Rache, Hing as well, MasterChef
Rache, Hing as well, MasterChef is
next.
Rache, Hing as well, MasterChef is next. See
ANNOUNCER: Previously on MasterChef Australia,
JOCK: Elevate your dishes to the max flame.
..especially with Dave Pynt in the house.
You absolutely nailed this challenge.
MEL: You have just brought biblical amounts of flavour.
And a pressure test with a tricky tiramisu...
ALVIN: I have to make sure that I do it to the review.
..was the end of the journey for Steph.
Give it up for Steph, everybody!
Then it was MasterChef at the movies.
Favourite movie. Speed.
Sandra Bullock fan? Yes.
I would turn for that one.
(LAUGHS)
And Daniel created an immunity-winning choc top.
That was an absolute cracker. That bacon! (WHISTLES) Ooh!
..securing him the first spot in the top 10.
Tonight, it's a massive elimination.
JULIE: I am feeling quite under the pump.
They're headed to faraway places with a very special guest chef.
# 'Cause you're hot, then you're cold
# You're yes, then you're no
# You're in, then you're out
# You're up, then you're down
# You're wrong when it's right
# It's black and it's white
# We fight, we break up
# We kiss, we make up
# You're hot, then you're cold
# You're yes, then you're no
# You're in, then you're out
# You're up, then you're down. #
MICHAEL: Someone's going home.
SARAH: OK, the butterflies are there now.
Hello, Julie. Away we go again, hey?
There's always such crazy feelings
when walking into the MasterChef kitchen.
Let's do this.
So I just really want to work hard,
make some amazing food...
Those heavy black aprons.
..and get through this cook.
Well...it's another all-in elimination.
But today is very special
because today is the elimination
that will determine our top 10.
Aldo, you missed out on top 10 last time.
How important is this cook for you today?
Look, the cooking itself, it's important
for representing myself as a cook rather than the goal of top 10.
Yeah, I mean, that all sounds really nice,
but, like, you're pushing people out of the way to get to top 10, right?
Well, OK, guys, screw you all! I need to get top 10 today.
ANDY: There it is. (LAUGHTER)
There it is.
We know that you're all nervous about what's to come,
but even on elimination day, there is good to be found.
Today we're going to be joined by a very special guest.
Oh!
This chef is beloved in the culinary world
as a highly respected author and presenter.
Oh, wow.
On top of that, he's cooked and eaten
in almost every country imaginable,
and he is loved everywhere he goes.
Of course, it can only be one man.
Please welcome...
..Rick Stein. No way!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Brilliant. Brilliant!
Jock, nice to see you. Hi, Rick.
Mel. Hello, Rick.
How are you? Good, good.
That's freaking cool.
(WHISPERS) Oh, stop!
Everyone's jigging about. Rick Stein's in the house.
What a joy to see you here in the MasterChef kitchen.
(CHUCKLES) Look at your faces.
Rick Stein's India is something that I think I've watched
about three times.
Like, I love that little kitchen set-up
that you had in the middle of the lake.
You know, it felt like a piece of India,
but it was your little studio.
So hot there. So hot.
Yeah.
I think India is such sort of enormous experience, you know?
They all are because, I mean,
when you're involved in the cuisine of a country,
it's incredibly immersive
and you're sort of like there and you're feeling everything.
Julie, you went nuts!
(LAUGHS) Oh, hello!
I love Rick Stein.
I feel like I know you.
I feel like you're part of my family.
And one of my favourite moments was watching you make a fish curry,
and you tasted it on camera
and then just went, "Oh, God, that's awful."
(LAUGHTER)
"Next time I'll do this different and this different."
And I just thought that kind of honesty, I just loved that.
I may do exactly the same today, you never know.
Michael, what about you?
I didn't have a lot of, like, food history in my family,
but watching you on TV started me cooking.
My friends and I retraced part of your trip
down the canals through France,
and we did part of the Canal du Midi
because of watching your series.
So this is really cool.
A great holiday that, in the canal. Oh, yeah, so cool.
We couldn't believe our luck you know?
We were being paid to do it as well. Yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
Rick's food is definitely defined by where he travels to.
Absolutely.
So today, that's your challenge.
We want you to cook us, and Rick,
a dish that transports us to a place that you've been to.
Oh.
It could be your favourite holiday destination.
It could be a dish that you remember
when you were travelling someplace from your heritage
or even your home now.
But we want to taste that place and that story on the plate.
This challenge is all about travelling. I'm so excited.
Well, we mentioned that there was a bit of good
to come out of today's elimination,
and that's because, Rick, he's gonna cook for you guys.
Rick Stein is literally going to cook live in front of us.
Rick Stein!
The dish I'm going to cook for you today
is called a madras fish curry.
It comes from Tamil Nadu in India.
The thing is, it's very simple, but...
I do talk too much and I'm sorry about that.
So I need some help.
Does anyone want to help...help Rick?
ALL: Yes! Montana, I'm gonna choose you.
Come on.
I cannot believe I'm cooking with Rick Stein.
Like, it's just such a pinch-me moment.
What I want you to do is make a pilau rice.
OK. Right? And it's very simple.
Probably one of the best known chefs in the world,
someone who I have learnt so much from.
First of all, heat up the pan,
throw in the oil, throw in the spices,
and then pour in the rice.
Then bring it all to the boil and then cook for 10 minutes.
Cool. OK? I can do that.
You got this, Montana. Got it.
Which means I can get on and start my fish curry.
You just could never imagine that this would happen in your life.
And here I am.
I'm cooking with Rick.
Often the case with...with Indian curries,
we'd slow cook some onions for about 10 minutes.
Of course, do what I say, don't do what I do,
because I've started to cut the onion the wrong way round.
(LAUGHTER)
It's something to do with your Aussie onions, I think -
back to front, upside down.
MICHAEL: It's just so easy for Rick to cook a dish
from a place he's visited years ago
while, you know, holding an audience of people hanging on his every word.
I'm trying to think and speak.
It's like trying to tap your head and do this at the same time.
I wish I could have a bit of what Rick's having,
'cause everything fazes me in this kitchen.
I need to learn how to relax like Rick.
I just want to tell you sort of a bit about this curry.
We were just travelling down the coast of Tamil Nadu.
We got to this beach.
We went into this restaurant and I just said to the guy,
"Have you got any fish on?"
And he came out
with a platter of lobster, kingfish
and what he called a white snapper,
all dead fresh.
So I just said, you know, "What do you recommend?"
And he said, "Well, we'll make this fish curry for you."
JULIE: While Rick is cooking this dish, he's talking about India
and he's talking about
the place where he learned how to make this curry.
And, you know, this is his gift.
He takes you with him.
Spices - yellow mustard seeds. Mm.
Curry leaf.
Some Kashmir chilli powder.
And coriander seeds.
And it's such a flavour of southern Indian cooking.
Oh, I can smell it. Can you smell that?
Mm. Yeah. It's just fab.
SARAH: The aromas coming from the kitchen
are just transporting me to India right now.
What is so important is the tart element,
which is tomato, first of all.
And tamarind.
It's all those Southern Indian flavours
that are inspiring me with my dish.
I'm thinking maybe crab xacuti,
just like the one that I had on the first trip I made to Goa.
Right, Montana, slice these chillies just into long sections.
Yep.
So I just need a bit of water there because it is reducing very quickly.
Is that alright? Thin enough? Throw 'em in.
Throw 'em in? Good. Yeah, lovely.
Cheers. That's fantastic.
Smelling good, Rick.
So in go the fish.
OK, that is gonna take about five minutes to cook now.
So now we're just going to make the salad.
You can step down, if you like. OK, I can go.
Thank you very much. You're welcome.
Good on you, Mon. Good one, Mon.
Go, Mon.
I'm so happy.
I mean, if I go home today,
I can walk out of here saying I cooked alongside Rick Stein.
So definitely ticked off the bucket list.
So here is what I consider to be
the perfect salad for any Indian food.
It's called kachumber.
And basically it's just a few tomatoes sliced up,
some onions, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper,
but also a little bit of vinegar.
Rick, he's given us a really good, like, inspiration
about where we need to take him and the judges today.
Just pick some coriander, put it on the top there.
And I think the room is spinning with ideas right now.
Right, the curry's looking really special now.
Yeah.
I pronounce that good.
The perfume of spice is just taking over the MasterChef kitchen.
I have to eat.
So there it is.
Madras fish curry, pilau rice and kachumber salad.
(APPLAUSE) So good.
Alright, who wants to have a try?
We all do.
Grab yourselves a bit of cutlery and have a try.
It smells fantastic, doesn't it?
Let's get into it.
Try some myself. Mm.
Honestly, I could just eat a whole bowl of that.
Rick's dish is so beautiful, full of flavour.
But at the same time, it's so simple.
Could do a little bit hotter, I think.
I probably would have thrown in a few more curry leaves,
only 'cause I'm an addict.
Really special.
ALDO: The simple food, that's the kind of food that I love.
So if I need to survive this elimination,
I need to just bring them to my happy place,
which is home.
Alright, everybody.
You're gonna have 75 minutes to bring us your postcard dish.
And, of course, the pantry and the garden are fully open.
If you create the least impressive dish today,
unfortunately, it will send you home.
Top 10 beckons, my friends.
Rick, would you like to do the honours, start them off?
Good luck, everyone.
Your time starts now.
Let's go, guys.
It's a great challenge. It's based on travel.
Oh, sorry. Sorry, Keyma.
And it's top 10. It's huge.
I mean, I feel lucky
that I'm still standing next to these, you know, legends.
So I need to bring it.
I need to show that I've come this far for a reason.
Today we're going to Italy.
My husband's half Italian.
So I've been travelling back and forth to Italy,
specifically to the south of Italy.
And I'm making a hand-rolled pasta called fileja.
It's made with semolina pasta.
And I'm planning to just go very traditional today.
You don't mess with Italian food if you're not Italian.
I don't want to make anyone... anyone mad at me,
and I want to represent my nonna,
which is my, you know, borrowed nonna.
I love her so much. I miss her so much.
And, yeah, this is something she taught me
and I do want to make it right.
Rick, firstly, thanks for making us some snacks.
That was delicious.
It's fun.
I think standing in front of you cooking for them
will be a memory for them now.
Yes. Do you know what I mean?
They're probably going to make a fish madras curry and recount the story
that they were on MasterChef and Rick Stein came and cooked for them.
(LAUGHS) No, honestly!
We were transported to a different place
and that's what we're hoping for today.
So interesting. It's a great challenge, I must say.
Yeah, it's good.
They could be cooking from a memory from Goa or from Gosford,
it doesn't really matter.
Goa or Gosford. You know?
I think we're going to get great food.
We are looking for a top 10, which means we will be saying goodbye
to one of these amazing cooks today, though.
Shall we go hear some stories, find out what they're cooking?
Today I'm going to make cioppino, a San Francisco seafood stew
that I had with Mum looking out to the Bay at Alcatraz.
It's a memory that I love.
Coming second on my season,
it was...it was pretty deflating standing next to mum and not win.
She's always been there for me.
So I'm gonna do her proud with this dish.
But I think off the back of
not cooking fish so well the other day in the team challenge,
I've got pressure on me to prove
that I can cook fish for the judges today.
Hey, Michael. There's a fair bit going on here.
There's a lot going on here. Wow.
What's your postcard?
I took Mum to San Francisco.
Mum's favourite thing was cioppino by the Bay at Fisherman's Pier.
Charred sourdough, dip it in, just generous, seafoody.
Something a bit different. No, I like it.
Your fish soup at the challenge the other day...
Try to forget about that.
I was gonna say, what let you down, sadly, was the cooking on the scampi.
But if you can get half as much flavour that was in that,
I think you're on the right track, mate.
Yeah. This is my way to recover.
How hungry are you for the top 10? I'm really hungry, yeah.
Being runner-up, it's like you...
..if anyone's coming back to win, it's you.
Yeah, don't let this dish be the one
that really does bring you right down, 'cause...
No, I'm gonna be focused and cook the seafood perfectly. ..top 10.
We love your food, mate. We just want to see you do well.
Thank you. Good luck.
Thanks, guys. Good luck.
DANIEL: Good on you, Michael. Let's go.
Thanks, Dan.
I'm just hoping for a good dish.
I think that's what I need to get some momentum
going into that top 10.
JULIE: Today I'm going to cook coq au vin.
I've given myself quite a big job because this literally is
one of those rainy day cooks
that you would normally take hours to do.
So I am feeling quite under the pump.
Oh, this looks a bit familiar.
This looks European. Oh, wow!
What have we got here, then?
Oh, coq au vin.
Coq au vin. Spectacular.
You've probably heard this one before,
but the other name for coq au vin is 'love in a lorry'.
Well, it's 1989.
So tell us about your coq au vin.
My postcard memory is Mick - that's my husband and I.
A few years ago, the two of us went to Paris for a week,
and it rained the whole week.
But we discovered this beautiful little restaurant
near us called Polidor.
And we went in and it was just this beautiful, rustic,
provincial French food.
It was just so full of flavour.
And this little bistro, you know, Ernest Hemingway used to write there
and all the students used to plan the revolutions there.
And so it was just steeped in history
and just wanted to bring you there today.
She's getting me, you know. I'm there, I'm there.
Rick's taking notes based on your travel stories.
Beautiful. What are you serving with?
This is a Paris mash in the making.
You know what Paris mash is?
There's no such dish.
It's an Australian version of mashed potato
based on the magazine Paris Match.
Pomme puree, perhaps.
I'd like to taste.
So nice seeing some classic dishes, you know, 'cause it's... Absolutely.
Yeah. It's what it's all about.
Absolutely.
I mean, you heard Rick. He felt like he was on that trip with you.
That is the dream! Literally.
OK. Well, bring us a dream on a plate, then.
Thank you. I will do my very best. Good luck to you.
Cheers.
This day is just surreal.
I can't quite believe it.
You know Rick Stein was being a bit naughty!
Alright, I'm going to cook this dish all the time when I get home,
just so I can talk about this moment.
Rick Stein might be here, but we want you guys to take us
around the world.
One hour to go.
(CHEERING FROM THE GANTRY) Let's go, guys! Yeah!
Alvin! ALVIN: Hi. Hi, Rick.
I am making a nasi lemak.
Oh, lovely.
There you go. That's the response he wants.
Very simple. It's literally rice and condiments.
I think that's what makes Malaysian food so interesting,
is the condiments. Yeah.
I love condiments. Yes.
And it's a choice. Oh, gosh.
So there's a stall in Malaysia.
And when I took my partner there, he said,
"You guys eat this for breakfast?"
And you said, "Yeah, we do!" I said, "Yeah!"
Tommy!
Hello, hello. Hi!
How are you? Rick, nice to meet you, sir.
I see something I love.
I'm taking you to Vietnam and I'm making banh khot today.
Oh, yes.
You know, tiny little turmeric pancakes.
Have you had banh khot before?
No, I haven't. Ooh, wow!
So that's a new one to me.
Can you... Does that blow your mind? You described it.
It blows my mind that Rick Stein is eating banh khot
the first time from me.
It's an honour.
Mindy!
Lots of ingredients I love here.
Mum and Dad gifted us a trip to Singapore and Malaysia
and we were fortunate enough to live there.
And the first thing that I felt and smelled was hot coals
and street food and satay ayam.
It's cooking the... It's cooking the satay as well, though.
I love it with the fans.
And the magic is in that whole experience.
I just have to say, this is such a good competition
because everybody is speaking so passionately
about what they're making.
Good luck. Thanks, guys.
Jules, you OK, mate? Very fine.
Same same. (LAUGHS)
You're going to get there. We both will.
Hi, Sarah.
Rick, I just wanted to say it's such an honour to have you in the kitchen.
Oh, thank you, Sarah.
I honestly have loved watching all of your shows
and just the respect that you have for the cultures.
And it's, yeah, so amazing to...
..to have you here.
Lovely to be here. Gosh.
Because you're here, I have gone back to Goa.
And I am making a crab xacuti.
On one of my first trips to Goa,
I actually went out crab catching with a local family.
We caught the crab and then came straight up onto the riverbanks
and cooked it fresh and made a crab xacuti.
So, all in one pot, everything, sitting on the ground over a fire.
Amazing.
For me, my first out of Europe experience of seafood
cooked with spice was Goa.
So I owe a great deal to Goa.
The things they do with fish there, unbelievable.
I know, the fish is incredible.
Bring us that memory.
I hope I can replicate it.
Good luck. Thank you. Thank you.
Cooking for Rick Stein,
there really isn't anywhere to hide with this crab xacuti
because he knows what it's meant to taste like.
With my crab marinating, I need to nail all the flavours
in my gravy base.
DANIEL: Let's go, guys. (WHISTLES)
Yeah!
Nonna says that I don't cook Italian, so...
They can be harsh, the nonnas, can't they?
All Italians are, sorry, Jock.
MONTANA: The fact that it's just me and Keyma from the Fans
competing against the ex contestants is a huge achievement in itself.
And to make it to the top 10, I need to make my best postcard dish,
but I haven't done a whole lot of travel before
and, like, all these people have such incredible food journeys.
So I'm just completely out of my depth on this one.
Montana. Hello.
Thanks for the cook this morning. Oh!
Fill us in. What's the dish?
I don't have many, like, massive food memories of travelling.
So my first thought was Christmas Day with my family in New York.
We went to the Boathouse,
had, like, just classic American-style, like, Christmas dinner.
There's turkey, but we don't have turkey in the pantry,
so we're going roast chicken, some green beans, almonds, shallots,
a bit of lemon juice... Lovely. And the gravy?
Yes. Gravy, always. Yeah. Fab.
What do you think? New York, Christmas?
Yeah. Would you go there?
Have you done it?
Not for Christmas, but...be quite novel, really, wouldn't it?
There's bound to be snow.
Definitely a special memory for me, that's for sure.
I can see it. I can...
I can smell chestnuts roasting in the street. Fairytale New York, of course.
Absolutely. Yeah.
For me, I think Christmas lunch or Christmas dinner,
it has to be really rich, juicy.
It has all of the magic of the romance
of Christmas in America. Yeah.
So channel that today. It sounds like a great dish.
Yay. Good luck. Good luck.
ALDO: Where did I put the garlic?
Here.
Sunday lunch in my Nonna's backyard.
It is always a feast.
We're starting from 1:30 in the afternoon.
We just drag until 7:00 at night, and it doesn't stop.
Aldo.
You're in Naples, in my Nonna's backyard,
at my Nonna's table, and you're having eggplant, parmigiana...
You're having the meatballs...
So some meat...
So is it kind of two dishes melded in one?
For meat, I'm going to ask you later to do.
It's just cut the bread...
Slice of bread, a slice of parmigiana,
the meatballs, cut it, sliced,
spread it on the bread and eat it like that.
Actually?
Actually, that's the way we eat it, mate.
That's how you eat it at Nonna's house.
Yes. I was quite excited.
But now you're talking about putting it on a sandwich,
now I'm really excited.
Good luck, mate. Thank you.
Take me on a trip in a little rocket ship.
It's pretty bloody special to have Rick Stein here.
To experience what we just experienced in watching Rick cook
was so special.
Sort of makes me realise again how lucky I am to be here.
On season seven,
I remember him coming and it's one of my favourite days from then.
Fishmonger used to say to me in Padstow, "You make your money
"by the sharpness of your knife,"
and you've done a good job there.
Thank you. That means a lot.
I came back to MasterChef, not because I won that season,
but because I learned so much meeting all of these famous chefs.
But season seven, it's a long time ago,
so I highly doubt Rick Stein remembers me.
Hi, Billie. Hi.
Onion in my eyes.
Oh, my goodness.
It's not just the pure emotion of having Rick once again in your life.
I tell you what, yeah. I know.
Thank you so much for coming back.
It's nice to see you again. Very nice to see you again.
Recognised you. Had all the pictures in my little green room.
So I recognised you. Of course. Of course.
Tell us about the memory that sparks this dish.
So, Hayden, my husband and I, we did a bit of a Europe trip
a few years back now, and Spain was easily my favourite food.
We had a lot of seafood and one of the main ones I remember
is, like, a fisherman's stew.
So a tomato-based broth with some mussels, some pipis, some prawns.
Fabulous.
Don't they love their seafood, particularly in northern Spain? They love their seafood. Yeah.
I come from a more regional area here in Australia
and can't get a lot of seafood.
But yeah, it was a big eye opener for me.
Fantastic. It sounds...sounds great. Smells great.
Thank you. Thanks. Good luck.
It's pretty cool Rick Stein remembers me.
That, I think, is a bit of a kick up the butt to, you know,
try and cook really well.
KEYMA: I have actually been avoiding to cook Italian food because of Jock.
You know, he's half Italian, so for me, it's a risk.
I mean, I'm not Italian, but I'm definitely looking
to prove myself in this kitchen.
So I'm rolling my pasta.
It's called fileja, and in the sauce I'm going to use 'nduja.
'Nduja is a soft, spicy pork sausage.
It's delicious!
Keyma! This is Rick. Hi, Rick. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
The postcard is from Italy today. Oh, wow.
My husband's side of the family.
I've been... We've been together for 15 years.
Yep. So it's basically my family as well.
Where is your husband's family from?
They're from Calabria.
So, very small town.
Super... You know, farmers.
It's all around produce.
What is the dish today?
So today I'm planning to make a hand-rolled pasta called fileja.
You know, chewy kind of, you know, really bitey pasta.
And then a pasta sauce with 'nduja.
'Nduja is like one of those things, like, sort of truffles.
You get it in a sauce and you just say,
"Oh, that's the best sauce I've ever tasted."
Absolutely. I was watching Nonna making it.
It's just so simple.
And when I ate it, it was like, "Oh, my gosh, what did you do!?"
I mean, it's...
That impression. Can you imagine if you can elicit that from Rick Stein?
Yeah. Nice to meet you. Wow. Fantastic. Yeah.
There's so much pressure.
This pasta dish, it has to be perfect,
especially for Rick and Jock.
Otherwise I won't make it into the top 10.
(CHEERING FROM THE GANTRY) Let's go, guys! (WHISTLES)
(SIGHS)
MICHAEL: You OK?
Yeah. You are gonna get it done.
I am gonna get it dooooooone.
Coq au vin - the pressure is getting it done.
I've got my potatoes cooked, mushroom, onions cooked,
I've got a sauce cooking down here.
I've really got to hustle because this chicken's got to cook.
So I'm in a hurry now.
Officially.
JOCK: What's cooking? Nasi lemak.
Ooh-hoo-hoo!
If I eat this, I feel like I'm in the roadside again
with that Malaysian coffee.
Got the rendang daging.
I've got the nasi lemak done.
I've got some peanuts and anchovy as crunch. ANDY: Oh, yes!
I've got some pickled cucumber and I'm just working on my eggs.
And if possible, if I can get you guys to eat with your hands, I will.
You never know.
MINDY: My little satays have to be grilled over the coals
because that's the only way to do it,
to get that authentic flavour of the Orient.
MEL: Hey, Mindy.
You're gonna lend me your fancy thing! Hello!
Yeah. Now it's working.
Whoo!
DANIEL: I feel like I'm there, Mindy.
You are.
Love it, Mindy.
TOMMY: Today I'm making banh khot,
which is like a little Vietnamese savoury pancake.
The batter has got coconut cream to make it extra creamy.
You know, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
There's pickled vegies and crispy pork fat
to go on top of that as well.
Just so many different little elements that make it so amazing.
Put a shrimp on the barbie, Tommy.
Chuck a shrimp on the barbie, mate.
Yes, Tommy.
25 minutes, yeah?
Yeah.
How you going, babe?
SARAH: Yeah, good, you?
Yeah.
Good.
I'm really happy with the gravy base on my crab xacuti.
Yummy.
I'm getting a nice hit of tamarind and chilli coming through.
(COUGHS) Oh, God!
It's spicy.
(SPLUTTERS)
It's going down my throat.
Oh.
(MINDY COUGHS)
It's getting you too! (COUGHS, LAUGHS)
Oh, my God. All of us.
Everyone's getting the chilli.
JOCK: Sarah. ANDY: Hey, Sarah. Hello.
What's cooking?
I am making a crab xacuti.
I've marinated the crab. Oh, yep.
And, yeah, made the base, so, yeah,
just trying to bring in those golden touches. Sold on the idea.
Sold on the dish.
It comes down to that crab.
Because I trust you so much with everything that's in front of you.
Yep. Cooking of the crab has to be spot on.
I need to be crazily diligent with this crab.
The last possible thing that I would want to do
is have undercooked crab.
And the second-last thing would be overcooked crab.
I would be devastated if I went home on a dish that means so much to me.
Feels like it's taking me back to being on the riverbanks of Goa.
So to cook this for Rick Stein,
I really hope that he loves it.
DANIEL: Got about 20 minutes, guys.
Finish strong. It's nil all.
Let's go, eh? Let's gee up!
(LAUGHS)
Yeah!
TOMMY: Oh, Daniel!
Are you clapping yourself there?
Yeah, I was. 'Cause it looked like no one else did, so...
MICHAEL: Good? ALDO: Yeah.
Just cooking the meatballs now and the eggplant.
Nice.
You got to cook the fish?
That's two minutes away.
Definitely have to impress Rick Stein today
with a really flavour-packed dish
from my favourite travel memory of all time.
And if I can pull it off, I think it's one
that'll get me straight into that top 10.
OK...
Hey, Michael. Hi, Mel. Hi, Rick.
How are you? We're here, Michael.
Oh, looks familiar.
Yeah, I'm making cioppino. A seafood...
I think it's from some Italian migrants who moved to San Francisco.
I just find that fascinating
the way food changes as it comes into another culture.
I love it.
That's really true of Italian food in California.
That's it. It's different, but it's its own...
But it's delicious. Yeah, yeah.
I took Mum away. My mum is my hero.
For me, it was an eating tour. We went to Eleven Madison.
We went to Koi, went to Benno.
We went to the most amazing restaurants in America.
But it's the cioppino that you really, really loved.
It's so funny.
Well, really looking forward to it. Too easy.
Seasoning is key today. It's a favourite of mine too.
As per always. Exactly. And cooking the fish properly.
I know, I've recovered from the other day.
Alright. I won't tell Rick about that.
Oh, Rick, you don't want to know. Cheers, Michael. Good luck.
Really appreciate it.
Headspace is super important.
So I'm really trying to channel my inner Rick
and just chill the hell out because he's just so relaxed.
Yum.
The broth is really nice.
The mussels are ready to go.
Now I need to cook this fish absolutely perfectly.
You know, I'm here, and I'm here to win.
ANDY: This challenge, they've really taken this and ran with it.
Set by you.
I think that they're really inspired by you.
What do you think?
Well, I'm thoroughly enjoying it
because people are absolutely cooking from the heart. Yeah.
I think there's some sort of real, real stars.
I mean, the Vietnamese dish, because I've never tasted it before.
Yes, banh khot.
So delicious. That looks really, really special.
I love the look of Julie's coq au vin.
I'm worried about the coq au vin
because it hasn't had an overnight in red wine.
You know, a quick version of it? Is that going to do it justice?
And Keyma's got, you know, like, hand-rolled pasta,
which looks nice enough. Yeah, yeah.
But then there's a classic sort of pomodoro sauce.
I agree. I think if it's a very simple sauce,
it needs to be exceptional to really earn its place here.
Yeah, I got a couple.
Sarah's mud crab - like, the dish sounds like a ten.
Yes.
But if she undercooks or overcooks that mud crab,
you'll land in trouble.
And then also, Michael, purely and simply because, you know,
in the team challenge, we saw him serve us raw fish.
So is that going to play in the back of his mind today?
Rick, anything worrying you?
I'm just a bit worried about Montana's roast because we all...
..we all love a roast and we all know about roasts.
Yeah. And if it's not really special...
Yeah. Yeah.
Especially when the field is so rich with ideas and memories.
That's it.
(TIMER BEEPS)
Well, I'm loving the sights, the smells and the stories in here.
But just 15 minutes to go.
Oh, 15 minutes! Let's go! 15 minutes, come on!
Where's my hot pot?
Go, Jules.
Today I'm making a roast chicken dinner that I had in New York
on Christmas Day with my family.
I've got my chicken and my pumpkin roasting in the oven.
I've still got to do the green beans and I've got my gravy reducing.
My chicken is cooked.
And the one thing that I really remember from that Christmas dinner
was that perfect crispy roast skin.
Oh, God.
DANIEL: How is it, mate? Um... I just...
I don't know.
(SIGHS ANXIOUSLY)
But the chicken, it's not looking how I expected.
It's super blonde.
It's not quite right.
What temp have you got it at?
It's at 62.
I think the pumpkin in the oven has been steaming
and left that skin on the chicken soggy.
If I put it back in the oven to crisp it up, it'll be overcooked.
So I just quickly decide I'm going to take it off the crown
and pull up that skin and serve crispy skin on the side.
(SIGHS ANXIOUSLY)
Aaagh!
This is so far from what I had intended at the start of the day.
DANIEL: Come on, Mon. MONTANA: Yeah.
I'm concerned. Definitely.
Aah!
I'm worried about the cook on the chicken. Um...
So, I'm taking off the skin,
serving it sort of separately.
Yeah, I just don't know.
DANIEL: Come on, Mon. Put some elbow in it.
DANIEL: I'm starting to get a little bit worried for Montana.
MONTANA: Come on.
Not serving the chicken whole means
it's not going to look like a traditional Christmas dinner.
MONTANA: Aaah!
And not having the crispy skin on top of the chicken
is going to affect
the overall taste and flavour of the dish.
You know, the skin is the best part of the roast.
It's the one bit that everyone fights over.
Just focus the energy on that.
You don't want that to be the thing, you know?
Yeah.
BILLIE: How long, Dan? Hey?
How long? Uh, about 13 minutes.
13? Yeah.
The seafood stew tastes really good.
I can get the paprika quite strongly.
It's pretty seafoody.
There's a lot of prawn flavour in there.
Spanish through and through.
Now I'm gently poaching the prawns in the broth.
And then...then I'm finished.
I think today is probably the most important day
so far in this competition,
just to get into that top 10.
And I'm so close.
So, no room for error.
I think I'm good now. I'm good now. I'm good now.
Good girl.
Hoo!
I'm feeling pretty good.
(PANTS) The chicken's cooked.
The sauce is good.
I'm just going to squeeze this potato through one more time,
make sure it's nice and smooth.
I think I'm gonna get it done on time.
DANIEL: Let's go, Julie.
Coming to the end of the cook and I feel happy with
my coq au vin with a Paris mash.
It's what I visualised. It's what I remember.
But I want to give myself
every minute on that clock
to make sure that this sauce
has as much flavour in it as it can possibly have.
So, I'm gonna take it right to the wire.
Rick Stein's taken me all over the world with his cooking,
so I hope that I can take him to Paris with mine.
Go, Julie Goodwin. Thanks, mate.
Mick can come, too. (LAUGHS)
DANIEL: Let's go, guys. You got eight minutes, eh? Let's go!
Just cooking my prawns and my fish.
The cioppino broth is beautiful. It's ready to go.
The mussels are steamed.
I've taken the beards out. They're looking great.
I've cut my fish into four little bite-sized pieces,
so there's one for each of the judges.
And I'm just gently poaching the fish in the cioppino stock.
But I'm just a bit nervous.
Because my whole dish rests on getting this cooked perfectly.
God!
It's not good.
And, um, I...honestly, I don't know how,
but it's tough and just overcooked.
No good, man.
I'm not happy with it.
Time is running out, and it's starting to really get to me.
Michael's freaking out!
I've cooked 1,000 fish, 1,000 different ways.
And I can't poach fish in a soup, for some reason.
OK.
But I've got more fish and I put them in.
I just really need to watch them.
If I can't cook this fish perfectly,
then the risk is that...
Well, it's not even a risk. I'll be going home.
DANIEL: Let's go, Keyma. About seven minutes, eh?
KEYMA: Yeah, yeah.
I have seven minutes to go.
I have my pasta drying
and I'm tasting the sauce and I think it's nice.
It's pungent with the 'nduja flavour.
So, now I have to cook the pasta.
Fortunately, fresh pasta cooks quickly.
I want to have the al dente bite,
but even...even more bite.
I mean, it's really nice because of the chewiness of it.
And then I just finish the cooking in the sauce.
It's looking like Nonna's, actually, so I'm really excited.
I just hope that Jock thinks that it's authentic
and he's transported to Calabria.
Five minutes to go!
DANIEL: Let's go, guys! Five minutes!
Finish it off, guys! Let's go!
I think I'm gonna take it off.
ALDO: I'm ready.
I'm feeling so happy and so confident about this dish.
Just the smell of the Napoletana sauce
and the smell of the fried eggplant...
Shut the door, mate. Shut the door.
..as well as the meatballs and the bread,
so they can make a sandwich,
it's just bringing me back into my Nonna's backyard.
SARAH: OK. Oh, it's good.
I've cooked the crab in the masala
and I think I've got all those flavours there.
I am hoping, more than anything,
that this crab is cooked all the way through.
Oh! It's bloody hard.
The crispy chicken skin hasn't worked out.
So, I'm just really worried
because I'm not serving the judges
my postcard dish of a roast dinner.
I'm doing it as a plated dish.
I'm just adding a spoonful of that pumpkin puree,
topping that with my chicken,
getting my green beans on the side...
Ooh! Smoky.
..my crispy chicken skin on top,
and serving my gravy on the side.
I have this fear set in.
I just don't know if I've hit the brief.
RICK STEIN: Final touches.
You've only got one minute to go.
JOCK: One minute! Come on, guys!
DANIEL: Let's go. Finish it up!
MICHAEL: It's...it's very close.
Just gonna let it keep cooking.
This should be, like, the easiest cook ever.
And it's not.
I've overcooked four pieces of fish
and got my next four pieces of fish in.
And I'm just testing and testing them
and they're just not coming up right, and I don't know why.
MEL: 30 seconds!
The judges will smash me for not having fish in a fish stew.
They might be a little bit over.
So, I think I have to take the risk of putting the fish on the plate
and just hoping that it's, you know, up to scratch.
But it's not like the one that I had in San Francisco.
So, I feel like I'm up that creek without that paddle.
JOCK: Ten...
ALL: ..nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three,
two, one...
That's it!
(APPLAUSE) Whoa!
(BOTH LAUGH)
I didn't know which one...way.
TOMMY: Rick mentioned he'd never tasted this dish before,
and it's one of my favourite things is serving people with dishes
that they've never had before,
and then they search for it more and more.
MONTANA: Aagh!
JULIE: It's top 10 today.
This is a milestone that we all want to get to.
You can see the pinnacle from there.
You can see the mountain top from top 10.
Um, I very much want to stay.
But, obviously, if my version of this classic
doesn't come up to the standards of Rick Stein and the judges,
it could be me going home.
I really want this Spanish seafood stew
to be transportive for the judges and Rick Stein.
Hello. Hello. Hi.
Hello. Hello.
I think the colours of that bright orange soup,
along with the fresh seafood, and lots of it,
should hopefully take them to Spain.
Billie, what did you cook us today?
So, I did a Spanish shellfish stew.
Steamrolling your way into the top 10, you think?
Ohhh! That'd be pretty alright.
That was goal...goal number one - get to top 10.
And then, yeah...
ANDY: Then power on through. ..then just go from there, I guess.
Get the trophy and get outta here. Get a new goal, you know?
Alright, Billie, we're gonna taste it.
OK. Thank you so much. Thanks, Billie.
Thanks, Rick. Thanks.
Alright.
Oh, that's a serious soup, innit, eh?
My God.
Mmm.
The flavour of seafood in the stock...
Mmm...
..it's really good.
Oh, God! It makes you smile.
I haven't tasted as good a Spanish fish stew
since we were filming in Spain,
near El Bulli.
This is the real deal. It's the real deal.
JOCK: The depth of flavour, the complexity in the broth,
I mean, is...is phenomenal, for 75 minutes.
This is the kind of food that you remember for a lifetime.
You know what?
She's not in the room, but...
Like, Come on.
So good! SO good!
(SIGHS) MINDY: Go, Aldo.
ALDO: Thank you, guys.
MEL: Aldo.
JOCK: Aldo!
Hello, hello, hello.
He's just brought the full loaf. Hi!
Well, we gotta do it right, right?
MEL: Aldo, what's the dish, please?
It is my Nonna-style eggplant parmigiana and classic meatballs.
Well, that is a part of a typical feast on a Sunday lunch at Nonna's.
Wonderful. So, on the front of this postcard, what do we see?
You can see the beautiful backyard, of a long table.
You've got the chicken shed with all the garden.
There's rocket that, my Nonna, she grows,
and that's the best rocket that I ever tasted in my life.
We're knocking on the door of top 10,
Comparison between your season and this season, what has changed?
I just think that the first time, I got it wrong -
the concept of what MasterChef meant to me.
And I also was scared to express my feelings and what...
..what I can express with food. Yeah.
Well, the food that you're producing has been extraordinary.
So, you can plate up for us.
Sure.
JOCK: I'll have a sandwich, like you were talking about, please.
Go for it.
Beautiful. Is it open sandwich?
Open sandwich.
Enjoy. Thank you so much. ANDY: Thanks, Aldo.
JOCK: Thanks, Aldo. Thank you, Rick. Cheers, Aldo.
MEL: It smells so good.
I'm gonna need to... I might need to cut this into...a piece.
Oh, you're going there.
Aldo told me he'd be disappointed if I used knives and forks.
RICK: Gosh, well, I'll...
..I'll drop it all down my shirt.
Yeah, I mean, it's not gonna be pretty.
You know, today is just so good
because everybody is speaking from the heart.
And talk about wolfing it down.
You know, it's just... it's just, like,
sort of...a no-brainer, isn't it?
And, also - I'm being very selfish,
talking about the programs I make, travelling around -
I was just thinking, "I need Aldo."
I want to get to...get to Campagna and talk to him.
'Cause what the Italians can do with a bit of cheese, tomato,
bit of eggplant - aubergine -
a bit of bread...
Fab!
You looked at me like I made up the word 'eggplant', which I do not.
Yeah, I, like... Yours is gone.
Yeah, well...
Yeah, wolfed, as you said, Rick.
That's such a good contrast
between, you know, the beautiful, soft, silky eggplant in the middle.
It's just sucked up all of that sauce,
and it makes it so rich and so good.
And then I knew he was gonna... the meatball's a no-brainer for me.
I knew he was gonna smash that.
The way that he could just hand you an open-faced sandwich of dreams
is a magical thing.
There is nothing that you can fault this on.
It's delicious, from start to finish.
It is brilliant cooking.
And we've had the pleasure of experiencing that from Aldo
time and time and time and time and time again.
He's really leant into it, this series,
which, you know, he was very honest about - he just got it wrong.
Now he's got it right, it'll be very interesting to see where he goes.
Yeah.
JOCK: Alright, Tommy, what have you made us, mate?
Today, I've made banh khot for you.
Well, looking forward to it.
Oh, thank you.
ANDY: Wow.
RICK: Tommy.
I love that.
I haven't tasted it before.
So, tell me, is that a good one?
But will you again? Oh, God, yes!
Well, there you go! That's all you need to know!
(LAUGHS)
ANDY: Mindy.
MINDY: I've got a little satay ayam.
MEL: I think, when you come to a satay sauce,
to achieve that depth of flavour
and that latent spice,
it takes a lot of skill.
RICK: I couldn't agree more.
JOCK: Alvin, what have you made us make?
I made nasi lemak today.
Awesome.
RICK: To me, if you wanted an example
of how a nasi lemak works,
that's it. ANDY: Oh-ho!
This is really good.
Better with your hands.
RICK: Everything is in its place
and made by a master, I think.
Top 10? Top 10, definitely.
All hail Alvin.
Welcome to the top 10. MEL: Yep.
TOMMY: Good luck, Keyma. ALDO: Go, Keyma.
Thank you.
I've been super nervous to bring anything that is Italian to Jock
'cause I feel he knows... he knows what it's supposed to be.
I just hope it's good.
I mean, and I hope he's transported to Calabria.
What is the dish?
So, the dish today is fileja alla 'nduja.
And where are you sending us a postcard from?
Calabria and the beautiful coastal city of Campora San Giovanni.
This is a dish that comes from...from there.
Italian cuisine is the first time I bring something like this,
so I'm quite nervous, especially having Jock at the table,
bringing something that is Italian.
You're not nervous having Rick Stein in front of you, too?
No. I'm nervous about Jock.
I feel that because Jock, you know, with his Italian heritage,
I've been really nervous to showcase any Italian dishes at all,
you know, I'm not Italian, I know, but...
Keyma, you should never be afraid to bring a dish up.
You should never be afraid to give me an Italian dish either.
I mean, that's crazy.
Like chefs, when we work all over the world,
we learn how to cook cuisines from other people,
whether they're from loved ones, you know, spouses,
or whether they're from people in the kitchen that we work with.
You know, you could line up 100 Italians
and get them to make a tomato sauce with pasta.
And you would have 100 variations. So don't worry about...
Have 100 arguments. Exactly.
Yeah. And that's fine.
You should never be afraid...
Have a bit of a Caribbean twist to it.
Exactly. Yeah. You don't need to be afraid.
Nonna will be really mad at me.
I can hear her saying, "Keyma, that's not the way to do it."
Hopefully, it's true to what I remember.
If it's true to you, then that's all that matters. Yeah.
We're going to try now. Thank you.
ANDY: Thanks, Keyma. Thank you. Enjoy.
Thanks Keyma. See you. I talk too much.
I thought it was really good.
I mean, I just love the pasta,
the sort of the toughness of the pasta.
I mean, it's not... it's almost not al dente.
It's tough, you know, and, you know, it's just a good tomato sauce.
And then the 'nduja with the chilli in it and the basil is just...
It all works.
To me, it works as Italian food just very simple ingredients
and put together with the sort of harmony
which we all love about the food from that country, I think. Yeah.
Keyma was very specific about the texture that she wanted the pasta.
She said this needs to have bite and almost a chew.
And you have that in this pasta.
Yeah. She knew what she was doing.
It's really delicious.
Honestly, I was worried.
You know, I had everything crossed for her.
But talking about the pasta work, she's done a great job.
Semolina pasta, non-egg. Absolutely.
She got it in the oven just to get... It's really good.
It just reminds me of Sicily, that pasta.
Do you know what I think is that I think she's got respect
for another country's cuisine. Big time.
It was sort of like she was, you know,
a bit nervous about doing something, which she's done really well.
Yeah.
ALVIN: Good luck, Julie. Thank you.
So, normally when I make this dish,
I'm doing this beautiful, long, slow-cooking process.
But I haven't had that luxury today.
And if I haven't brought the flavour, I could be going home.
Julie Goodwin.
Hi.
(EXHALES LOUDLY)
That's a big sigh. I'm just trying to breathe.
It's just such a big day.
This postcard is from Paris,
and it's from a trip that I took there a few years ago
with my husband, Mick.
And it rained for the whole week,
but we still managed to do a bunch of things.
I not only ate this in a restaurant there,
I re-created it while I was there.
Because, similar to what you said, Rick,
I think that food is an arrow into the heart of any culture.
I'm thrilled to have come this far.
When I came back, I didn't know if I'd make it through one elimination.
I felt like I'd lost my love for cooking.
It's such a big part of how I speak to the people that I love,
that I felt like I'd lost my ability to communicate how I love people.
When we asked where your postcard was going to be from today,
your face just lit up.
I look at your face now. It's just...
It's all still there, Julie.
It's the same Julie that won season one.
It's the same spark in your eye.
And it's such a beautiful thing to see.
Alright. We're going to taste it. Thank you.
Thanks, Jules. Lovely to meet you.
(RICK CHUCKLES)
OK.
Coq au vin.
And the Paris mash. Paris mash...tch
Gravy's got some muscle.
Yes. It has heft.
Heft. (CHUCKLES)
Doesn't it, though?
I'm so happy about the way MasterChef is going,
because this is, I mean,
this is where intelligence and great giving is in food, I think.
It's just such a lovely dish.
And I was sort of thinking as I did a series in France not so long ago,
I think sometimes somebody like Julie
does a better job than the French, I have to say,
because it is made with such love.
There is so much character in that sauce.
You would just want to go and eat that again and again and again.
And some people have got it. You know?
And she's got it, in spadefuls.
I am there in that bistro, sitting with someone that I love,
watching the rain
and tucking into something beautifully warm and comforting
with a dish like this.
Coq au vin, you know, classic.
And while the chicken didn't soak overnight, it doesn't matter.
This is a really good version.
She put so much effort into the red wine sauce.
It was so glossy and beautifully finished. Yeah.
Along with absolutely perfectly cooked chicken,
which we've seen from her before.
But it still should be noted the mash was silky, beautiful.
She knows the classics inside out, back to front.
And this is just another example of Julie. Julie Goodwin at her best.
Michael. Hello. How are we?
Very well. ANDY: Hey, mate. Excellent.
What did you cook?
I made cioppino, a San Francisco seafood stew.
It's just a happy food memory. Yeah.
Just sat by the bay,
the dock of the Bay Song in the back of my mind.
You know, I think of that because Mum and I talked about that song
while we ate this. Nice.
You and your mum, you seem really tight. Yeah, we are.
Yeah, she's a pretty special lady.
She's my hero, my favourite person in the world.
So, to cook something for her, it's pretty special.
Yeah, but I've never had an issue cooking this.
And I'll be honest with the fish, I struggled with it a little bit.
I just think I'm overthinking everything I do.
And it's me putting pressure on myself.
Like, I've known you for a long time.
I've seen you do amazing things in the industry.
I don't think you would have come to me four years ago
and scratching your head over cooking a bit of fish. No, never.
I mean, you know how to cook fish.
What you're not doing is allowing yourself to naturally cook.
Mate, we'll taste now. Enjoy.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
It looks good.
He's worried, though. Like, he's definitely worried.
He's very worried.
VOICEOVER: Hungry for inspiration?
Oh, dear.
Very interesting difference between Billie and Michael, you know?
Very similar dish, but that's as far as it goes.
The mussel was cooked beautifully.
The prawns cooked beautifully as well.
But the cook on the fish is perplexing.
I think the way it was cooked,
it was sitting in the stock
with the skin just sitting above the line of the soup
and so, the flesh part's sort of overcooked.
And the skin part has just been left to tighten, which is a shame.
Yeah.
The basics weren't mastered today,
and I feel for him because I know he can do better.
We know he can do better than this.
But this is what we have to judge today.
ANDY: Oh, Mama. (CHUCKLES)
Look at that thing.
Yeah, it's a big one.
Sarah, what have you made us?
So, I have made crab xacuti.
Did it make you more nervous today
knowing that Rick was going to be judging you, not just us three?
Yeah, totally.
In saying that, I just know your love of India.
And I just thought that...
..how could I not cook something from India for you?
Lucky guy. It's, um...
I hope you enjoy it. Alright. Thanks, Sarah.
Thanks, Sarah.
If the crab's cooked perfectly, this is...
It smells amazing. Just as I'm sort of... It does smell amazing.
There's Andy's.
Look at how gorgeous it is.
I say, this is a dish for getting gloriously messy.
So good. Oh, my God.
How are you going, Andy?
(LAUGHTER)
I've got already got a little residue on my shirt.
You've also...
Lucky I moved.
(JOCK LAUGHS)
Is it safe?
I haven't even tasted it yet.
Oh, wait till you taste it. It's brilliant.
I mean, worth it for these glorious chunks. It's lovely crab, isn't it?
It's very nice xacuti. Very nice sauce, isn't it?
The gravy is just so complex, so layered.
You know, it's such a depth of flavour.
This is again, we've seen it from Sarah.
Sarah really knows how to handle a full palate of spices,
and she's not afraid to use it, you know?
And she's been brave, you know?
I mean, to actually go and cook a mud crab like that
and serve it up like this, it takes a lot of bottle.
And the fact that it's virtually impossible to eat it
just made us all laugh.
But when you do get some, my gosh, that mud crab is good.
I haven't had a mud crab that size cooked that well
for a very, very, very long time.
And that is the impressive part of this.
I mean...look at this table
like, it's never been this messy ever.
But I don't think we've ever been this happy. So, job done, Sarah.
Good luck, Mon. Thanks, guys.
Montana. Hello.
Big breath out. Yes.
Montana. What'd you cook?
I cooked Christmas dinner, so.
Roast chicken, crispy chicken skin, beans, pumpkin puree and gravy.
Take us to New York
when you're with your family having a version of this dish.
Yeah. So, 2011, I was in grade nine.
It was the first, like, big overseas trip that we did with my family.
And we did lunch at the Boathouse
and we had, like, turkey, all the trimmings.
I sort of had to wrack my brain
to think about a memory I had of food overseas.
And all of a sudden, I just thought of this.
Well, we will put you out of your misery.
I feel like you want to get out of here.
Do you want to sauce up, and then we'll...we'll taste your dish.
Sure.
It's not such a bad day. Yeah.
You cooked with Rick Stein. That's pretty great. The start was wonderful.
That's off the bucket list now. Yep. That's it. That's it.
Thanks, Montana. Thank you. Thanks, guys.
OK. Jock, would you do us the honours?
What do you think about how it looks?
I mean, looking at it, the first thing I'd say is,
well, I mean, where's the lovely skin on the chicken, you know,
and it's no good serving it up separately.
But it might blow us away with flavour. It could.
You know, the chicken breast is cooked fine, the beans are great.
That gravy, it's really nice.
But the chicken skin, you know,
I don't know why she didn't serve it, you know, with the skin on.
I wanted the whole crown.
We all waxed lyrical about a great roast dinner
because it is great.
I just feel like Montana missed the great part.
MEL: It does seem to lack that sense of occasion.
Yeah, I just...
I feel like this challenge was about taking us to that actual moment,
selling us the dream on the postcard
where we were there with the family having a Christmas roast. Yeah.
And it's just not a Christmas roast.
I'm left wanting.
Today, through your food, we were able to travel around the world
without our feet even leaving the ground
and in the presence of a legend
you were all eager to impress.
And as a result, we saw some phenomenal cooking.
Rick, it's been such an honour to have you
back here in the MasterChef kitchen and to have you cook for us as well.
I just loved it because it's the sort of food I love to eat.
So, I was very impressed.
Let's give it up for Rick Stein, everybody.
Yeah, Rick. (CONTESTANTS WHISTLE)
Thanks, Rick.
Today we were searching for the top 10,
and 10 was the number we saw again and again and again.
Billie, 10 out of 10.
Thank you.
Tommy, 10 out of 10.
Aldo, 10 out of 10.
Mindy, Alvin, Julie, Keyma, Sarah, 10 out of 10.
A postcard was the aim,
and almost all of your dishes were picture perfect and sent with love.
Unfortunately, there were only two that were stamped with flaws,
Michael and Montana.
Michael, your fish was unevenly cooked.
Montana, everything on the plate was fine, but nothing was extraordinary.
And although that dish transported you back to a happy memory,
unfortunately it didn't quite take us there.
But in the end it came down
to the fundamental consideration of edibility.
So, the dish that is sending its maker home today is Michael's.
ALVIN: Oh, no way. Yeah.
It's alright.
Michael, you are absolutely, without a doubt, a MasterChef superstar.
Thank you. It's been amazing. I love MasterChef.
I loved it last time. I loved it this time.
I came back to do better than last time.
But, you know, very few people get to, you know, lift that trophy.
And, yeah, I'm sad, but I'll walk away smiling and happy
that I made so many amazing friends.
And, yeah, I just want to thank everyone
because it's just been so special.
Well, speaking of those friends, Daniel,
mate, he's been a mentor to you.
You know, we talk a bit about my growth
and I owe a lot of that to Michael in particular.
He's really taken me under his wing quite a bit.
(CLEARS THROAT) Yeah. Gutted.
Yeah, mate, I think it's very obvious
the impact you've had on all of these guys.
Unfortunately, mate, time to say goodbye.
Thanks, brother.
It's been a pleasure, man. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed it.
It's my time to say goodbye.
And that's...
Yeah, it's earlier than I thought.
It's just been so much fun.
Seriously. I love you guys.
MasterChef has given me a career. It's given me a path in life.
You guys are great.
I didn't win...again.
But there's no point in walking out this kitchen annoyed or sad
or anything but happy.
Alright. See you, guys.
(WHISTLING, CHEERING)
It... Yeah. It's the greatest thing I ever did in my life.
ANNOUNCER: This week on MasterChef Australia...
You are the top 10 of MasterChef 2022.
(CHEERING)
..the competition kicks into high gear.
DANIEL: I can't take the foot off the pedal. It doesn't back off now.
I've got to shoot for the stars, I think.
What will they do to win the pin...
I actually might be in with a chance.
TOMMY: I think I may be on to a winner.
..that could get them all the way to the finish line?
Captions by Red Bee Media