going to be ready?

-Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef.

Today's guests are six of the UK's most talented chefs.

Clare Smyth and Ashley Palmer-Watts,

who have both led three Michelin-starred kitchens.

And the finalists' mentors.

Paul Ainsworth, Tom Kitchin,

Steve Groves,

and Shaun Rankin.

40 minutes over schedule.

The pig's head for Steve's brawn terrine is finally done.

You've got to get that cool, set, wrapped and in form, ready to serve.

We are not going to get it cool, it's going to burn my fingers.

Mate, I'm sure that Sat won't mind if you burn yourself,

-as long as you get the stuff out in time.

-Yeah, exactly.

-Enjoy.

Steve will have to work fast to pick the meat and make the terrine so it

sets in time.

This is...

hot!

Push it all down with a spoon.

Get it in the blast chiller.

-See what happens.

-Yeah.

Giovanna's duck has been char-grilled in the Josper oven

to give it a smoky flavour.

But before she can take the breast off the bone,

she has to do coat it with a spiced honey glaze and colour the skin.

Lead with your fingers and slowly make long stripes with the knife.

The breasts are then roasted one final time over the hot coals.

A minute too long and they'll be overcooked.

The test is going to come sort of towards the end when the cabbages

have to be cooked in the emulsion,

the sauce has to be finished and strained.

And it all has to be plated up.

Your chocolate's got to go in.

OK, that's all ready.

Saliha has got her chocolate mousse in to cook.

Now, she can focus all her energy on the hardest part of her dish.

Thai-spiced granita.

Yeah, I'm going to make a Thai curry for dessert.

With strong flavours of ginger, galangal, coriander,

lemon grass and lime,

balancing this dish will be a test of her palate.

The things you've got to be careful here is going to be the ginger

-because it's so fiery.

-Yeah.

So, play it in smaller amounts.

Let it infuse, taste it.

I just want it to work.

I'm really desperate for it to work, actually.

If you know what I mean.

It's a new dish for her. She's using spices and aromats in a dessert,

so it's almost like, confusing.

So she's had to taste it, is it right?

-It needs a bit more.

-Add some more, taste it again.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

So, I'm just letting it cool down

and then I should put it in the freezer?

-The freezer.

-It's still liquid.

-That's fine.

CORK POPS

OK, guys. We've got 21 minutes until the first course goes out, yeah?

-STEVE:

-Yeah.

-Are we all set?

-Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef.

Yeah, they've got a huge challenge.

-I know Sat quite well.

-He's very demanding.

-Because he's a larger-than-life character.

-Yeah.

So they are going to have to deal with that.

-They won't forget today, will they?

-Absolutely not, no.

See I don't make a complete pig's ear of this now.

Steve needs his second batch of dashi jelly to be perfect.

There won't be time for a third.

I didn't realise how many people are watching me do this!

-Don't worry about them. It's all about me.

-Yeah.

Ah!

The thickness of the gel is better.

-The texture is there. The depth is better, as well.

-Yeah.

Yeah, quite happy now, so Sat is happy, which is the main thing.

Already, sitting round here, I'm nervous myself.

I can imagine, you know, what they're going through

having to cook for us.

It's pretty daunting.

They can cook.

I had five of them and it was a full-on, intense day.

And it will be exactly the same today.

There's just a few minutes until service.

-OK, Steve, are you ready?

-Yeah, ready to go.

-It's all yours.

-Phew!

Got something so feminine and delicate as a scallop,

with, like, a pig's head.

So that balance in the dish is going to be interesting.

Get two portions in your hand.

Start there and work your way round.

Beautiful. Next one. Next one, next one, next one. Yeah?

So, two fairly non-amateurish ingredients to treat in the kitchen

probably for the very first time.

That's it.

Yeah, that's it. Keep going across the whole lot. All the way.

The brawn terrine has set.

And Steve now has to plate the ten different elements quickly

before the scallops get cold.

Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

Well done.

Good amounts, you've got texture on every bit of a mouthful.

And the finish with the seaweed.

As soon as the coriander is on, it's away.

You are on time as well. Very nice.

-Good job.

-Happy, Steve?

-Yeah.

-That's pretty cool, isn't it?

Service, please.

-Steve, well done.

-Thank you very much.

Very well. That's as good as we send out in the restaurant.

So, let's wait for the verdict.

-Fingers crossed.

-Yeah, exactly.

I mean, that dish we put out there was phenomenal.

That's the ultimate thing, isn't it, you know?

Whether them guys like it.

Erm... Yeah, we'll see.

We'll see soon.

Steve has made scallops served on brawn terrine,

topped with Granny Smith apples,

pickled turnip,

a layer of dashi jelly,

bonito mayonnaise,

wild rice,

shiso leaf and fresh nori seaweed.

I think it looks beautiful. It's very precise, very clean.

All the plates look the same.

Yeah, it's a really elegant-looking dish.

-I'm looking forward to this.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

It tastes fantastic.

The scallops are cooked to perfection,

they've got a beautiful colouration.

It's a beautiful dish.

The clarity of the jelly, it was just perfectly crystal clear.

It was just such a wonderful savouriness coming from the jelly.

I thought it was fantastic.

I thought it was absolutely brilliant.

The scallops are obviously cooked perfectly.

The seasoning and balance was lovely.

To execute like that, I think, for an amateur cook, is extraordinary.

You're finished.

It's beautifully done, beautifully seasoned and really well cooked.

That is divine.

Next to serve is Giovanna.

Her last task before plating

is to quickly braise her cabbage in a butter,

kombu and thyme emulsion.

-We don't want it tough, where...

-Yeah.

-..string.

-You want it beautiful.

-Yeah.

Come on, little one.

Beautiful.

Make sure it's glazed all the way round.

I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on this one.

It's all about cooking that duck, I think.

And there's obviously some hidden little twist in here

that we don't know yet.

Get all the ducks on quick.

-Yeah.

-Beautiful.

Straightaway, roll.

Pine in the wrong hands, that could be a disaster.

It could be a bit like toilet cleaner.

It smells fantastic.

Look at that. That's a wonderful thing.

Yeah. Shout, "service".

-Service, please.

-Incredible.

-Ooh!

-Well done.

-Thank you very much.

You really have to push yourself and keep pushing all the time,

and there's techniques that I wasn't quite so sure about.

But I will never, ever forget this.

Giovanna has made duck with confit cabbage and bacon,

wrapped in a braised cabbage leaf, drizzled with duck jus,

and served with a hollandaise topped with pine oil

and thyme and pine salt.

Well, that's pretty different

to what we were all thinking, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-It shut us all up a bit, hasn't it?

-Yeah!

-It's cooked beautifully, isn't it?

-Yeah, wow.

-Straightaway.

That duck's beautifully cooked. Look at that.

-A really cheffy kind of dish, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Meaty, rich, delicious.

Something that appears so simple but there's a lot of work going on

to get it to taste like that.

The cabbage has got a real richness to it. And that flavour of the pine

just brings it right up to date.

The sauce is very sort of deep and rich, but just a real hug of a dish,

I think, this one. This real, proper...

-Modern comfort food.

-..proper, great cooking.

-GREGG:

-That's a mad-looking thing.

-JOHN:

-Look at that, wow.

-Salty, sweet, rich.

That's a luxurious dish.

I love it. The flavours of duck,

but this sort of amazing richness of cabbage and sauce.

Wow!

Good job, Giovanna!

Last up is Saliha.

-About halfway up?

-Just over halfway, yeah.

-OK.

Her granita has to be set using liquid nitrogen.

At minus 196 degrees Celsius,

it freezes the mixture solid in a matter of seconds.

Yeah, this is definitely a Sat dish, isn't it, really?

Granita is not what I would typically put with chocolate.

So, whoever's in the pastry section has got a tough job today.

The plating of it is the tricky bit, so getting these out,

and then getting the white chocolate on top of them is really hard.

So, this is a dessert from a two-star Michelin chef.

There is nowhere to hide with this dish.

It's not a dish that I would do,

so I can't imagine what these people are going through just now.

I mean, I'm fascinated to see what this dish is. I'm so excited!

-Very cool.

-Very cool.

That's enough.

Beautiful.

Last one. And shout, "Service", because it's got to go quick.

Service. Please.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-How good was that?

-It was amazing.

I mean, I never thought that my favourite chutney ingredients could

make the most incredible dessert ever.

It was only three things, yet it took over three hours to make it.

It's unbelievable.

Saliha has served chocolate mousse

layered with yoghurt mousse,

topped with a Thai-spiced granita.

Yeah, it just smells like a Thai curry.

-Yeah.

-Yes, fresh.

-But it's chocolate.

-Yeah.

The chocolate mousse, I mean, it's just so rich and delicious.

The yoghurt, and then this granita that you're talking about.

I don't even know how they did it. The flavours are so intense.

It's a really wonderful dish.

For me, it's probably my favourite dish of the day.

I don't want it to end, and I think that's the key

to, you know, a great dish.

That is a spectacular dish,

and one that I will certainly remember for a while.

And these guys would have only seen this recipe today,

and this is their first crack at it.

You've got to get it right. Yeah, I think they've absolutely nailed it.

It starts off like a curry then goes sweet and finishes in chocolate.

It's the most extraordinary thing.

This is going to open up a whole new world for Saliha.

A whole new world.

Cooking Sat Bains's food is a real challenge.

He's a very unorthodox style.

And I think you really, really did him proud.

We can try and find faults, but there isn't any faults, really,

because everything was spot-on.

Congratulations to all three of you,

because the world is your culinary oyster now.

Oh! Good work, guys.

Come on, then.

Oh, my goodness! What a day!

I think I've gone a little bit greyer, but well worth it.

You're taking professional dishes from a professional restaurant,

letting three amateurs loose on it.

I've got to be honest, I was very impressed.

-GREGG:

-I'm absolutely delighted.

I think this was absolutely brilliant, today.

And I think we've just shown

just how talented our final three really are.

You know, it's been difficult. It has ups and downs, as they say.

But the chance to cook for the tables out there, it's amazing.

My future tactic is that I'm now going to be using all savoury

ingredients in my sugary puddings, like tamarind and so forth.

It's really, really eye-opening.

I've cooked with one of my food heroes today, which I never,

ever thought I'd do. No-one gets to do this.

This is completely crazy.

Just one more test left - the final.

Everything they've learned throughout this competition,

and we're going to crown one of them our champion.

Tomorrow night, MasterChef 2017 comes to an end.

One of these exceptional cooks will walk away the champion.

Three great finalists, that's for sure. And today they're going to

have to cook like they've never cooked before.

We are going to get culinary fireworks.

Absolutely spectacular.

I'm really, really blown away by this.

Wow!

Wow!

Our MasterChef champion...