ANNOUNCER: Previously, on MasterChef Australia...
You'll be making my...
..cherry blossom!
Oh! Wow!
..Darren's dainty and delicate dish...
Oh, my God.
..was a doozy of a pressure test.
I don't know how these little fellas are going to handle this.
Let's go, Pezza. Let's go, Pez.
Let's go. Can't stop shaking.
They gave it their best and rose to the occasion.
It is seriously very good.
Look at the fine chocolate work. The shine on the cherries.
Let's have a look in the middle of this cheesecake.
Oh, that is perfect.
Look at that.
But Sav had to say goodbye to the MasterChef kitchen.
I'm walking away with a lifetime of love,
so couldn't ask for anything better.
Tonight, it's time for redemption.
Who will cook their way back into the competition?
Let's do this. White aprons.
My roomie Savi left yesterday, and going into this challenge today,
I think I'm extra nervous because I don't have my sidekick with me.
I don't know what's ahead.
I'm wearing a white apron, though, so that's a good sign.
Feeling good? Yeah. Feel good today, mate.
Thanks, gentlemen.
(CHEERING)
Good morning! Here we go!
Come on, crew.
There's only eight. Eight's a random number.
Ah! What's going on?
What have we got in store for you today?
The math ain't mathin', because there's 12 of us
and there's eight benches set up.
Morning, everyone.
CONTESTANTS: Morning. Woo!
I'm looking around this kitchen.
We've got benches. Tick.
White aprons. Tick.
Four judges.
Tick, tick, tick and tick.
Everything appears to be in order.
But, boy, oh, boy, do we have a surprise for you.
Oh, no. Oh, my gosh.
Are you ready?
Yes. Uh-huh.
Because we are about to blow your minds.
Oh, yeah!
None of you...
..will be cooking today.
(CHEERING)
These guys will!
(CHEERING)
Ah, the gang's back.
All the ex-contestants, they're back!
ALEX: This is the best thing ever. All my friends are back.
Oh, I'm so excited right now.
Can we say hi? Yeah!
Welcome back. Bring it in.
I'm flipping out, like I miss these guys so much.
And Sav just left yesterday, and I miss her the most.
So your old mates aren't just here to say hi.
Today,
they are here to earn their place back into the competition.
Yes!
By the end of the day,
one of these guys will be wearing a white apron again.
Khristian, talk to me, mate.
There's like a bit of a jig going on. He's a happy man.
I haven't lost the jig, mate.
It's stuck with me like a twitch.
It's been glued. No, it's...this is unreal.
What's been happening? How does this feel?
This opportunity to go again is one that will not be taken for granted by any of us.
You've been cooking a bit at home or what?
Oh, yeah. I've been concocting some brilliant panini ideas,
designing some menus and, uh, just keeping the dream alive.
Love it, mate.
Sav, it's been a bit of a 24-hour roller-coaster for you.
Yeah, I need therapy after that.
So... So do I!
We both do.
It's... Very excited to be here.
Juan de la Cruz. Yes!
Thank you for the welcome. It feels so lovely.
Give us another smile again. We miss your smile.
Ding! Kling!
Guys, embrace this,
'cause second chances rarely come around.
In season one, I actually came back on a wild card to come second,
and then I waited 12 years to come back for Back To Win
to come sixth.
But, hey, it's OK 'cause I'm here now.
OK, you guys in white aprons get to sit back and relax today,
'cause you'll be watching the cook unfold from the gantry.
Everyone else, you can head to your benches.
Smash it. Get on the gantry!
Smash it, dude! I can't wait to watch you cook.
So I bet you cannot wait to find out what you are cooking with today.
So...
..lift your cloches up...
..now!
Hey! Ooh!
(JUAN LAUGHS)
Garden! Garden?
No way.
Interesting.
Righto, crew, as you can see, we've given you some secateurs,
some gardening gloves and a little envelope.
So you can go ahead and open that envelope
and see what's inside.
Oh, OK.
Parsley!
Ooh, yes!
That is right - today you'll each be cooking with a herb.
And we've given you the tools to pick them yourselves,
fresh from the beautiful MasterChef garden.
Khristian, what'd you get?
Rosemary. Oy!
I came in today wanting to make lamb,
and I just got rosemary.
I'm happy.
Steph, what about you? What do you got?
I got mint, and all I can think of is a cocktail.
OK. Make a cocktail.
That'll be fine.
Jonno, you happy? I got thyme.
You got thyme?
We could all do with a little more of that.
Lil from London, what'd you get?
I haven't missed that.
I got basil.
Basil! Lovely. Mm.
Sav, what'd you get?
I got chives.
Chives!
Sri Lankan food is my strength.
But we don't necessarily use herbs at all except for curry leaves.
So I have a little bit of a panic wondering what I can do.
Snez, can't tell if you're happy or sad or...
I'm happy! Parsley, what's not to like?
I love parsley. I use it in everything.
I never...I never miss a dish without parsley.
So, is this like a sign?
James, what are you running?
I have got tarragon. Whoa! That's a cracker.
Nice! Juan, what'd you get?
I got coriander.
Oh!
What?!
So you've got 75 minutes to bring us a dish that could change your life.
You can cook whatever you want,
but you must include your assigned herb in your dish.
The garden is yours.
Your time starts now!
(CHEERING)
Let's go!
Have fun, guys. Love you guys.
I'm so excited.
I'm back, baby. Let's do this.
Rosemary.
This is our chance to get back into the MasterChef kitchen for good.
Hello, sir. Hello.
How's life, bro? How you been? Oh, good. Good.
Good to see you. I missed you. You too.
Parsley, here I come!
Today, I'm fighting with everything I got.
And you know what?
I'm not letting go.
Last week, when I left, there was one thing I was regretting,
is not doing a Serbian dish,
not doing a dish from where I grew up,
not doing a dish that I eat at home
and I make at home for my family, for my friends.
Let's give it a go. It's beautiful. It's delicious.
It's homey. It's packed with parsley.
So let's do it.
Let's go, Snez! Yeah!
So I am going a Serbian feast today.
So it's going to be a beautiful capsicum
stuffed with, uh, like a little Scotch fillet
and parsley and garlic and chilli and all the stuff.
So it's going to be sitting in the sauce.
I'm going to make bread as well,
and I'm going to have parsley oil on top.
Here's my little Serbian feast for you.
I would love the judges to see
this is the sort of food that I grew up eating.
And if you come to my house, this is what you get.
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay!
Nothing change. I'm still crazy and hectic.
Ooh la la, Khristian. What meat cut do you got there?
Lamb.
Rosemary and lamb are like peanut butter and jelly.
It's amazing.
My first dish in this competition, it was, like, so simple.
So I've got eye fillet with red wine jus and pom puree,
roasted garlic potato.
I think you've done a fantastic job.
And I think it is stunning.
To have my hero, Jamie Oliver, like my dish, it was amazing.
I just love to create simple foods.
That's what I love.
But today, I'm not just going to put up a salted and peppered lamb rack.
I want to do something that's going to show people
I deserve to be here.
My dish today I'm going to be making is a roasted lamb rack
with roasted cauliflower puree
and an orange and cumin glaze for the lamb.
I just want something that's going to reflect A - Khristian,
but also B - how far I've come in this competition.
I've got a butcher watching me, and it's freaking me out.
How was my Frenching? Looked nice. Looked good.
I'll give you a job, if you don't make it, back in Tassie.
Fly down to Tassie.
On the first day,
it was a dish of new beginnings.
It's another one of those today. You bet, yeah.
It's going to be really interesting to see what they choose
to represent themselves with a second chance.
With herbs. Yeah, can't forget the herbs, so...
I'm excited for Snez. Yeah.
I think she just went out on a bad cook.
Super strong contender.
I know she's got that fire.
Yeah. We've seen it.
So I think Khristian, for me, I think was the one.
He loved cooking. He's passionate. I was quite impressed.
But anyone has a chance. Big time.
And I think, you know,
life is all about learning from your mistakes.
Yeah.
And see what happens. I'm pumped for today.
(SIZZLING)
So I have coriander. That's my ingredient.
So I'm gonna go out of my comfort zone.
I'm gonna cook something that I never cooked before.
I've been told that I play it safe, always going back to my roots,
to the Argentinean cuisine and making empanadas.
So today I'm gonna cook something different.
I'm gonna impress the judges.
That's what I'm going for.
Hello, guys.
Juan de la Cruz!
How are you? Good.
So I'm making a blue cheese panna cotta
with a crown of butternut pumpkin, with pickled pumpkins,
coriander oil and coriander crisps on top.
You are pushing it out. Yeah, I'm trying to.
That boat is well and truly out to sea.
I want to surprise you guys with a nice dish.
I love blue cheese. OK.
I love blue cheese. I love blue cheese.
And... But...
But? It has to be managed.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know? It's Goldilocks effect.
Not too little, not too much. Not overpowering. Yeah.
In my elimination before, the dish was out of balance.
This is another thing that I want to prove with this dish.
I know how to balance flavour.
This is fun!
OK.
Today, I'm making a Sri Lankan banquet.
My mother's dining table used to groan under the weight
of how many things would be there for a dinner party,
so, 100%, I think I'm channelling her today
in doing this.
Savi? Hey, Sav.
Hello. Welcome back.
It's like I never left. It's been a long time.
It's so weird. What are you cooking?
Uh, I'm making a Sri Lankan banquet.
Yes! Yes.
Sorry, was that a bit loud?
Can you run us through the components?
So, a black pork curry, prawn curry, a potato curry,
a pickled mustard eggplant...
Whoa. ..and a cashew and chilli crisp.
And rice, obviously.
Sav, it's like you've been flirting with us
with all your Sri Lankan dishes in the past.
I've just wanted the full banquet,
taking the relationship to a new level.
You're getting food like how my mum would feed you
if you came to our house.
Channel, channel...
Good luck.
I'm a little bit nervous about my chives.
We don't use herbs at all in Sri Lankan food.
What's the chive element, Savi?
Like, I don't know.
I don't have capacity to think at the moment.
Oh, my God.
If I don't figure out a way to get the chives into the dish,
then why am I here?
Why do I deserve to be back?
Second time's a charm!
You have one hour to go.
Let's go!
(SIZZLING)
Whoo!
Whay-o!
Hi, Steph. Hi, Andy.
How the hell do you work this thing?
I think it needs some Andy love.
So, temp? I want 80 degrees.
Whoo! Alright, Steph, what are you making?
I am going to make a, um, zucchini and parmesan mint-filled pasta,
because I love my pasta, of course.
Like a ravioli or something like that?
Kind of. You shape it like a ravioli,
then you'd twirl it around
so it's like really more, um, pretty.
Spanakopita pasta. Uh... See what it is.
I've actually just recently learned it.
Did I hear something about a parmesan custard?
Yeah. It's gonna be, um, quite thick.
Yeah. But still almost, like, saucy.
So in between a custard and a sauce, almost.
And that's what the pasta is going to sit in?
Yeah, really beautiful and decadent and indulgent. Yeah.
And I'm going to do a gorgeous mint oil.
So really highlighting that mint as the hero.
Love it. Thank you so much.
I'm just so happy to be back
and to be able to show everybody what I've got.
Go, Stephi. I'm going, I'm going.
Good, babe.
I'm using basil and I'm making a pan-fried salmon fillet.
And I'm doing it with a green chilled broth.
Um, I just wanted to do something that's my kind of food.
Something kind of light, fresh, tastes really good, to be honest.
You good, Lil? Yeah, I'm good.
A bit shaky, you know.
Oh, I feel you, dog. I'm shaking like a leaf.
Today, I'm using thyme.
The dish that I'm doing is a pan-roasted chicken
with potato puree and a jus.
It feels great to be back in the MasterChef kitchen again today.
It feels like I never left.
What are you whipping up, Jamesy? I'm cooking some beetroot.
With, like, a strained Greek yoghurt with tarragon through it.
Like you might do kind of mint through it.
Yummy!
Rosemary. Gotta use it.
I'm like, why grab a brush? I've got a brush right here.
45 minutes to go.
Got to get my lamb in the oven.
Get it roasted to temperature.
Khristian. Hello, Andy.
You got rosemary and you put it with its best mate.
That's it. I was so happy. Lamb.
We've really missed your energy and your smile in here.
Thank you. I missed it.
What's it like to be back in the kitchen again?
Amazing. I've, um, absolutely hated being back at work.
Love my work, I just hate being back there.
When you come somewhere like here, this is where you want to be.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got a taste of the magic, eh?
I did. I was so excited.
So tell us what you're making.
Today, I'm doing a roasted lamb rack with an orange and cumin glaze,
roasted cauliflower puree,
and there's some char-roasted Brussels sprouts.
How do you want your lamb cooked?
Um, cooking it straight to 52. So a nice red pink in there.
So how do you want your lamb cooked? Medium rare.
OK.
Andy grew up similar to me, an Aussie household.
And he would know lamb.
So I've promised a medium rare lamb, and I need to deliver.
Cook, baby.
Let's go, Savi, girl.
I've got the chives as my herb.
It is absolutely crucial that the herb is the feature,
but it's just thrown me, like, completely thrown me off.
Oh, my God.
I just suddenly remember a Sri Lankan pennywort sambal,
which I usually make at home with either parsley or kale,
but I'm just hoping that it works with chives,
and it's a really great way to, like, keep the colour of the herb
and just showcase its flavour.
It is raw chives that are shredded finely
with desiccated coconut
that I've moistened up with a bit of water.
It has salt, pepper, lime juice and green chilli,
and it needs a little bit of sweetness.
What's that, Savi?
Sri Lankan treacle.
If this is actually going to be my last cook in this kitchen,
I want to do it representing myself.
It's a mini little cute version
of my mum and my family's lunches.
My mum passed away six years ago,
and I just want to honour the memory of her today.
So I'm making my panna cotta mix with the blue cheese here,
the cream and milk and gelatine,
and it's going to go straight into the moulds now.
Um, so blast freeze.
So let's see if we can get it moulded and nice.
I never cooked anything like this before.
I made panna cotta before, but sweet panna cotta.
The combination of flavours is a big risk.
The coriander and the blue cheese is not a common combination,
but it exists.
This dish actually is so important because I've been known,
and I'm proud of it, for my Argentinean food,
but also I want to prove that I can do different cuisines,
different flavours, and it could open new doors and open a new path
into the MasterChef kitchen.
Good pace, Juan. Keep it up, brother.
Thank you, guys. Love you.
We love you! Love you, too!
OK.
(BEEPING)
Who's beeping? Is that you already, Juan?
That's yours. Me?
Yeah. I didn't even turn it on.
Stuffed capsicum is a traditional, authentic Serbian dish.
It's almost a national dish.
I'm getting this beautiful piece of steak with some onion,
loads of parsley.
I'm getting it ready to stuff the capsicum,
and then I get on to making my bread.
I feel great, but I think I'm also underestimating time
that I need to do - I'm doing too much again.
So...I need to pump!
So dough needs to go in a warm oven to prove.
OK, how hot is this?
As I'm checking my oven, I kind of realise...
I don't...
I only have one oven.
Juan, are you using oven?
Yes.
I need two ovens for this dish.
I need it for bread and I need it for my peppers.
Oh, my God!
Gonna have to change my dish!
Alright, guys! 40 minutes to go!
Let's go! Allez!
Oh, my God, I just realised that I'm going to need to use two ovens
at the same time.
Oh, Khristian, are you using oven?
I sure am, darl.
Uh, James, are you using your oven?
I am, I'm afraid.
Oh, my God, I have to change my dish.
(EXHALES DEEPLY)
John, are you using oven?
Oh, yeah, I am.
Lil, you using your oven?
I started panicking - I need to change my dish.
Steph? Steph, are you using oven?
No. Can I use it?
Um, yes. Are you sure?
Yes. Oh, my God, love you.
Thank you, thank you.
Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. Thank you.
Mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah.
Love you. Thank you. You're so welcome.
Oh, my God, what a stress.
I almost had to change my dish.
And then I know I'm back on, baby.
My bread is proving.
I'm going to get my peppers ready to go in the oven
with this beautiful tomato sauce.
Oh, Snez, so beautiful!
We're over half way into this cook,
and I'm just starting my orange and cumin glaze
and candied orange zest.
Think sticky ribs. Barbecue ribs.
Same thing, but for lamps.
It's pretty cool.
What's important about a glaze is
it just elevates the flavour of the meat.
I'm all about simple food,
but I need to do something that's going to set me apart
from the phenomenal competition we have here today.
And I'm not going to do that
with just some average Joe Blow cut of lamb.
I need to make this cauliflower puree
accompany the lamb so nicely.
I want a bit of texture, I want some bite.
I want a hummusy, gritty vibe.
It's just going to make it so flavoursome.
It would mean the world to be back in this competition,
purely because I have so much more to show and prove to myself
and learn.
Let's go, baby.
Andy, what's cooking?
A lot is going on out there.
I think there's a really good mixture
of people learning from what they did wrong
and then cooking something
that they kind of regret not being able to do in the kitchen.
Yeah.
Snez is doing a feast of Serbian food.
Yes! I can imagine.
There's like this stuffed capsicum and stuffed tomato number.
There's a bread going.
For me, it was more about how beaming she was.
Hey, there's another feast out there that I'm pumped for,
which is Sav's. I could have guessed.
So she's doing a Sri Lankan number,
and she's got something like seven different elements.
I'm also looking forward to Steph.
She's making a pasta coil and her herb is mint.
It sounds really fascinating to me. Sounds very interesting.
Not everyone is playing to their strengths.
Some people are trying to stand out, namely Juan.
So he's doing a blue cheese panna cotta with roasted pumpkin,
with coriander oil.
The blue cheese is a little bit of a risky element.
Is it too much? Is it too little? So we'll see.
Yum. I'm happy with my chive sambal for my banquet.
Oh, spicy.
It's got the really lovely chive flavour that's mellowed out
with the coconut and the lime that I put in.
Hell yeah!
My potato curry is done.
My eggplant and mustard pickle is out of the way.
And I've got my deep-fried cashews and curry leaf crisp with treacle
done as well.
Done.
Now I have to pay attention to that black pork curry
that's been in the pressure cooker.
Yeah, Sav! How's it going? Oh!
Spilling? Yes.
But it's also nice and gelatinous and tender, which is what I want
because I'm about to finish it in the curry sauce.
I know this is a Sri Lankan feast,
and this is what we're all desperate to eat from you.
How many different components are there?
Seven. Seven?
Well, seven if I don't decide to axe the prawns,
which I really don't want to do.
I don't want you to axe the prawns either.
I still need to get, like, the rice done.
I still need to finish the pork.
And I'm thinking that maybe the prawns are going to be the thing
that's going to get the axe.
Oh, Jesus. Milk right in my face.
(LAUGHS) Oh, no!
I laugh because my mum's voice just pops into my head
in that moment.
Because she would say, if something bad happens,
that was something worse that was going to happen to you later -
the juju leaving the room.
Smelling good, Sav. Thank you.
Ha-ha! That's lovely.
So I feel like I'm on track right now.
I've got the filling down pat for my pasta.
Um, so I'm just going to roll that out.
When creating the pasta shape, it is so unique,
and I've only just started doing it,
you need to make sure that the pasta dough is not too dry,
otherwise it will crack.
And you don't want any water in that pasta as well.
Look how cute she is! I love her!
Oh! Isn't she gorgeous?
She is. She's very curvy.
I've, um, learnt it from a little Sardinian restaurant
in South Yarra recently, all these pasta tricks.
I'm like, I need to bring one to the table.
Did you work in the kitchen during your time off?
Yes, yes, yes, I did,
and I just fell in love with this place.
It looks like a very beautiful, very pretty dish.
Do you think this is going to be cooked evenly?
Um, yes, yes, it has. I've done this a few times before.
This will take about 10 minutes.
I think we're really excited to see
how these new skills will play out for you today.
Thank you. I am too. You know what?
You sound so more confident for some reason.
Yeah, I think... 'Cause she's been training in a restaurant!
I do feel good.
I'm feeling quite confident in what I'm doing.
Oh, stunning.
15 minutes left!
(CHEERING)
I'm doing my bread now.
14 minutes to go.
Get my bread for my Serbian feast.
It's proved beautifully.
I kind of shape it quickly.
Bread goes in the oven. High heat.
It usually needs 10-12 minutes.
So that looks great.
I'm getting onto my dip.
Snez. Hi. Hi, chef.
Hi. Hi, Sofia.
I hear there's a feast on the way, and I can't see anything.
You must be... Cooking in other people's ovens!
Oh! So you are using two ovens?
Two ovens. And I'm so glad.
Double weapon?
Double weapon. Double threat.
So, what are you doing now?
This is like a Serbian dip.
It goes beautifully with bread.
It's like a fetta... It's called kajmak.
You might've tried it. Yes. I have. I like it a lot.
With the hot bread.
Even if I just present that and it's yum,
I'll be happy with that. So you're very confident?
Yeah. I'm confident. This is dishes I love.
And there's a dance that comes with it.
Yeah, Snezi! Whoo!
Cannot wait for the Serbian feast. Oh, yes.
You look amazing, by the way. Thank you!
Every time, like, I cook something traditional,
crank up the Serbian music,
which is not something I usually listen to.
But you have to have it, you know?
(LAUGHS)
(VOCALISES)
Yeah.
(WHISTLING)
You tasting everything together, Jonno?
Yeah, I've tried it. I'm pretty happy with it.
10 minutes to go.
I've finished up earlier than expected.
I'm happy with everything. I gave it a good crack.
I want the chicken to be juicy and moist in the middle.
It's nice, it's tasty. It's classic.
Last 10 minutes, I'll just mess around with the plate,
make sure it looks pretty.
Fingers crossed, this is enough to get me back in the comp.
Nice, Sav.
That belly looks delicious.
Look at the colour!
Thank you.
I've got to make sure my rice is cooked through,
which it's coming along.
Uh, the pork is looking really good.
It's almost done. I still need to get my prawns in.
I am stressed because I did promise seven elements,
and I'm only working on six.
And time is not my friend.
Are you still not cooking your prawns?
Are we getting prawns? Are we getting prawns?
Oh, my God.
Are we getting prawns?
I think about my mum,
who would be up so early in the morning
and she would literally make cashew curry at 5am.
I still remember that because I could smell it
and I would eat it before I got to school.
And I realise that I know the grit and the drive she had in her,
because it's the same grit and drive that I've got in me.
We're in control.
We're in control, we're in control, we're in control.
I started the day off wanting seven elements,
and I want the seventh element.
Who the hell makes a prawn curry with five minutes to go?
Utter madness.
I pulled the lamb out of the oven.
It's sitting at 46 degrees, a little bit under what I want,
but by the time it's in the pan,
it's going to get that extra two to three degrees I need before resting.
Lamb is a very strong, intense flavour
that if it's overcooked, it dries out and it's gritty.
And if it's cooked perfectly,
that thing is as pink
as a beautiful rose on a hot summer's day.
Yes!
Oh, beautiful. Look at that.
My blue cheese panna cotta actually set.
And it looks beautiful.
This dish is just an experiment.
I'm nervous, really nervous about the combination of flavours.
Pumpkin with blue cheese and coriander.
But I'm happy. Eee-uu!
I try the panna cotta.
The blue cheese is balanced.
And I'm just hoping that they...
..they feel all those flavours that I felt.
And I hope they love it!
I'm so happy with the gorgeous pasta filled with sourdough, zucchini,
mint on parmesan custard.
That looks gorgeous.
I want the judges to see my creative side.
Oh, nice, Stephi. And then a mint oil...
Yeah. Yeah, Steph. ..drizzled at the end.
Feeling great, other than the obligatory
like beetroot crime scene.
Uh, yeah. Feeling really good.
You know, over the last few weeks, I've just been cooking for family,
so I've taken that energy into today and cooked something
that I would be happy to serve to my friends and family.
Hopefully, the salmon is still a bit pink in the middle
when they cut into it, um, but, yeah, for me, it's fresh,
it's light, it's exactly how I want it to be.
Um, for me, this is my kind of flavours.
So, yeah, we'll see.
This is your chance to rewrite history.
One minute to go!
SNEZ: Steph, thank you, I love you.
Oh, that's alright. Lifesaver!
Hot stuff coming out.
ANDY: Plate up, Snez. Come on, Snezi.
Plate up, Snez. Let's go. Get your plate.
My capsicums...
It's exactly how I wanted it.
It's exactly how you would get it if you come to my home.
A classic, authentic Serbian dish.
Altogether, it should have that sweetness of capsicum
and the acidity from that fresh tomato-y sauce
and beautiful fatness of that steak filling,
saltiness from that dip.
It should all just come together
and be nicely soaked into that bread.
Go, Savi!
It wasn't a leisurely walk through a banquet,
it was a marathon.
And I just hope
I've hit the brief with my use of chive.
Bring it home - you have 10...
ALL: Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three,
two, one!
(CHEERING)
I'm so happy.
Being back here, having a chance to come back.
People counting, screaming,
it's just...it's a rush.
This dish has strong flavours competing.
So hopefully the balance is alright.
What a crazy day!
I'm happy I've done something traditional
and I'm happy with the flavours.
I enjoyed it - I enjoyed this cook a lot -
and I'm definitely here to stay.
Well, the energy in here was electric.
It was great to see those faces back in the kitchen again.
You've got to remember, though, we are looking for the top dish
to get their white apron back into the competition.
And the first dish we'd like to taste belongs to Juan.
The combination of flavours is a big risk.
But today I want to prove...
"Look, guys, I'm bringing you all these flavours
"and they're going to work together."
Hi, guys.
Lovely to see you. Hey, Juan.
Juan, what have we got?
So I made a blue cheese panna cotta in a butternut pumpkin crown
with coriander oil and pickled pumpkin, too.
Great.
Well, let's see if the risk has paid off.
So, Juan,
I think the combination is quite exciting.
With this, uh, it's not the strongest blue cheese.
But the way you did it in the panna cotta
and to try to combine together with coriander...
Oh, I like it.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chef.
I think you've really nailed the panna cotta.
It's really soft and rich and luscious.
And you've got the Goldilocks effect right.
So I like blue cheese,
I don't love it, and it is perfect for me.
Uh, hey, your panna cotta had a good old wobble to it,
like it was dancing.
There you go.
Always! Yeah, he does.
Thought it was in there somewhere.
Mate, you've done what I didn't think
you'd be able to do.
You have made all those harsh flavours
come together.
I think the only thing I would have done was halved
the pumpkin in height.
But all in all, surprising and well done.
Mate... Is he getting a white apron?
You never know, Juan.
You never know.
Thank you, mate. Wonderful.
Khristian, come on, mate, let's have it.
If my lamb today is cooked beautifully and pink,
this could be my chance of getting my white apron back.
Hello.
What's the boy from Broady cooked?
I've made a cumin and orange glazed roasted lamb rack
with a roasted cauliflower puree
and some hibachi-roasted Brussels sprouts
and some candied orange zest.
I'm zoning in on that lamb.
Is it cooked in the middle?
I want it to be nice and pink.
I think you already know this,
but if you want back in this competition...
..this lamb has got to be perfect, right?
Yeah, pretty much.
(INHALES SHARPLY)
Oh, man.
I'm nervous.
Let me know how it goes. (LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING)
That is... That is rare, medium rare!
..absolutely perfect.
That's the vibe.
I think the most impressive thing about the dish is
the waft of rosemary throughout each element.
Firstly, roasting the lamb on the rosemary, beautiful.
Like, it's scented the flesh perfectly.
And the cuisson on the lamb is amazing.
I miss you in here.
And I think you're a breath of fresh air
for this whole place, so thanks.
It's just good eating.
I prefer a deadly smooth puree,
but I see what you're going for there.
It almost has that hummus-like texture.
I've enjoyed the combination of orange juice, cumin.
I can see you're not made for perfection.
And I admire that, because you stick with what you like.
What you see is what you get.
No xixi. Yeah? Thank you, Chefs.
Yeah, brother.
Well done, brother.
Like that.
Ready, Steph?
Go, Stephi! What have you made?
I have made a... I think it's a crown pasta.
I kind of just made the shape, but I think it looks beautiful.
It is on a bed of parmesan and smoked cheddar custard
with a gorgeous and vibrant mint oil.
Were you happy with mint?
I've been focusing so much on Sardinian cuisine,
and mint works really well in Sardinian cuisine,
so I think it was actually a really good choice for me.
Beautiful. Well, I reckon we can get stuck in.
Totally can tell that you've been making pasta
since leaving the competition
and focusing on that. Thank you.
Because the pasta work is not only well done,
but it's quite unique in that shape.
Steph, thank you so much for showcasing mint in pasta,
'cause it's not a really known combination,
but it is very Sardinian.
It's stuffed full of that filling,
so I really love the generosity around it.
Thank you.
I would say, though, the thing that's missing for me on your plate
is just a little bit of uplift somewhere.
Just that extra squeeze of lemon... Yeah.
..or a bit on the side.
Steph.
JC. It's so nice to see you
with so much confidence. Aw.
I love your introduction of parmesan custard,
because effectively it's very rich,
it's very cheesy.
It is actually a great support to the dish.
Oh, thank you! So I like it.
I like you. Thank you. Well done.
Nice one, Steph.
The next dish is from Lily.
I have made a coconut basil chilli broth
with a pan-seared salmon fillet
and a chilli sesame oil.
It's just such a classic Lily dish.
The only thing that's missing is seasoning, lady.
Really? OK. Yes!
James.
I love your shirt, by the way. Thank you very much.
Turn around, give us...
Oh, my God!
I have made roasted beetroots with a tarragon oil, broccolini,
with a tarragon Greek yoghurt.
The tarragon really gives it this lovely anise-y flavour.
It just goes so well with the beetroot.
Just keep doing what you're doing.
Next up, Jonno.
Pan-roasted chicken breast with potato puree and chicken gravy.
Using thyme is so romantic... Sorry, I mean, aromatic.
Sorry. (LAUGHTER)
I'm not trying to make a play, because he's such a sexy boy.
(LAUGHTER) Oh, get out of here!
It was beautiful and simple and succinct.
And that's all that dish needed to be.
It's just whether you've done enough with your time.
Aha!
Thank you, guys. Appreciate it. Well done!
The next dish we'd like to taste is Snezana.
So proud to present this dish today.
Honestly, any place, even if you go, in Serbia,
to these, like, little rustic cafes, this is what would you get.
It's packed with parsley and it's beautiful.
That looks heavy!
Are you alright? I'm so sorry.
Yeah. Oh, the bread queen is back.
I am looking forward to this.
That looks good. Smells good.
So today this is stuffed peppers with tomato sauce,
like a Serbian kind of dip called kajmak and a bread.
So I'm really happy to have this second chance
to present something from my own culture.
I'm just coming in.
Go, go.
Is it a double dipper?
Like...? Up to you.
You can even have just bread and a dip.
Or you can just go all together.
So...
I'm going to just speak for all of us.
Mm-hm. That's good. I'm not speaking.
My mouth's full.
This is delightful.
It is everything that good cooking is about.
It's wholesome.
It's about your heritage.
It's so tasty. I love it.
Thank you.
When you go to your dip,
I loved it because... Yeah.
Is it fetta? Did you put some fetta cheese?
There's a bit of fetta as well.
Right, the fetta, the saltiness, that richness is lovely.
But the way you did it, it was nice and soft.
Because you've got that kind of sweet, subtle, sour tomato sauce
which is super vibrant.
Then you've got the sweet peppers that are stuffed with the beef
and the pancetta,
and it's just leached out all that flavour
into the pepper and the sauce,
so it's quite on the sweet end.
And then you hit it with that,
and it is just like everything explodes.
You need to cook this food more often, whatever happens.
Please keep me.
Like, in this kitchen,
if you do get a white apron today.
Because it looks good,
but then it's backed up with flavour.
Thanks, Chef. Thank you.
Thanks for the oven!
Sav.
I am so proud of this banquet.
It's just so much of myself and my memories of my mum
and my family's lunches and dinners.
You are a machine.
Sav, are you trying to prove something?
You've made six dishes.
Seven, if you include rice, in 75 minutes.
I'm Asian, I always include the rice.
Can you walk us through these multiple dishes?
So I've made a Sri Lankan black pork curry,
a coconut milk prawn.
I've used the chives in a chive and coconut sambal.
Um, there's deep-fried cashews and curry leaves.
Eggplant and mustard pickle.
Um, there's a creamy potato curry.
And, of course, rice.
I always say this, because I'm always carrying my mum,
but I think I channelled her energy today.
She would wake up at 5:00 in the morning, or before,
before all of us were up.
She would make our breakfast and the lunch for after school
within an hour.
And that was never one or two things,
it was a full, proper meal.
And she would then get dressed, get ready, put a sari on,
match her earrings to her shoes, to her handbag, to her make-up.
Wow.
And be out of the house with us by 6:45.
And I never understood that drive to, like, get that done
for your children.
And I don't have kids, but...
I'm getting very emotional.
I'm my mother's child.
Love you, Savi. Love you, Sav.
Sav, every time you cook,
we feel all of that emotion with you,
and I think we're all thrilled
that you get the chance again today to bring that into the kitchen.
Thank you.
I think it's time to take a seat at Savi's table.
Can you just help me out, please?
I don't know what to start with.
The perfect bite for me to start... OK! Yeah, we're on.
..would be a little bit of the rice. Yep.
A little bit of the prawn with the sauce,
a little bit of the chive sambal and a little bit of the pickle.
Yep.
And then I'll go back after I've had a bite of it
for the pork.
OK. You really thought about that.
As far as feasts go,
Sri Lankan feasts...
..it's an absolute belter.
It's so interesting how it goes together.
The pork curry is big and robust and fatty,
and then the potato curry is quite mild and light.
Just trying to, you know, pat it on the back
and calm it down before it goes and flips its lid.
They are perfection when you eat them together.
I'm so happy about the pork.
It's one of the best examples of pressure cooker done well. OK?
It is so tender and juicy and all that.
What ties it all together is this cooling coconut sambal,
which traditionally does not use chives.
No.
That was really clever because you've incorporated
the key herb, your herb, into the challenge
without sort of having to let go of anything about who you are.
Such beautiful food.
I felt really emotional, like I feel really emotional now,
talking to you about it.
And I've...
It's because of you, obviously.
And it's...it's so clear that you have
that intergenerational know-how with cooking
that is such a privilege to have
but such a privilege for us to eat as well.
So regardless of what happens,
thank you for bringing it to us today.
Thank you. Thank you, Sav.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Good luck. Good luck.
I just really hope that it's enough...
Love you!
..to get me over the line.
(LAUGHS) Give us a cuddle.
Well done.
Thank you, darling.
There was a lot of excitement out there today
and a lot of great dishes,
but only one of you can wear your white apron again.
If I call your name, please step forward.
Sav.
Oh, well done, Sav. Yeah, Savi.
Snez. Well done, Snez.
Sav.
That Sri Lankan feast, it was personal, it was skilful.
And above all else, it was delicious!
Thank you.
Snez.
You saw it with your own eyes.
We could not stop eating your dish.
But one dish used their herb in a more creative way.
And that was you...
..Sav!
You're back in the competition!
Alright!
Just... I'm actually shaking now
because I think the adrenaline is, like, wearing off and...
..I just want to say that
this is not going to be wasted
'cause this is just almost a new beginning for me again.
So I'm just very grateful.
Well, Sav, I believe this is yours.
Come and get it!
As a welcome home present...
..you are immune from Sunday's elimination.
Oh!
Hey, you're having a day off!
Everybody else,
we absolutely loved having the family back together again.
So thank you. Thank you.
Well done, everybody.
Sexy boy!
Jonny, let's go!
Having this opportunity was beautiful.
Today I learned -
cook what you love.
This is what I enjoy doing.
And this is what I'm going to be doing from now on.
So nice! So nice.
(LAUGHS)
ANNOUNCER: Sunday night on MasterChef Australia...
It's Rick Stein!
..with international culinary royalty...
Do something like this, and you'll probably be fine.
(LAUGHTER)
..this elimination will be sink...
..or swim.
I've never been more nervous in this competition than right now.
Oh. This is so not working.
Nat should absolutely play her pin.
(EXHALES) Be careful, darling.
I really hope she makes the right decision.
Captions by Red Bee Media