Episode 5 MasterChef

MasterChef is back,

searching for the country's best amateur cook.

Come on.

-HE COUGHS

-You can't say it's got chilli in

and not make it chilli.

Don't, don't, don't, don't! Oh, no!

Each week, 16 new contestants

battle for a place in Friday's quarterfinal.

It's a masterpiece.

Only the best will make it through to the final challenges.

Don't slow down.

Everybody, pudding!

Absolutely beautiful.

It's an incredible piece of cooking.

They want to realise one dream,

and that's become the MasterChef Champion.

Kid in a sweetshop, that's me.

Let's find the stars.

These eight amateur cooks think they've got what it takes

to become MasterChef champion.

I just wanted to see how far I could take my cooking,

and see how it stood up to proper critics

or, you know, people that ain't sort of...

you're related to or you're married to! So, yeah.

I just cook lots of portions, really hearty food.

When you feed somebody it's just, like, the most fantastic feeling.

I absolutely adore John and Gregg.

I can't believe that I'm going to be cooking for them,

it's going to be amazing.

Welcome to MasterChef.

All we want you to do is cook.

Cook well.

Give us something that we really like eating

and we'll be really happy, I promise.

This, your first round, is what we call the market challenge.

Through those doors is the brand-new MasterChef market,

and it's stocked full of the finest ingredients

from all around the world.

What we'd like you to do is to pick up your basket, go to the market,

choose some ingredients

and then come back and cook for us one plate of food.

Off you go.

The contestants have ten minutes

to choose ingredients for their dish -

but they can return to the market if they need to.

Today's fresh ingredients include duck legs...

oxtail...

lamb mince...

langoustine...

cod...

and scallops.

There are fine cheeses and cooked meats...

and a variety of fruit and vegetables.

Just a lot to take in,

so it's just trying to pick something that you know

you might be able to do good.

The plan's developing as I go along.

It's not quite there yet.

What I like about this challenge

is regardless of whether you're cooking on a budget or not,

you walk in there and there are ingredients aplenty.

We know that anyone can cook a dish if they've had a chance to practise.

We're looking for a MasterChef champion.

We need to make it a little bit tougher than that.

I haven't got the foggiest idea what I'm going to do.

I've never ever cooked the langoustine before,

so I'm wondering if I should put it back.

No, I'm not, I'm going to figure it out.

That's going to be interesting - bottle of wine and two potatoes.

My fridge is not normally quite as exciting,

but, no, it's wicked, looking forward to it.

There's some great ingredients on your benches.

Do yourselves proud, ladies and gentlemen.

At the end of this, three of you are going home.

One hour, 20 minutes.

Let's cook.

24-year-old Matt was taught to cook by his father.

So, my dad worked for a big hotel chain when I was growing up,

and he was head chef for a long time there.

So just throughout the weekends, throughout the evenings,

cooking with him all the time, it was kind of like our time together.

That really got me into food.

Matt, what do you think about the market challenge we set you?

Little bit daunting, but I'm sticking to my heritage.

I'm going to cook something I'm familiar with

and hope that that kind of gets me through.

What is your heritage?

It doesn't look like it, but Spanish.

-Are you?

-Yeah, yeah, a lot of my family come from Spain,

so I'm drawing on that today.

I'm going to do cod for you,

which I'm going to wrap in cured ham, some saffron rice,

some traditional Spanish vegetables

in a bit of a tomatoey spicy paprika sauce.

How much cooking do you do?

I do a lot. A lot of it's drawing upon Spanish ingredients, at least.

I spent a year over there, in Valencia.

-Good for you, mate.

-Thank you very much.

Crispy ham on the outside, the fish just flaking away.

I hope he's not trying to be modern,

because the vegetables have got to be stewed right down,

all the flavours come into the sauce.

It could be a lovely dish.

By day, sound engineer Steve records music in his own studio.

By night, he's a DJ.

I've been DJing for quite a long time,

you know, in front of quite big crowds,

so hopefully that'll put me in good stead

for that little bit of pressure,

and, you know, that knowledge

that there's quite a few people watching you.

-What are you cooking for us?

-I'm going to do some scallops,

some pureed cauliflower, maybe toast a little bit off.

Going to make a reduction out of the cider over there.

Some samphire - I've got some garlic roasting, as well.

-Steve, you are a Londoner?

-Yeah, I am, yes.

-Where?

-Woolwich.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-Are you a Millwall supporter?

Nah, nah. Never been into football, really.

-Well, good to have met you, Steve.

-And you, Gregg.

-Good luck with that.

-Cheers.

-Shame you couldn't go through.

Good starting point.

I just hope he's not throwing too much at one plate -

but if he can show me he can cook a scallop properly

and make a good puree, I'll be very happy.

15 minutes gone.

Hour and five left.

When junior doctor Saliha is not working long hours in the hospital,

she's putting in even longer hours in her kitchen.

It's all been about food, food, food,

MasterChef, MasterChef, MasterChef.

Lamb chops at midnight, that was one.

About seven different aubergine dishes each day after work,

so my poor husband's been just eating aubergine.

Saliha, I really like the ingredients you've picked.

You do? I'm glad.

So, I'm making some lamb meatballs, some aubergine dip,

couscous and some pomegranate and mooli pickle.

So this is a really well-balanced dish.

It's not got much fat in it.

-What do you do for a living?

-I'm a doctor.

I work in the gastroenterology department,

so my passion is people's gut,

and how the food that they eat reacts with them.

What can I eat that might make my hair grow?

Make your hair grow... I'm not sure I've got a cure for that!

Saliha is promising us a feast of Middle Eastern treats.

All of those things need loads and loads of seasoning.

How it's going to look, I'm not quite sure, but I'm intrigued.

Lancashire lass Bev works as a nurse

running services for disabled patients.

Food is a massive importance in my life.

I'm a real foodie. Love eating out, love making food.

It's a real social event.

What are you making for us, Bev?

I'm going to do duck with pancetta on a plum and apricot base

and hopefully a nice red wine sauce.

-Who loves your food?

-My two girls.

-And how old are they?

-14 and 11.

And what style of food do you cook?

For kids, it's things like fishfingers and chips, to be honest.

If it's for mum, it's things like sea bass, venison.

Do you end up cooking one meal for them and one meal for you?

-Yeah!

-Do you?

-All the time, yeah.

-And you eat the posher stuff?

-Exactly.

I love a roasted duck leg -

I just hope she gives herself enough time,

cos it hasn't even gone in the oven yet.

She's going to serve it with a plum and apricot spiced sauce

and a red wine sauce, as well.

I'm not quite sure how they all fit together.

40 minutes have gone, all right? That's halfway.

40 left.

Lynell is a full-time foster carer

and has a spontaneous approach to cooking.

My style of cooking is, I'd say, ambitiously brave.

I just throw things into a pot and see what happens.

Sometimes I do the same things over and over again because it works,

and I'm like, "Yes!"

and other times I'm like, "Eurgh...

"Let's not try that again."

Lynell, you've got langoustine.

Yes, because it reminded me of a gigantic prawn.

I figured I would mash the cod with the rice

and stuff it inside of a pepper

and then roast all of that quickly together

and then have the langoustine on the side.

What do you like to cook?

Everything unconventional.

-I like to experiment.

-I wish I could say I was looking forward to it,

but I'm little bit nervous.

-Don't be.

-Press on.

-Don't be!

-Press on.

Lynell is coming on and being a true inventor.

The langoustines, I'm really, really excited about.

The peppers, I'm a bit frightened of.

Tamilla is originally from Azerbaijan,

and is passionate about the food she grew up with.

As an Azeri girl,

you grew up with everybody cooking around you,

because there is no such thing as a fast food.

Being here and just representing my country, my culture,

is just an amazing feeling.

So I'm cooking two pasties.

Russians call them pirozhki.

One will be stuffed with potatoes, onions and mushrooms -

this is a Russian thing -

and one is lamb, garlic and a little bit of ground coriander.

How long have you been in the UK?

I think 13 years now.

When I came here I couldn't eat bread

because it was horrible, plasticky, square thing.

I started baking bread.

Then I couldn't cook anything with mince because it tasted rubbery,

so I got myself a mince grinder.

Back home, they all do everything from scratch,

so this is what I'm doing.

Have you got time to give us a tune or is it all cooking?

All cooking.

Tamilla is making for us pirozhki.

I think they're wonderful, I think they're very moreish -

but are they elegant enough for MasterChef?

You have just 25 minutes left, all right?

Just 25 minutes left.

I wanted to do a pea puree, but I can't seem to find peas.

Samphire I've got - just something else green.

Just trying to make my mind up at the moment, it's a bit frantic.

Scottish Billy has been cooking for ten years

and loves the British classics.

So, I'm a meat and two veg type of guy.

I quite like to reinvent dishes.

You take a really classic thing like fish and chips

and you make that a little bit more special,

or you take a breakfast and you crank that up.

-Billy.

-Hello.

-I think you've made about nine visits back to the market.

-Yes.

At first I was freaking out a little bit,

couldn't find the ground spices.

I was needing something green for the plate,

so I'm going to use a little bit of samphire, there.

What are you making for us, mate?

Fish and chips. I'm just going to do a beer battered fish

with some three-cooked chips

and then I'm going to do what we like in Scotland,

-a nice curry sauce.

-Billy, get in there, son.

Fish and chips and curry sauce!

-Yes.

-Yes!

-I'm looking forward to this.

-Thank you.

Brighton-based Tom believes he has his own unique style.

I think I'm a good chef.

I like making dishes that people go,

"Oh, that was interesting,

"bit weird, but delicious."

I'm making duck.

Duck with a bean cassoulet

with a real nice, like, port, blackberry, sort of juicy gravy

and a bit of bay oil just to go around it.

Very French. Do you love the food of France?

I like rich food - like cover-your-hips food,

like fried chicken and fried bits of balls of interesting stuff

that you don't know what it is

and you serve it with like a ketchup or a pickle and you're, like...

But I just like big, punchy flavours, really.

-How good are you?

-I think I can be brilliant.

We'll find out, won't we?

Duck, beans and blackberries.

Duck and blackberries, OK.

Beans and blackberries?

You have got just seven minutes.

Don't get caught out.

Just three minutes.

Guys and girls, three minutes, please.

Stop. Time's up.

I hope it tastes delicious.

Beautiful little plate.

-I think you're selling it on fancy presentation, big man!

-Yeah!

Got to have a go, haven't you?

Steve, up you come, my friend.

Steve has chosen the scallops,

which he's pan-fried with purple cauliflower puree

and toasted cauliflower, roasted leek, crisped ham,

pan-fried samphire and a sauce made with reduced cider and butter.

You've made purple food!

-I know!

-It's like Willy Wonka.

Don't like your reduced cider sauce.

It's far too sharp and strong, I think, for a scallop.

Everything else, I think, is really, really good.

Steve, I really like your cider sauce.

-Get out of here!

-Just let me finish the sentence.

-Get out of here.

-Let me finish the sentence.

I think it's a really well-made sauce,

because the reason I want to say that to you is, you can cook.

Your puree is really smooth but really well seasoned

and still tastes of cauliflower.

The ham is crispy,

the scallops themselves are cooked beautifully.

I'm pleased. Apart from the sauce thing, it seemed they both liked it,

so I can't ask for more, really.

Matt, your turn.

Up you come, please.

Matt has made pan-seared cod wrapped in Parma ham

with roasted tomatoes on the vine,

saffron rice, red pepper, tomato and paprika sauce

and green beans.

Very precise. Did you have a geometry set when you were a kid?

The cod is seasoned and flaky,

and I love your sweet tomatoes and peppers

on top of golden yellow saffron rice.

It just screams out Spain.

Yeah, I'm not quite as enamoured as Gregg, I have to say.

The ham, for me, is just a bit off-putting

because it is really chewy.

I'd like to see those tomatoes not cooked as far down as they have,

because they've gone almost acrid.

Yeah, it's OK.

There was one element of the dish

which I knew, as I plated, it was wrong -

a little bit disappointed in that.

Saliha has cooked Moroccan lamb patties with apricots,

couscous with herbs,

aubergine and garlic dip served with a pomegranate and radish salad.

For, you know, meatballs and couscous, it's a good-looking plate.

Thank you.

The meatballs are lovely and moist,

the sweet apricot through them, I really like,

because you've got the sharpness of the radish along the side.

Everything's seasoned really well,

you've thought about the presentation.

-Yeah, I like it a lot.

-Thank you.

I love the herb zing through the couscous

and I love the smooth aubergine dip

that slowly builds with the heat of plenty of garlic.

Good effort. Well done.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

I'm really chuffed to bits.

I really wanted them to like it, so I'm just delighted.

I'm really happy!

Bev has chosen to cook a leg of duck

wrapped in pancetta on an apricot and plum compote

with potatoes roasted in chilli and garlic

and a pepper and red wine sauce.

The duck meat is cooked OK,

but because you've had the bacon over the skin,

the skin is not crispy at all, which means it's quite flabby.

I like the idea of the plum compote, but I find yours very, very sharp.

OK.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your cooking,

because your duck leg is cooked really well,

you fried potatoes till they're crispy, and I like those a lot.

It's about the composition of the dish.

Potatoes and plums don't really belong together.

'That was absolutely stressy.'

Ugh!

Terrible.

-Well done.

-Thanks.

-Well done.

The duck is cooked, that's the main thing, isn't it?

Tom has made spiced roast duck

with a cannellini bean, carrot and tomato cassoulet

and a port reduction.

-Where are the blackberries?

-They're not on there.

I thought it was just a bit too contrasting with the bean cassoulet.

Yeah, good.

The duck itself is tough,

and the sweetness of that port doesn't really belong

with the sweetness of the tomatoes and the carrots.

I don't like it Tom, I'm sorry.

That bean, carrot, veg, tomato combo you're calling a cassoulet,

I think, is too sweet.

Your duck, I like.

John, however, doesn't like the duck either.

We're on a sticky wicket here, Tom.

Gutted, completely. Mm.

Didn't go well.

Billy has cooked beer battered cod and triple cooked chips

with samphire and a curry sauce.

The importance of chips is that the outside is crispy and fluffy -

yours are exactly that.

The batter is lovely and thin and crispy,

the fish inside is cooked just so that it falls apart.

Curry sauce is completely addictive,

got little bit of spice in the back of your throat.

-Love it.

-Thank you very much.

-Love it, Billy.

-Your fish is flaky, it's perfect.

Your chips are crispy and fluffy

and your sauce quickly gets warmer and warmer.

That's genius.

Absolutely delighted, couldn't have went better.

John and Gregg loved it, so I'm really chuffed.

Tamilla has made Russian pirozhki -

one filled with spicy lamb and potato,

one with mushroom and potato...

..accompanied by a roasted cauliflower and pecan salad

and a lemon and olive oil dressing.

Love the pastry, it's bouncy because it's made with that yoghurt.

The inside, the filling, is really well seasoned.

Your salad is really tasty,

with cauliflower and dill running all the way through it.

I don't think the pecan nuts have any place on the plate at all -

but your food is tasty.

Your meat one is seasoned with pepper, and it's nicely flavoured -

however, the beefy mushroom flavour

going through the soft potato and onion one is absolutely delicious.

I like your food.

I'm feeling really happy,

because it's not about winning the show -

at the moment, it's just for them to really eat it and enjoy it.

Lynell opted for the langoustine,

which she fried and then baked

and served with peppers stuffed with mashed cod, rice and chilli

and a tomato vinaigrette.

-Have you got Scotch bonnet chillies in there?

-Yes.

-I like pepper.

-You like pepper all right.

Sorry, I should have warned you!

Wow!

Unfortunately it's so hot with the amount of chilli

-that it's almost inedible.

-Mm.

Look, I love that people experiment,

but you don't have to experiment with me and Gregg,

honestly, you really don't.

Pretty deflated, to be honest,

especially when you know that you can do so much better.

Interesting day today.

I've had a culinary trip around the world,

and haven't left the MasterChef kitchen.

My standout cook today was Billy.

Fish, chips and curry sauce -

not only was it a bold move, it was delicious.

Billy is definitely a great find.

My star of the day has got to be Saliha.

I thought her food was delicious.

I'm with you. I'm with you, agreed.

And alongside those two, I think we've got Tamilla.

The girl knows what she's doing.

I'm really intrigued by her.

I think we should put her through.

The other one we both liked was Steve.

He cooked his scallops like a chef, brilliantly well.

He made a brilliant puree.

Put him through, absolutely.

Now we have to start to make some really tough decisions.

Who goes home?

Listen, I think it's quite obvious that Lynell's experimental style

has no place on MasterChef.

For me there's also one other cook whose journey has ended,

and that is Tom.

I'm never ever going to be a fan of put things in a pot,

stir it for 25 minutes and hope.

That leaves us with two more cooks to talk about,

and they are Bev...

..and Matt.

Well, I know who I prefer out of Bev and Matt,

and I don't think it's who you prefer.

-MATT:

-I'd be quite disappointed to go home now.

I think that I probably haven't shown what I can do.

100% I'd like to carry on, but it's in the lap of the gods, I'm afraid.

The first person leaving the competition is Lynell.

Lynell, I'm sorry.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

The second person leaving the competition...

..is Tom.

-Thank you, Tom.

-Thanks.

The third contestant leaving us...

..is Bev. Bev, I'm sorry.

Thank you.

A bit gutted, but better contestants than me,

so that's the way it is, isn't it?

I did do something completely experimental and different,

but I wanted to show them who I am,

and that's what I did.

-TOM:

-You're sat at home and you go,

"Oh, well, I would have done this and that."

You get there and your mind just goes, "Doof!"

and it's much harder than it looks.

I'm really excited, because I believe we've got some talent here.

However, you will be cooking for other people today,

not just me and John.

Ping Coombes...

..Dean Edwards...

and Thomasina Miers.

Two courses in one hour and 15 minutes.

Quarterfinal places up for grabs.

Let's cook.

I'm fascinated by fruit in my savoury cooking.

The inspiration probably lies when we were kids

and you used to have cheese and pineapple sticks.

So, my starter is going to be some salted Mediterranean cheese

and pineapple mint rolls with a strawberry chutney.

What?! Saliha, are you feeling OK?

Yeah! The strawberry chutney has got lots of tamarind in it

to give it a nice, sour taste.

It might look like a dessert, but it won't taste like a dessert.

OK, main course is?

Pan-fried cod, crispy okra and pressed rice.

It's sweetened a little bit with raisins and sultanas

and I know that you don't necessarily like sweet and savoury,

but I think this will change your mind, because it's really delicious.

I am now really nervous, Gregg,

I have to tell you.

We have a spring roll with feta cheese and pineapple

served with a strawberry and tamarind chutney.

I think it's right out there.

The cod dish, even though that seems a little extravagant flavour-wise,

is actually quite a sobering thought after the spring roll.

I've given myself quite a lot to do.

The first 10, 15 minutes, really important,

so I need to really get my head down.

If I mess that first little bit up, then that's going to push us back.

Steve, you've got a lot of stuff on your bench

and you are running around quite ferociously.

Yes, I've got some poussin breasts.

I'm going to take the skin off, roast that in the oven separately,

poach these in butter. I've got some cannellini beans which I'm going to

do a little stew with some pancetta

-and I'm going to braise off some chicory.

-Dessert?

I'm poaching some pears, I'm going to do some hazelnut pralines.

Also going to try and make a lemon gel.

I'm not really a dessert person, but I really wanted to do a dessert.

If desserts aren't your thing, why did you want to do a dessert?

You know, obviously you're a dessert man,

and I'd like to cook you a dessert at least once, so...

-Before you go home?

-Before I go home, yeah!

I don't want to curse myself or anything!

Steve is going to butter poach his chicken breast,

take the skin off and make it crispy in the oven.

If that skin doesn't go crispy,

then you actually don't have any texture to the dish.

I'll be really surprised if he manages to get out,

as well as the poached pear stuffed with raisins,

a sauce, praline and a lemon gel.

I think he's taken on too much.

First round, for me, was not particularly amazing,

and I feel like I just kind of scraped through

into the second round,

so I would love to prove to the judges that I can cook.

To start, I'm making scallops with a leek ash crust.

That's going to sat on top of a roasted red pepper puree

and caramelised shallot.

And as a main course?

Sticky Asian pork belly served with jasmine tea infused rice.

Pork belly itself goes delicious and moist.

Unless you're a vegetarian,

I don't think there's anybody that doesn't like pork belly.

The scallops have to be cooked beautifully.

The shallots can't be too sweet.

The red peppers have to have a bit of spice to them -

and, of course, the burnt leek can't be overpowering.

Could be really delicious, but he's got a balancing act to be made here.

If he hasn't cooked that pork enough, it's going to be chewy.

One of my best friends, she called me one day and said,

"I saw you in my dream and you said, 'I'm off to cook Russian sushi.'"

And I was like, "What? Russian sushi?"

And then I started thinking - how could you make sushi Russian?

You substitute rice with buckwheat, wasabi with horseradish,

pickled ginger with fermented cabbage.

First time I cooked it at home, it was very beautiful.

Second time I cooked it, it all fell apart and it was all over the place.

Main course, Tamilla, what's your main course?

Azerbaijani, basically lamb kebabs.

We have what she calls Russian sushi.

It's been born from a dream that her friend had.

I'll tell you what, it's either going to be a dream

or it's going to be a nightmare.

Knowing that I've done that first dish, got some good feedback,

it's time to really get the head down and crack on

with the competitive side of the competition.

I'm making a beef Wellington with potato puree,

some roasted vegetables and a red wine sauce,

and then I'm going to make a deconstructed lemon meringue pie.

Billy, you love to run around the kitchen, don't you?

Yes, I seem to give myself a bit too much to do.

How long until you serve?

23 minutes.

And you've just put that beef Wellington in the oven?

-Yes.

-And how long would you cook them for at home?

20 minutes and ten minutes resting.

So you won't have time to rest them?

It's not looking that way.

But there's no sign of any dessert yet, Billy.

No, I'm away to start cracking on with that now.

It should be fine.

I love a beef Wellington.

Really nice, cooked but rare beef in the middle.

Getting that out in that time...

I doubt it.

Following on from that,

Billy's also got a dessert of Italian meringue

and lemon curd with a crumble.

There's only one thing presently crumbling, and that's Billy.

Since winning MasterChef,

my life has been dramatic, to say the least.

I've been doing a lot of pop-ups and now I have my book out.

Yes, all sorts of things to promote

and spread a little more love for Malaysian food.

At the moment, I'm resident chef on ITV's Lorraine Kelly show

in the mornings, which I love.

Kind of really gone towards home-cooked food and family food

and I find this is really where my passion is.

Amazing. I've been working in the food industry for ten years now.

Wahaca has just opened its 25th restaurant in Edinburgh,

which is very exciting - my university hometown.

Now I am doing what I love.

You've got five minutes, Steve.

-Is your chicken cooked?

-It will be in about three minutes, hopefully.

Butter poached poussin breast with crisped skin, cannellini beans

and a light chicken gravy.

That actually sounds pretty nice to me.

There's nothing that kind of stands out.

I mean, it could just be a Sunday roast,

a kind of bit like chicken on a plate.

As long as the poussin breast is not dry.

Sounds simple, but actually poaching it requires a high amount of skill.

Last two minutes, Steve.

I like that, Steve. I like your style.

Don't ruin it now.

Nice.

And the skin?

Go, go, go, nice dish.

-THOMASINA:

-Oh, that looks good.

All right, so we have a butter poached poussin breast,

small stew made out of cannellini beans, a little bit of pancetta,

some braised chicory, crisped skin

and a little sauce made from stock from the chicken bones.

-Enjoy, thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Unreal, that skin. So good.

-Mm.

-Mm.

-Mm!

Light, crispy.

The breasts are really, really juicy - and I love chicory.

-Mm.

-Just a bit of bitterness to it, and balances it really well.

Yeah, I think Steve's onto a winner with this dish.

John, the whole thing is delightful.

It's a buttery, well seasoned, soft plate of yum.

Lovely, lovely start, Steve.

Lovely start. Let's just hope he can pair it with his pear.

Five and a half minutes, young Steve.

Caramelised pears poached in pear cider

stuffed with raisins and hazelnuts with a pear puree,

hazelnut praline and lemon gel.

There's a lot going on, on that menu.

There's seven elements to this dessert.

If he pulls it all off, it's going to be pretty exciting to eat.

-You got everything ready?

-It's ready to plate now, yeah.

Get you! Look at this.

Fancy.

Two minutes, young Steve.

Yeah! Are we done?

-We're done, mate.

-Go on.

Well done.

So, I've made you a pear poached in perry, some rum soaked raisins,

hazelnut praline and a lemon gel.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

It smells so good!

It does.

The nuttiness in that raisins, it's just delicious.

The pear is so beautifully poached.

Those acidic shots

kind of sparkle from the lemon gel, really great.

Oh, my God! That's good.

I think Steve's done very, very well indeed.

That pear is delicious.

I think that is absolutely divine.

I am pretty happy. I don't want to build it up too much.

You know, build it up too much, get disappointed.

I'm pleased. I couldn't have done any more.

Saliha, how are you doing?

I'm doing fine. They're nearly done.

Strawberry sauce is done, so we should be A-OK.

Salty cheese and pineapple rolls with spiced strawberry chutney.

I won't lie, that scares me.

-PING:

-I'm a big fan of sweet and savoury combinations.

I think done right, they're really, really delicious.

We just don't know what to expect.

-GREGG:

-I love the colours.

I kind of wish it was a dessert.

-Right, are you ready to go?

-Ready to go.

-Let's go.

Hello.

Today, I've made some salted feta and roasted pineapple and mint rolls

with a savoury strawberry chutney.

-I hope you enjoy it.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

The filling of this filo tastes quite good,

but actually there's a lot of pastry and not much filling.

I love the saltiness of the cheese.

I quite, actually, like the strawberries.

I'm a little bit surprised that it works.

If it is served to me as a canape,

it would be quite nice little thing to just pop in

and think, "Ooh, something sweet and savoury."

-JOHN:

-What I feel like I've got

is a salty spring roll from the Chinese takeaway

with sweet and sour sauce.

It is unusual, but I can live with it.

It ain't going to be a trend, I can tell you that much.

Saliha, you've got 15 minutes on your main course.

Yep.

-THOMASINA:

-She's cooking pan-fried cod,

curried poha rice, crispy okra,

green chilli and sultana chutney.

Again, she has those sweet and savouries going on.

Okra, I'm not massively keen on,

but if it's done right and it's nice and crispy,

then that could really, really work.

Three minutes, Saliha, three minutes.

All right, that's fine.

What's got to go on there now, Saliha?

Okra and chutney.

Saliha, a beautiful looking dish.

Doctor?

You are very calm under pressure, aren't you?

-I have to be.

-Lots of patience.

Yeah.

Beautiful, come on.

-Thank you so much.

-You're welcome.

I've got for you a curried poha rice

with some baked cod,

a coriander and sultana chutney and crispy okra.

-Enjoy.

-Thank you.

-It looks professional.

-Mm.

That rice is packed full of flavour.

Lots of coconut and seasoning -

and the chutney has got a lovely chilli heat.

Her fish is a little bit over, but with everything else,

it just balances so nicely.

That okra is absolutely delicious -

and I'm not a big fan of okra, but I am a fan now.

After the slight disappointment of the starter,

she's really brought herself back into the game.

First impression, sort of like the first time I met you -

a bit frightened.

But I got to know you and I realised it was delicious.

And then as you had more and more of it, you got a bit sick of it?

-No, no, no.

-Oh.

Funnily enough, at this point in time,

you know, I love being a doctor,

but I would much rather do that again and again,

because it's actually really exhilarating.

It gives you a bit of an adrenaline rush.

You have just four minutes.

-You've got to cook all those scallops yet, haven't you?

-I do.

So, Matt is doing pan-seared scallops

with sweet red pepper and garlic puree,

leek ash, crispy bacon and caramelised shallot.

Got some real classic combinations,

and then you throw in something that's really quite fashionable

with the leek ash.

My mouth is watering. I'm quite excited about trying this one!

Is that bacon as crispy as your ham in the last round, or crispier?

It's crispier. It's not as crispy as I'd like.

What's got to go on, apart from bacon?

Just a couple of little caramelised shallots after the bacon.

-Ready to go?

-Yep.

Let's do it!

-Hi.

-Hi.

Thank you.

To start with, you have a pan-seared scallop with a leek ash crust,

a roasted red pepper and garlic puree, crispy streaked bacon,

caramelised shallots and a chive dressing.

-Thank you, enjoy.

-ALL: Thank you.

The ash on top, it smells overwhelming.

Sadly, I think this is quite underwhelming.

The ash on my scallop is just really bitter,

and what should be a beautifully caramelised scallop

is completely white,

so it feels like it's barely been in the pan.

The bacon should be a bit crispier.

The puree is probably the best out of everything.

I can kind of see where he was going, but I...

On this occasion, I don't think it's worked, to be honest.

That's not cooked enough, John.

It's not cooked. Full stop.

I love scallops, because they are sweet.

I don't want something bitter across the top of it.

-Right, 15 minutes...

-Thank you.

..and then your famous Asian pork belly.

-Let's go.

-Ready to go.

This is like kind of my dream combination.

Really interested to see how he's going to do this in the timescale,

because I truly believe good pork belly needs time to cook.

Ooh, they look rather yummy.

-Are they tender enough?

-They seem it. They seem it.

Right, what's left to do now, Matt?

Right now is just putting a few little mushrooms on there,

put a few little peanuts on there and then we're good to go.

-Well done, my friend.

-There you go.

-Well done.

Matt, off you go, come on, let's go.

So, for the main course, you have a sticky Asian pork belly

with jasmine tea infused jasmine rice,

ginger pak choi and some wild Asian mushrooms.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much. Enjoy.

-Thanks.

-THOMASINA:

-I'm pleasantly surprised by this.

That looks incredibly inviting, that meat.

I actually really like the flavour of the pork,

but it's still quite fatty, for me,

so I think, for me, pork belly needs to be cooked slowly.

The greens taste really nice.

The rice, unfortunately he's gone too far.

It's got that acrid taste.

It feels, to me, he's got some really good ideas -

he just needs a little bit of work on the execution.

The pork's dried out and the rice is a little bit sticky and gloopy.

It's not great.

That was a tough, tough task.

Emotionally and mentally, I'm just exhausted.

I'm ready to go and have a little sleep, I think.

You're in a bit of trouble here, Billy, aren't you?

A little bit, Gregg, yeah.

I need to get my Wellingtons out.

You've got about six minutes left.

-DEAN:

-I'm really kind of wondering how he's going to put this together

in the hour and give it that resting time

so the beef comes out really nice and tender.

Billy, your food is actually due out now.

-OK.

-You need to go out as soon as you possibly can.

Seven now, so, four minutes.

-Right, let's move, then.

-Yep.

Right, come on, young Billy.

Get a wiggle on.

What's it like? Is it still mooing?

-Beautiful!

-Yeah, really lovely.

Get these Wellingtons out on time, otherwise you'll get the boot.

Hi, folks, sorry for your wait, there.

- Thank you. - Thank you so much.

So, today I've made you a beef Wellington with mashed potato,

some roasted vegetables and a red wine sauce.

-Hope you enjoy.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

The sauce is really delicious, really full of flavour,

and the mash is lovely.

I actually don't think he needs these roasted vegetables.

It might actually be quite nice to have some green on there.

That meat is cooked to perfection, for me,

but the pastry is raw.

Billy was always pushing it,

trying to get a beef Wellington out in an hour.

It could have done with a bit of resting but as for the dish,

I've got to say, I'm really, really impressed.

Billy, just 15 minutes for your curd, mate.

Yep.

Billy's dessert - deconstructed lemon meringue pie.

Meringues can be very sweet, lemon curd can be very sweet.

If he gets the acidity right, it could be great.

-You've got two minutes, Billy.

-Yep.

-Just two minutes.

Where's the lemon curd?

It's in the freezer just chilling.

It's almost there.

You are a fighter, aren't you?

I'm trying my hardest.

Can we get the curd out, mate?

Yep.

-Good to go.

-Billy, well done, mate. Good job.

-Well done.

-For crying out loud, how's he done that?

-Don't know.

-Hi again, folks.

-Hey.

-THOMASINA:

-Oh, look at that.

OK, so we've got lemon curd, Italian meringues,

some lemon thyme, raspberries,

and that's served with a digestive crumb, some pistachios -

hope you enjoy. Thank you.

-THOMASINA:

-This looks lovely. The colours are great.

I love it.

This is a really stunning plate of food.

I love that buttery biscuit base.

-The nuttiness, the pistachio, really helped it.

-Mm.

All the elements on here are cooked really well.

It just needs that acidity.

That lemon doesn't have the sharpness,

so it's really, really sweet.

I think for deconstructed lemon meringue pie,

he make a good effort.

I like the flavours. Would like some texture.

I don't have any sort of sharpness from the lemon curd,

and there is that underlying flavour of egg.

It's eggy.

I have no idea how I got that finished.

That's the hardest work, an hour and 15 minutes,

I've had for a long time,

so if I got through now, I would be absolutely delighted.

Tamilla, we have six minutes before your Russian sushi goes.

How long is it going to take you before you can serve?

We cannot rush perfection.

Tamilla's menu - Russian sushi.

I have no idea what Russian sushi is.

I think she's got her work cut out here,

because, from the menu, it's not making me excited.

You should be going in two minutes, Tamilla.

OK.

Not going to happen.

We done? Come on, off you go.

-Hello.

-Hello!

-There we are.

-Thank you.

Today, I cooked Russian sushi for you

with fermented cabbage salad.

-I hope you enjoy.

-Thank you.

This looks really appetising.

Now Russian sushi kind of makes sense to me.

Down in one? Yeah.

Down the hatch.

Mm. Mm!

That's actually a really interesting concept.

That little bit of smokiness from the fish -

and I actually really enjoyed the fermented cabbage.

I think it's just a tad over-seasoned.

Lovely nutty buckwheat, lovely hits of fresh dill,

lots of fiery horseradish hitting you, too.

That's not bad.

It really tastes like sushi.

As they say in Eurovision Song contest, 9.5.

Tamilla, your barbecue lamb.

Let's go.

Roasted rack of lamb with charred aubergine salsa,

potatoes and onion relish.

I just want to see pink, nicely cooked lamb.

I'm hoping this is going to be elevated to something more

than kind of what I'm reading here.

OK, we like.

Thanks, Tamilla. Well done, Tamilla.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I cooked you lamb in Azerbaijani way,

how we cook it at home,

with potatoes and covered with sumac and also charred aubergine salsa.

-Thank you.

-I hope you enjoy.

-Thank you very much.

Thank you.

That lamb, for me, could be rendered down just a little bit more,

get that fat really nice and crispy,

but the actual meat itself is cooked perfectly.

-Yep.

-This aubergine salsa, because she described it as charred,

I'd like to actually get a little more smokiness in that.

If she could have maybe just cranked up the seasonings

and the finesse of the cooking,

then the whole plate, I would have been scraping it clean.

Apart from nicely cooked lamb,

I can't find great deal to compliment it on.

But that molasses and the lamb together are lovely, lovely, lovely.

There were three or four things that could have been better,

but at the end of the day,

I served the food and it looked OK on the plate.

Hopefully I will get some good remarks.

It's a tough call. Right now, I've got two very, very good cooks.

Steve did a good job, didn't he?

Steve did really, really well.

His dessert, for me, was just amazing.

I loved that pear.

You loved it, the guys in the dining room loved it,

I loved it. Steve, today,

is the standout cook - and he needs to go through.

After the first course,

Doctor Saliha's competition was on a life-support system.

However, her main course was superb.

The thing is, Saliha can cook - she just likes to take a risk.

I think Saliha should go straight through.

I think, in comparison to the rest of the cooks,

Matt has fallen off the pace.

Technically, there was lots of faults,

so that means we need to discuss the merits, now, of Billy and Tamilla.

Tamilla is a really exciting, innovative cook.

She's doing things which we've never seen before -

which nobody's ever seen before.

Billy has really pushed himself.

He's a proper fighter.

Neither Billy or Tamilla are perfect right now.

They both made mistakes today.

I don't know, I don't know.

Genuinely believe that I'm a good cook.

It would be my own downfall that I've tried to do too much

in the hour and 15 minutes if I go home.

-TAMILLA:

-I know the dish that I would be cooking next time,

so if they give me a chance, I will be just jumping.

What a day. Fantastic cooking, very tough judging.

Great effort.

The first person leaving us...

..is Matt. Thanks, Matt.

Thank you very much.

The second person leaving us...

..is Tamilla.

-Sorry, Tamilla.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so very much.

I expected to go, because I know all the mistakes that I made today.

For me, if I was my own judge, I know exactly what I would say.

No, this is not good.

-MATT:

-Yeah, absolutely gutted not to be able to cook again.

I really had to pull something out of the bag,

and I think everybody else did more, again, this round, than me.

So, yeah.

Guys, congratulations.

Well done. You are our quarterfinalists. Good job.

Whoo!

MasterChef quarterfinalist.

It's brilliant, absolutely delighted.

One of the things I was really looking forward to

was being able to cook for people like John and Gregg

and the previous winners and stuff,

and to hear everyone really loved it, it's just amazing, really good.

I'm ecstatic. Literally, I won't be able to sleep.

It's just a wonderful feeling.

Tomorrow night, it's the quarterfinal.

Steve, Saliha and Billy

will join Alex, Faye and Sharon

to fight for their place,

cooking for one of the country's top restaurant critics.

BLENDER WHIRS

SHE GASPS

I mean, visually, it's a masterpiece.