Episode 6 MasterChef

Over the last few weeks dozens of amateurs have been battling

to stay in the MasterChef competition.

Tonight the fight continues.

We have nine fantastic cooks, John,

and we are about to turn the heat up.

Just think, one of these nine is our champion.

Boom!

Last week,

the ten contestants...

..were thrown into the world of mass catering.

-You will be feeding 100 people.

-Backs, backs, backs! Hot.

Split into two teams, Andrew took charge of Ashvy, Afsaneh,

Jay and Eammon...

MANIC LAUGHTER

..while Shelina was the team leader for Tom, Emma, Aki and Jonathan.

You're supposed to stuff the apples, not stuff the oven.

-Such a shame, isn't it? Bottom burnt. All that work.

-Watch out, watch out.

This is when people realise cooking in volume is really difficult.

-I need a meat mallet.

-For crying out loud.

Shelina's team impressed with an adventurous menu...

It's a really lovely dish. Considering the volume of people they've served, it's extraordinary.

It's a very ambitious dish, and I love the salmon inside the pastry.

I think that's yummy.

..while Andrew's team didn't quite hit the mark.

-The vegetarian doesn't work.

-Guys, where's the custard? Oh.

The winning team is going to prepare a special dinner

with the amazingly talented Jason Atherton.

The best team...

-is Shelina's.

-ALL: Yes!

What an opportunity missed.

To stay in this competition all the contestants will have to cook

one dish to demonstrate all they have learnt.

But first, Andrew's losing team will have one more chance

to hone their skills and redeem themselves.

They're being set the ultimate mass catering challenge.

Feeding the 350 workers here at Basildon Tractor Plant, in Essex.

Good morning, everyone, welcome to my kitchen. My name's Steve.

Our service today will be at 12:30. It has to be on time, guys.

This is our ingredients for the day. The meat is behind you.

I'm going to need a menu from you in about 20 minutes,

-so get cracking, please, guys.

-Great. Thanks.

The contestants must cook two meat main dishes

and one vegetarian option.

350 portions of food for lunch,

and only two and a half hours to do it in.

-That is a massive task, a big ask.

-I have no idea about the quantities.

This is just beyond the scale of most people's comprehension.

-So, couscous, cucumber.

-Just think what goes with what.

-I want to do the Lancashire hotpot.

-In the hotpot, lamb, turnips...

-Turnips?

-Yeah, yeah. You see, there is an argument on the hotpot.

-Yeah, I'm not a fan of turnips.

-Are you not?

Today, they really need to choose the right leader,

and they've got to get themselves properly organised.

-So, who's going to be team leader?

-Who wants to be team leader?

Right, I'll do it. I'll do it. You've had a look. What do you think?

-I'm going to do a chicken curry.

-You can do that in time, yeah?

As long as I have assistance in cutting the chicken in half.

We'll take care of that. Eammon, what's your thoughts?

I want to do a traditional English dish, and I'd just like to do my version of a Lancashire hotpot.

Layers of potato, onion, maybe some turnip.

What's your thoughts, Andrew?

Vegetarian tagine, with courgettes, aubergine, peppers, with couscous.

Couscous, maybe a little bit hit and miss with these guys, so, I'll leave that with you.

Right, so, vegetarian dish, what's your thoughts?

Vegetarian moussaka?

We can make a vegetable moussaka, with spinach...

What I was thinking was vegetarian moussaka.

-All right, yeah. Sounds a little bit better to me.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Happy with that?

-Yeah, all right.

I'm just a little bit nervous about the sheer number of people,

and the time that we've got to do it.

Ashvy, what is the most people you've ever made a curry for?

-About 40, 50.

-40 or 50?

-Yep.

-And do you remember how many big tins of tomatoes you used?

-Eight to nine, I think.

-So, at the moment I reckon you're up to about 60 portions so far, in there.

-Really?

I'm going to add water, it's not going to be a really tomatoey curry.

-150.

-I know, I know.

-150.

-OK, well, I'll add some more tomatoes then.

Well, the other thing is then your spicing will have to go up.

Yep, yep, yep.

Ashvy is making chicken curry, which is a really wonderful idea,

but, Ashvy, it's for 150, not 15.

-What's your dish?

-I'm doing a moussaka.

Hopefully, if I get time, I'm going to make some bechamel for the top.

You've got to have time, otherwise it's not a moussaka, is it?

What's the biggest amount of bechamel you've ever made?

About that size!

-That's optimistic, isn't it? I'm going to try.

-You've got to make the bechamel,

because otherwise it's just a messy stew.

-I know, I know, I know.

-Honestly.

-You're absolutely right. I agree.

All right.

I haven't done this for ages, actually.

I think I've done it once before, so I don't feel that confident,

but I have to get on and do my best.

The moussaka for the vegetarians, I think, is a fantastic menu.

And I can see it. I can see it looking pretty, I can see it being well flavoured.

I'm just trimming the lamb at the moment.

As long as we can have it in the next half-hour, it'll be fine.

-Are you on time, yes or no?

-Yeah, I'm doing all right, mate.

-You on time?

-Yep.

-OK.

-Jay seems like quite a confident guy with the leadership side of things.

-Start peeling these veggies,

because once you start frying off that lamb, you're going to need the carrots and everything else.

-You got some strong personalities.

-I need the potatoes peeling.

-I wouldn't.

-No, I need it, because we're setting this up now.

-A bit chaotic at the moment.

You're not putting potatoes on top? That's not a hotpot.

Fingers crossed they'll chill out and get it right, hopefully.

I'm used to organising 100 men, do you know what I mean?

But they're easy, they do as they're told.

-Hotpot?

-Hotpot.

-These bits are massive.

It's like a Lancashire hotpot chop.

Lovely dish, the sort of dish I'd have.

-This might be the centrepiece of the menu. Are you up to it?

-Yep, always up for it.

While Afsaneh, Ashvy and Eammon concentrate on the mains,

Jay and Andrew are prepping Eammon's veg for his hotpot.

I'm utility chef, I'm floating around the various dishes,

so I'm on hotpot at the moment.

What's happened, are you the kitchen porter?

Yeah, I'm doing a lot of the jobs that need to get done early.

I'm pleased not to be in charge. There's a lot to do, and I like losing myself in jobs like this.

We've got people to feed, no time to be precious about peeling.

I mean, if this was the Army, this would be a punishment.

Right now, I think Andrew's becoming a bit of a whipping boy,

but, you know what, he's got his head down, and he's doing it.

He's working really, really fast.

-Fifty minutes in, and Ashvy is yet to receive any help.

-Jay.

-One second, please, Ashvy.

-Do you know what's going to happen, Jay?

The hotpot is going to be cooked, but nothing else,

because everyone's on the hotpot.

Look how much chicken I've got to sort out, and the rice and the salad, and the sauce.

-I just said, "Leave the chicken."

-I needed it 20 minutes ago.

We're getting on it. Let me on it.

The chicken, which you pretty much need for a chicken curry, hasn't even got its skin off.

-The chicken needs to go in to cook.

-I understand that, that's why I took him off.

-The hotpot and the chicken are the two most important things.

-I understand that.

OK guys, we've got an hour and a half to go, and you are making me nervous.

As long as the chicken gets in in the next 15 minutes, because it's going to need an hour to cook,

that's all I'm worried about, I don't want to serve them undercooked chicken.

I'm worried. Raw chicken at 11 o'clock is not good.

-How long do you want that in the oven?

-Ten minutes ago.

-And they're big chunks as well.

-They are big chunks, yeah.

It's a worry, but we're going to go. We'll be all right.

That hotpot should have been in ages ago,

and the chunks of lamb are a little bit big for me.

I'm not sure whether Eammon's going to get that hotpot out.

Andrew, how are you getting on? I don't mean to hassle you, buddy, I'm just asking.

-I've not quite finished this first box, to be honest.

-We need that chicken cooked.

Finally, Eammon's lamb is browned,

but before the hotspot can go in the oven,

he still has to make the onion gravy.

How many more carrots are you going to need?

I'm fine for carrots, I need more onions.

I need loads more onions. This is ridiculous.

-We've got more onions coming, haven't we?

-Give me five minutes, and you'll have it.

Onions, onions!

Give him what you've got.

-Onions.

-Oh, a grand sight.

Can I just say - "Ahhhhh"?

Whatever!

I need to start assembling some of these trays and getting them in.

They're starting to run behind.

You can feel the pressure, you can feel the tension.

-They're starting to crack a little bit.

-Chef!

Tell him to stop panicking. He's panicking everybody, OK?

I've been told to say, "Stop panicking." Take a deep breath.

No, I'm all right. I'm all right. I want hot water, and I'm cool.

Take a breather.

There are some feisty characters, but you know,

you've just got to roll with the punches, really.

While the others try to bring the meat mains together,

Afsaneh is working alone on the moussaka.

I'm just jumping from here, to there, to there,

because I'm using the grill, I'm using the steamers,

I'm using the oven, I'm using the hob, I'm just everywhere.

Yeah, it's looking good. And you haven't shouted at anyone yet, you're doing really well.

-Not yet, but give me time!

-Good girl. That's what I like to hear.

With only an hour till service,

Eammon is finally layering the hotpots.

It's just a nightmare, my friend.

It feels like blind panic right now. I just want to get these people fed,

and this stuff needs to be in the oven.

OK, I've got two ready for the oven, chef.

Eammon has made this hotpot and is cooking it in batches,

so he's got one ready every 10 to 15 minutes.

What he's got to do is make sure those potatoes are cooked through,

and the starch from the potato thickens the sauce.

OK, so we've got about 45 minutes, realistically, for us

to start putting it out on the servery.

There's 45 minutes to go, this chicken should take about 30 minutes.

-The chicken curry is under way.

-Yep, I'm sure they're going to like it.

But, have they done enough, and has anybody tasted it?

-It's good.

-I'd say it needs a touch more salt, Ashvy.

-A bit more salt?

-A little bit.

-Wow! Oh, my God.

-That much?

-Yep.

-It's pretty thin, isn't it?

-It is.

-What are you going to do about it?

-In the next half-hour, crank the heat up, hopefully it will reduce down and thicken up.

-Hopefully?

Normally the water reduces, and what you're left with is a thick curry, because of the onions.

-There's about 15 onions in there.

-Boil the chicken for as long as you like, there will still be water.

-I don't know what to say.

-You're going to have to think about how you can get it to thicken up.

I've asked how it gets thickened, and I'm being told it's thickened with onions.

I've never known an onion to thicken anything in my life.

I've got all of my moussaka in.

-That's on full pelt now, yeah?

-OK, thanks. I'm going to get there,

but maybe just about five minutes before time, maybe!

Afsaneh is the only one who has kept a smile on her face.

-I think it's a nervous giggle.

-SHE GIGGLES

The first ones are starting to look good now, and, of course, that's 40 portions, straight off.

I won't lie and say that it's not close.

Guys, in about ten minutes you should be putting some dishes outside.

-Are we going to do this?

-Definitely.

-Jay.

-Yes.

-Mate, this is too thin.

Well, I'm just glad the chicken's cooked. I'm glad it tastes good.

At this time, the time we've got left, I would go with cornflour.

Every time you add some thickening to it,

you're taking away the flavour. The other issue is,

you keep boiling the chicken in that, and all you end up with is a very dry chicken.

How about we take all the chicken out, put it in the pans, thick up the sauce

and then pour it over the chicken?

Up there for thinking, down there the dancing. Well done, mate.

It a bit runny, to be fair, but you're speaking to an authentic Indian,

there's no rules with curry. You make a runny or a thick sauce,

there's absolutely no rules, and it tastes nice, so,

I'm really happy with it. Really happy.

It needs to be a sauce, not a watery mess.

I'm not happy at everyone telling me how a curry should be made.

It's the reason I chose a curry, I know how it's cooked.

-Can we get the food out on the pass? We've got five minutes.

-Eammon?

-Yes, chef.

-We need these hotpots out.

It's 25 past, we need these hotpots out for the first customers.

-Hot food, coming through.

-It could be a little bit fierier.

-Just a little bit more seasoning.

-Overall, I'm twitching.

The chef says he's twitching, which is a pretty good description,

actually, because I'm beginning to twitch myself.

Jay, your moussaka's out, your rice is out, for that to go,

three minutes, yeah?

Move, move, move!

Everything's done, yes? There's stuff out.

I'm just really hoping they like it. It will be a done deal then.

Over 350 workers have just an hour for lunch,

so the contestants need to serve them as fast as possible.

Thank you very much indeed. Are you being served, sir? Hotpot?

-Anyone want some authentic Indian curry?

-Yes, please.

-There you go.

-Very nice, thank you.

-Anybody, moussaka?

Hotpot, yeah?

-There you go, buddy. Enjoy, mate.

-Anybody for moussaka?

-Help yourself to some side salad, yeah?

-Are you being served, sir?

-Lamb hotpot.

-This lamb is popular.

I went for the hotpot. It tastes good.

It's not greasy, I think, because I don't like greasy food.

I think it's good. So, thanks to you.

I was worried that lamb wasn't going to be cooked, but it is.

It's very nice, it's tender, there's seasoning, I like the onions.

The potatoes are falling apart. My sort of dish, I'd be very surprised

-if that's not selling well out there.

-It's a good dish.

-Authentic Indian curry?

-Yes, please.

So, it's got the bones on, so be careful.

We don't want any cracked teeth.

-There you go.

-Thank you.

-Please help yourself to side salad, as well.

I had the curry.

It could have done with a bit more spice, for my liking,

but, other than that, tiptop.

I'm not one of these people that likes a burning curry,

so, for me, this is nice.

There's not very much spice in the sauce,

the chicken's a bit dry, and the dish is a bit bland.

-What a shame.

-I've got no sauce, this is not a curry. Look.

Lunch service is more than halfway through.

The hotpot and curry are selling well, but not the moussaka.

Anybody for moussaka? Nice vegetarian moussaka. Healthy.

Do we look healthy? Can I have the unhealthy lamb hotpot?

There you go, enjoy it. Are you being served? Hotpot?

Because it's vegetarian, it's got no meat in,

and obviously there are not many vegetarians.

Anybody for moussaka? Please say yes.

If they don't want it, you can't force them to have it.

-It looks nice, anyway.

-Moussaka. Thank you.

-You can have your five a day on one plate.

-Throw it on, darling.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Moussaka? I've got some customers. He brought me some good luck.

I had the moussaka. First time I've had it, it was lovely.

Aubergine was very nice. Nice and tasty. Absolutely terrific.

It looks pretty unattractive, and a bit of a slop on a plate,

but actually, it tastes good.

OK, guys, that's it. Well done.

Service is finished now, so, if you wouldn't mind,

could you clear up my kitchen?

ALL: Yes, chef.

We got some good food out of there today.

I'm not sure everybody worked perfectly as part of a team.

Some did, some didn't.

Management style was good.

Jay stayed completely in control of what was happening. He was aware.

It's one of them things,

when it's going on, you're like "What have I got myself into?"

When it's done, fantastic feeling.

As far as I'm concerned Eammon presented the dish of the day.

That hotpot, I thought, was fabulous. But it didn't come without a fair bit of shouting, screaming,

a little bit of panicking and a lot of help from the other team members.

I have to say, I've been quietly thrilled

about the day we've had here today.

You learn every time you go in a kitchen.

Ashvy needed a lot of help to get her chicken curry out. And we had a couple of dishes,

to coin a Torode phrase -

her curry lacked a bit of oomph!

It was very stressful, obviously.

Little blip with the sauce being a little bit thin,

but we worked around that. Really good team effort, again.

Afsaneh got her dish out without any help from anybody.

Just went about her business, got the dish out, and I really enjoyed the moussaka.

I've never done anything like this before, and we actually did it.

Andrew worked today like a demon.

Picked up all the difficult jobs nobody else wanted,

kept a grin on his face, and just worked, worked.

I had a good day. I got on with all my jobs.

That was good, really enjoyed that, actually.

The guys who had the day with Jason Atherton, I mean,

they'll be buzzing, but these five will be absolutely desperate

to get back in that kitchen and prove they've got it.

Let the proper fight begin.

The team events are over, and all the contestants are returning

to the MasterChef kitchen to face their next challenge.

To stay in the competition they will have to cook just one dish to

prove that they have progressed.

The last challenge was just such an amazing experience.

Cooking in a tent, working with Jason Atherton was just a dream come true.

I want to stay in, because I want to keep having those experiences.

Two team challenges on the bounce we've had, now it's individual,

it's cooking to stay in the competition, so, it's like the best plate out there now.

I've definitely improved already.

Every little thing that I'm doing I'm getting better at.

If I nail my dish today, I will stay.

We have really talented cooks, brilliant cooks, and for us,

now it's time to see what they're really made of.

Time, I think, to just turn the heat up a little bit.

Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen.

Unfortunately, Ashvy is really unwell, and she can't join us today.

It's been quite a journey,

and you have been on a steep learning curve.

Every time you step in this MasterChef kitchen,

you have to perform.

We will only take the best cooks with us.

One dish, your own food, one and a half hours, let's cook.

Afsaneh, she grew up in the Middle East,

and her food is from the region, and it's beautiful and it's different.

And it is absolutely heavenly.

Pucker your lips, you're about to get a big kiss,

because that is just delicious.

Afsaneh, what's your dish?

I'm doing rack of lamb and pomegranate juice reduction,

serving it with kidney ragu and fried liver.

This is the sort of food I don't regularly cook, I don't really like!

-You don't what?

-I don't really like.

-You don't like something you're going to cook!

-No, I don't like offal.

Why would you risk your MasterChef career doing that?

I've got to take risks if I want to stay in this competition.

I've got to get out of my comfort zone and just go for it.

Woah! Love it!

The trickiest part of this dish is the timing.

Obviously, with the offal, you don't want it overcooked,

you don't want it undercooked.

God knows how it's going to turn out!

Tom is a 26-year-old plasterer.

Some of his creations have been daring and bordering on brilliant.

It shouldn't work, but it does. It's very, very, very clever.

But he also makes lots of silly mistakes.

Where's the sauce?

Is there somebody out there with a jug of sauce under their bench?

Today, he's got to deliver really good-quality food, free of mistakes.

By the looks of your ingredients, you are cooking a dessert,

-and we have not seen one from you yet.

-You haven't, no.

It's a chilli and pineapple souffle, and a coconut and ginger ice cream.

I've never seen a pineapple souffle.

-No, neither had I, that's why I wanted to do it.

-Exciting, daring.

Why do you cook on the edge, Tom?

If you're not cooking on the edge, not trying to create, it's just repetition.

Dangerous, doing a souffle.

-I haven't had one sink yet.

-Not one's gone wrong?

Not one hasn't risen.

I've never seen a pineapple souffle. Never, ever, ever.

It's exciting, it's original, it's difficult.

He says it's never gone wrong so far. There's always a first time.

I realise it's make or break today.

If I don't deliver perfection,

then I think I'll, pretty much, be going home.

You've had 20 minutes.

Eammon is a 47-year-old joiner from Lincoln.

His food was absolutely beautiful.

That combination is really stunning.

It's like tasting a mouthful of fresh sea,

it's really, really wonderful.

Eammon's a great cook, he needs to believe and stop getting so stressed.

Just get your head down and present the food as well as we know you can.

Every day, learn a little more, and push a little more.

That's the real thrill.

Quite frankly, I've done things that had you said I'd do them

three, four weeks ago, I would've thought, "No way."

A lot of stuff on this bench, what's your dish?

I'm doing a stuffed chicken breast, stuffed with a goat's cheese,

chicken liver, served with a mushroom veloute, and a baked onion.

-Woah! Loads of work, for an hour and a half.

-Yeah, I know.

-Too much work?

I don't feel in a flap. Come back in 20 minutes. But I'm kind of happy with the way things are going.

-What have you sacrificed to actually be here?

-I miss my wife and kids.

I'm rarely away from them. I know plenty of people are away from their families,

for work purposes, but I'm not normally, and that's a struggle,

to be honest with you. I miss them.

He's doing a chicken breast, stuffing it with goat's cheese, wild mushrooms, and a stuffed onion.

Pull it off, Eammon, get the work done in time,

get those big flavours balanced, could be very good indeed.

Aki. There is somebody who understands the food of Japan.

The flavours are quite sensational.

Aki? You can cook.

Aki needs to take that beautiful food that she does,

and use that as a foundation to grow.

Aki, what are you going to cook for us?

I'm making a green tea gateau, with some red bean sweet paste,

plum wine jelly, and some warm black syrup.

What do you hope to prove? What point do you want to make?

I want to show, today, that I've grown so much.

Especially in terms of presentation, I've become meticulous,

and it's going to be very evocative.

I'm going to take you to Kyoto. Right now.

We're seeing sweet things from Aki today.

She's got a lovely-sounding green tea gateau.

I haven't brought all of these different flavours together before,

and I haven't seen them served together before.

It's my imagination.

I'm very excited to see what John and Gregg think of it.

Ladies and gentlemen, 45 minutes gone, you are halfway.

Jay from Southport is a big guy,

but he does very good presentation, and good, classic food.

There have been times when he has been the best cook in the room.

A beautifully cooked scallop.

That's nice. That's lovely.

If he's got a weakness, it may be he plays it safe.

I think he needs to be a bit bolder.

I've been competitive all my life.

It's great working as a team, but I'm glad to be on my own now.

I'm on my own, and I'm competing. Fantastic.

-Today, what are you going to cook for us?

-Fillet of beef.

I'm doing a Roquefort butter, I'm doing an asparagus crown,

with a savoury asparagus custard in the middle,

and I'm doing ceps,

and a few buttered greens.

-Are you crowding that plate, Jay?

-You'll only crowd it if there's too many flavours bouncing round.

If you've nicely balanced them out, not crowding.

I don't think it's too many flavours. No, I don't think so.

You've got to perform here, and that's the end of it. So I'm hoping it comes together.

I admire the fact he's trying something new.

But can he make those flavours work together?

Shelina. There is a girl who is really driven.

Her food of Mauritius gives us sunshine.

The flavours of that dish, I think, are simply stunning.

It's all a little bit sloppy. Texture's a little bit wet.

She can be inconsistent.

Today, we need her to be on the top of her game.

The experience with Jason Atherton

and being in the kitchen with him was fantastic.

I learnt so much about

having finesse and detail in the way that you deliver food.

I'm going to just try and make sure it looks a little bit pretty on the plate.

Shelina. An Alphonso mango.

One of my favourite things in the world.

What are you doing with it?

I am making a mango and cardamom trifle,

with a mango and lime sorbet and a Mauritian rum spiced baba.

-Your food sounds fantastic.

-Thank you.

Shelina, are you married?

I am. He doesn't appreciate my cooking, so...

SHE LAUGHS

-I'm joking!

-I tell you what - he better, now!

How ambitious are you now feeling?

Well, this is the most ambitious dish I've ever tried to put together in the time that I've had.

I expect you to do that mango justice.

We know I like puddings, but that's not just the point for me, John.

What she's doing there, I think I'm about to take Shelina by the hand and elope with her.

Just under 20 minutes to go, guys.

Andrew. There is a man who dares to put the unusual together,

and makes them truly work.

It makes my head spin

in a really good way.

I want to see Andrew today

put his head down and produce something truly delicious,

cos I want that boy to stay in this competition.

I'll feel very upset if I leave today.

If I pull this off, the dish is going to be wonderful,

and I just hope John and Gregg will leave me some so I can finish it.

Big smile on your face, Andrew.

-Yeah, big smile.

-What are you cooking?

Pan-fried quail with potato pancake and a stuffed courgette.

Whenever you say a dish, we know there is going to be a lot more to that dish than that.

Presently, we have figs in syrup, we've got pomegranate,

lemons, we've got star anise sitting in butter.

-Where's it all come from?

-From Afsaneh, cos she cooks these kind of ingredients beautifully.

You're watching your competition and understanding what you can learn.

Absolutely, yeah. I've learnt so much from Afsaneh from two team challenges.

-Good luck.

-Andrew, sounds exciting.

I'm really looking forward to Andrew's dish.

He's used the legs to stuff a yellow courgette.

I do hope he pulls it off.

Emma is a 29-year-old from Scotland. She, like me, has got a sweet tooth.

When she gets it right, she REALLY gets it right.

For me, this is definitely the nicest thing that I've eaten today.

I think it's absolutely fantastic.

But when she gets it wrong, it does go a little bit strange.

For me, it's all too sweet.

The vibrancy of those scallops is completely lost.

Now it's time for her to come back in here and really prove herself.

I don't think I've shown John and Gregg my best, yet.

I've already got so many new ideas that I haven't tried out yet.

I think I've got an awful lot more still to give.

I just hope that John and Gregg see that, as well.

Emma, what are you going to cook for us?

I'm basically making steak and mash, and onion ice cream.

What I'm trying to do is add my own little twist to it,

and show you the skills that I learned from working with Jason.

You're making onion ice cream to go with the steak. Mmm.

-Very interesting.

-Have you had onion ice cream before?

-Yes.

Yeah, I had it in a restaurant, and I thought,

"That's quite interesting." So I thought I'd give it a shot.

Steak, mash and onion ice cream is...pretty out there.

It's pretty left-field.

-Not if it's good.

-I think it's a risky dish.

-I think so, too.

-I think it's a really risky dish.

But, hey - let's see what happens.

-Yeah, yeah. Thank you.

-Good luck.

Am I missing something, John, or did she honestly say

she was going to serve an ice cream made of onion with a piece of beef?

It's about hot and cold. It's about acidity and about sweetness.

I get what she's trying to do. I hope it works.

If I like it, I'm going to have myself certified.

HE LAUGHS

You have just four minutes.

Ninety seconds.

Come on, 30 seconds.

If it's going to go on a plate, it needs to go on now.

That's it. Stop!

Emma has made a slow-cooked beef fillet,

with bone marrow persillade,

carrots, horseradish pommes puree,

red wine jus, and onion ice cream.

That piece of beef is absolutely beautifully cooked,

and I really enjoy that rich, sweet sauce.

And then the textures come in from the creamy mashed potato,

and the coldness of your onion ice cream.

The one thing that is not standing up to it all...

-Is the beef.

-..is the beef.

It's cooked really well, I just would've liked to taste the beef a bit more.

-SHE WHISPERS:

-OK.

Love the slippery beef and the strength of your sauce,

and I love the tang of the horseradish and the mashed potato.

Don't like the ice cream one bit.

-Not one bit.

-You either love it or hate it.

-Thanks.

-Thank you. Cheers.

The ice cream is something where you either hate it or you love it.

John didn't seem to mind it, Gregg didn't like it at all.

Jay has also made fillet of beef,

served with Roquefort butter, ceps,

an asparagus crown filled with a savoury asparagus mousse,

and a cep sauce.

Yeah. That'll do for me. That's, that's good.

I'm surprised. Balances very well. Nice.

My only complaint is I think that would've looked a lot smarter

if you'd have sliced that beef.

Could look more elegant.

Thank you.

Jay, you have an extraordinary touch. That asparagus mousse

is really light, really velvety.

The beef, beautifully cooked.

I can taste every single part of that dish individually,

and it's a really, really good dish.

-Thanks, Jay.

-Thank you very much.

I put a fair bit of effort into that dish,

getting it right, balancing it.

I mean, OK. You know, he says the beef was a bit too big,

but I can use a cut for myself,

I'm a big bloke, you know what I mean?

Andrew has made pan-fried quail,

served with potato pancake,

quail's-leg-stuffed courgette,

with a pomegranate and parsley salad,

prune and caper jam,

and a quail sauce.

Boom.

Boom, that amazing, sweet-but-sharp caper-and-fig jam is just brilliant.

The stewed quail inside the courgette is full of flavour with the wonderful quail sauce.

All those lovely big bits of flavour on there are wonderful together,

but there is no taste of that quail breast.

There is so much to admire there.

I love the sweet-potato pancake with that sweet jam underneath.

But, all together, on a forkful, you lose the quail.

I think you've got amazing skill, amazing knowledge.

I know you're trying to invent every single dish, maybe a little bit more plagiarism.

-OK?

-Yeah.

Andrew, thank you very much.

GREGG SIGHS

Shelina has made an Alphonso mango and cardamom trifle,

a spiced Mauritian rum baba and a mango and lime sorbet.

Beautiful. That's beautiful.

That perfumed, sweet, sweet mango

and a bit of sharpness of lime is heaven.

Oh! That's even better!

It's mango, it's cream.

There's vanilla, there's the warmth of booze. That is beautiful.

Right, rum baba.

This sort of dish at the end of a meal would have me coming back and coming back.

I think that is absolute delight.

That may well be one of the best deserts I've had ever.

I'm serious. That is just absolutely knockout.

Shelina, your dessert, I think, is close to faultless.

I think it's absolutely delicious.

Beautifully flavoured, beautifully defined,

beautifully made and looks beautiful.

Thank you.

-Ooooh! Well done.

-Thank you.

-Very well done.

Thank you very much.

Amazing.

I'm feeling amazing right now.

I'm in shock. I'm in shock about the comments.

It's the best feedback any girl could ever ask for.

Eammon has made chicken breast

stuffed with goat's cheese and chicken liver,

served with a pancetta-wrapped baked onion, morel sauce

and parsley vinaigrette.

I like the moist chicken against those big flavours.

They are powerful, they're rich, but you do pull 'em off.

I believe you need to do a little bit of work on the presentation,

find a way somehow of not having great big lumps

in the middle of the plate.

But the flavours, the textures are knocking on the door of wonderful.

Thank you.

We are allowed to disagree with each other. I think it looks great.

That rich, earthy, silky mushroom sauce,

it tastes rich, but at the same time

it adds saltiness to that really strong liver

inside the chicken.

It's well seasoned, it's well presented,

it's well cooked, it's well thought out.

Well, John incorrectly likes the look of the plate

but we both agree it tastes great, Eammon.

OK, thanks.

-Thanks, mate.

-Cheers, thank you.

Aki has made green tea gateau,

layered with red bean paste and chestnuts

served with plum wine jelly and a warm black treacle syrup.

Aki, that is so pretty and so elegant.

So smart.

Love the jelly. Like the flavour of the cake.

Don't particularly enjoy the texture of the cake.

The sponge and those chestnuts,

also, this bean centre,

make the whole thing a little mealy and a little dry.

The jelly, delicious.

Love the gold leaf, love the home-made treacle.

The cake is beautifully made and I think the whole thing works very well together

bar the texture of those sweet chestnuts.

-Aki, thank you.

-Thank you very much.

I thought it worked

but I was worried because it's not a conventional combination of ingredients.

But they liked the flavours so I'm very pleased about that.

Tom has made chilli pineapple souffle

served with ginger coconut ice cream inside a pistachio basket.

That's lovely. That's lovely!

Dainty, elegant.

Beautiful.

Stunning.

Absolutely stunning.

As light as a feather.

Sunshine suite of pineapple

and a little bit of chilli heat prickling your tongue.

Stunning.

What I really like about it is it reminds me

-of a Thai pineapple curry but in dessert form.

-Yeah!

So it's this sort of weird thing

that it's a dessert but it's almost heading towards a sort of savoury dessert

and I think it's really exciting.

-If we both like it, you've got to smile. Deal?

-Yeah.

-Right, good, stop messing about.

-Thanks very much.

-Thanks, Tom.

Grumpy git.

JOHN SIGHS

We cooked for 100 people in Bath

and then to cook with Jason Atherton,

I learnt so much and then to bring that forward into today, and getting positive feedback, it's brilliant.

Afsaneh has made rack of lamb,

crusted with toasted pine nuts, served with ragu of kidney,

fried lamb's liver and onions,

mashed potato,

wilted spinach,

a pomegranate reduction,

and lamb jus.

Your rack of lamb is cooked beautifully and I really enjoy

the sweetness of the pomegranate and your wonderful, rich lamb sauce

but both the kidneys and the lamb's liver

is cooked way beyond anything which should be...eaten.

That lamb's liver, honestly, that is cooked so hard,

that should you put that into a gun, it would be able to kill a pheasant.

SHE LAUGHS

Look at it, honestly! I know that you're a good cook.

I know that you can cook things that you love to cook very well.

Two things on that plate aren't cooked well because you don't like them.

Good, good flavour combinations but I'm chewing kidneys

and I'm chewing the liver, and that's wrong.

But the sweet tangs that you've got from your pomegranate reduction

with meaty flavours I think is really good.

Thank you.

I'm very down, actually. I'm disappointed at myself.

I knew they were overcooked

and I shouldn't have put it on the plate.

I have to say, we admire your ambition today,

some absolutely extraordinary food.

But, of course,

some not without fault.

We now have a very difficult decision to make.

Thanks very much. Off you go.

The cooks in the room today did really well and you can see

the progress they've been making.

My two favourite dishes were desserts from Tom and Shelina

and both Tom and Shelina did desserts with Jason.

They didn't copy his desserts,

-but it's definitely inspired them, John.

-Good, that's the way it should be.

Jay had a really big flavoured dish.

I thought the beef was a little too big

but I didn't expect that sort of flavour explosion.

Everything was cooked really well. It was seasoned really well.

It was really delicious.

Today, I think that Eammon actually came up trumps.

That stuffed onion with goat's cheese and bacon,

I thought it was a great-looking thing. It just delivered on all sorts of levels.

So, the people who truly impressed us today were Tom,

Eammon, Jay and Shelina.

Andrew did a huge amount of work but didn't quite pull it off.

The quail couldn't stand up but, you know, the guy is a grafter.

We know that, we know that he's determined and he will work really hard.

I want to talk about Aki.

Aki's dishes always have style and elegance, John.

They're so beautifully presented.

But the cake itself, I thought, was disappointing.

The jelly, however, was a knockout.

If I had to go home today, of course I'll be really, really devastated.

I'm pleased for Emma, in a way.

I know I didn't agree with the dish but it was a beautiful piece of beef.

Really nice sauce, and horseradish and mashed potato, great. No need at all

to stick a big lump of raspberry ripple on the side.

The competition is really tough and everybody's an amazing cook.

I don't know whether what I've done is enough to keep me in.

Afsaneh, I hope, today got a big wake-up call.

She shouldn't go anywhere near things she doesn't like to cook.

She was right on the flavours, but she didn't have the knowledge

to cook the offal because she doesn't like offal!

Afsaneh, please, please!

MasterChef is not a time to experiment with stuff you don't like.

I want it so much

but I'm not happy at all today.

I think if somebody's going out, it's going to be me.

At risk, we have Afsaneh...

..Aki...

Andrew...and Emma.

Who, out of those four,

doesn't have the ability to win the competition?

Um...

Er...

Tough decision.

It's easy to see the progress that's being made here.

But...

..some are stronger than others.

Shelina, Tom...

..Jay, Eammon.

Brilliant work. Well done, you're staying with us.

For you four, there were ups and downs.

For us, the decision is

who can cope with the competition?

Who has what it takes?

Who doesn't have what it takes?

And the answer to that question is...

we couldn't make a decision, so all four of you are staying with us. Congratulations.

They've given me another opportunity

so I've just got to make sure I nail my next dish.

I'm really relieved.

Excited at the same time that I'm still here.

I feel really lucky that I've got another chance

and I think today was a wake-up call for me.

I can understand that no-one really deserved to go home

but that just means the challenges are going to get tougher

because they've got to find some way of whittling us down.

Ashvy was unable to return to MasterChef.

Despite her commitment to the competition,

unfortunately, she had to withdraw.

Next week, there is just one challenge.

To master the cuisines of Europe.

Brava, brava, brava!

Really happy.

Their place in the competition comes down to just one dish.

I think this may be the best cooking you've done so far.

One of them will be going home.

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