ANNOUNCER: Previously on MasterChef Australia...
..cherry blossom.
Ohhh!
This extraordinary pressure test was the end of the journey for Sav.
ANDY: This kitchen, it ain't gonna be the same without you.
Or so we thought.
Fantastique!
In a surprise second chance cook...
I'm back, baby. Let's do this.
..they whipped up dishes worthy of a comeback.
ANDY: It's an absolute belter.
POH: It's just good eatin'.
This is delightful.
It is everything good cooking is about.
And Sav won her spot back in the competition.
Tonight, it's a masterclass
and an elimination
with an absolute legend.
How do you feel?
Nervous. Yeah.
Black apron day is always a heavy day.
Black aprons, mate.
Yeah, let's do it.
But I am beyond determined to maintain my position
in this competition.
(APPLAUSE)
Good morning!
Let's go, everybody! I know it's black apron day.
Alright! Here, fishy, fishy, fishy.
Fishy, fishy!
Ooh! Look at this.
Harry, that is the biggest I've ever seen you smile.
I'm the fish guy.
It's what I love. It's what I'm passionate about.
I can't wait to find out what the challenge is today.
Right. Sav, let me tell you, you are missing out.
I know.
Even though today's an elimination,
I reckon you're all going to be pretty excited
about what we've got in store.
He's been on TV for nearly 40 years.
Yes!
We know who this is, don't we?
He's written almost 40 books.
He's travelled across the world to experience the food
that it has to offer.
Yep.
Stop it.
With an empire of restaurants throughout the UK and Australia,
he's fed celebrities, presidents and queens.
And me.
He takes what is simple and just makes it special.
Yes.
I think you know who I'm talking about.
It's Rick Stein!
Morning!
Very cool.
HARRY: I'd say if, like, a Saturday chilling at home on the couch
is down here and wedding day is up here,
I'd say Rick Stein...cooking for Rick Stein is probably like,
here, maybe here.
Haha! Incredible.
Rick, it's such a pleasure to have you here.
Well, it's so nice to be back.
Tell us what you've been up to.
Well, I've been all over the place as ever,
filming in Nepalese restaurants, Korean restaurants,
Filipino restaurants.
Lots of fish, of course.
It's just been fascinating just to see the way
that food is developing.
What is it about seafood that keeps you so compelled?
Well, I think apart from anything else, nothing in life
is so exhilarating as fresh fish simply cooked.
OK, it's time for business.
Today is a two rounder.
For round one,
you're going to be making us...
..a raw seafood dish.
In just 30 minutes.
30 minutes?
Wow.
We want you to bring us something
that's going to impress the king of seafood himself.
But before we see what you'll do, we're going to see
what the one and only Rick Stein is going to do
with his raw seafood dish.
Wow. OK. Cool.
Incredible. Who can say that they get a private masterclass
with Rick Stein?
I'm so excited.
It's a raw fish dish, of course.
I've got a lovely piece of tuna here.
Honestly, I think tuna in Australia is as good as it gets
anywhere, really.
The first thing I'm going to do, of course, is just slice my tuna.
Now this dish is actually mine.
You know, a lot of the times I'm cooking other people's dishes,
particularly if I'm travelling around the world.
But this one I came up with in Australia one New Year's Eve,
and I thought, how well would passionfruit go
with raw seafood, essentially?
So here's the dressing.
First of all, the passionfruit, which I've already scooped out.
And then I've got some chilli.
Because one of the things about this dish
is it needs to be quite hot.
Of course the lime juice.
Some nam pla, some fish stock.
A little bit of sugar now,
because I do like this combination of sweet-and-sour.
And then of course the coriander.
So now all I'm going to do now is just pour this over the top.
I am a huge fan of Rick Stein
and this is a dish that I would devour.
I would not share it with anybody except a bottle of wine.
Do something like this and you'll probably be fine, right?
Righto. Nat, Pezza and Josh Clarke.
You want to try the goods?
Yes! Absolutely.
Ooh, that depends!
What you should be tasting basically is passionfruit,
of course, but a mixture of hotness from the chilli.
What do you think?
It's delicious. Beautiful.
It's so good. Good, isn't it?
Yeah. I would say so.
All my favourite things are in my mouth right now.
Like, I love passionfruit, I love coriander and I love tuna.
It's beautiful. It's like a flavour bomb.
Righto. Time to get started.
Alright. You've seen Rick in action and now it's your turn.
Remember, you have only 30 minutes.
Bring us a mouth watering raw seafood dish.
The four least impressive dishes will send their makers
into round two, where one of you will be going home.
OK.
Right.
Contestant.
Are you ready?
CONTESTANTS: Yes.
Bon chance!
Because your time starts...
..now!
I mean, this is the best supermarket on the planet.
Oh! Classic, Harry.
Ah! Nice.
I'm such a fan of Rick Stein.
I've been watching him from a young child.
I actually used to wag school to watch him on TV,
so this is really cool to be able to cook for such a legend,
an absolute legend.
I am pinching myself.
Today I'm making a tuna and watermelon salad
with crispy nori chips.
First things first,
I get onto my watermelon
so it can sit, absorb all the gorgeous flavours
whilst I'm preparing my tuna.
Beautiful knife work, Alex.
Perfect cubes a little bit larger than the watermelon,
because the watermelon are not the star of the show today.
It's definitely the tuna that's the hero.
I'm here and I'm cooking for Rick Stein,
and it's a very surreal moment.
Perfect.
I like the pounding sound, babe.
Absolutely love this challenge. Having Rick Stein in the house,
you can see the contestants are absolutely buzzing.
Oh, that smells beautiful, my oil.
I think today is all about choosing the right seafood
for whatever you're going to do
and making sure that you don't overpower that seafood.
POH: Rick, what are you hoping to see out there?
Well, exactly that, really, 'cause, I mean,
you've gotta respect the seafood.
It's really going to be about the balance, as it always is.
But with the time limit, you've got to make good choices
because round two is a tough one.
Oh, yes. So exciting.
Yeah.
HARRY: If I'm serving a raw dish to Rick Stein,
I know exactly the part of the kingfish that I want to give him.
The middle section of the top loin - that's got a beautiful texture.
It's still nice and fatty.
Oh, mate, have we got a challenge for you.
Oh, I've been praying that there would be a challenge like this.
I think, like, Rick and I, we've got a similar philosophy...
..philosophy of seafood. Yep.
Like, simple and letting the ingredients do the talking.
So I'm doing a kingfish tan plum crudo,
um, lemon seawater split with parsley oil,
and then like a Mediterranean sort of, um, salsa.
Is there any part of you that feels a bit of extra pressure
because it's, like, absolutely your challenge?
This is the most excited but the most nervous I've been the whole time. Yeah.
Good luck, mate.
I can't go out in the seafood challenge. It just can't happen.
So I'm giving it everything I've got.
This is going to be chaos.
Hey, Mimi, what's going on?
A little tuna tartare with a pickled mussel vinaigrette
with potato chips.
Lovely combination. What are the flavours in the tuna?
So I'm doing chilli, garlic, shallots and then capers.
Now, I think the thing for you and for everyone, Mimi,
is that a quick cook is all about making good decisions.
Yep.
30 minutes is not a lot of time.
So today is going to be one hell of a rush.
A quick cook is a good cook! You are halfway with 15 minutes to go!
Pezza, straight onto the scallops there, mate.
Oh, they look good.
Yeah. Look, today I'm going to do something that reminds me of you.
Uh, a scallop ceviche, which I do with orange and lime.
I'm gonna make a Hawaiian style tuna poke with roasted macadamia nuts.
Beautiful mes, Lachie.
Today I've chosen the arrowhead squid
and I'm going to do a squid ceviche.
I need to get these squids cleaned ASAP
and to get them curing in the lime juice.
Doing a good job with the squid.
Thank you. Yeah. How's that?
A compliment from Rick Stein straight off the bat.
I know. Can you just pinch me real quick, make sure I'm not dreaming?
Whoa. OK. Punchy.
Punchy. Punchy. Punchy.
Today I'm making squid noodles with green sauce.
I'm preparing the squid in a way that is in its rawest form.
In Thailand, we just leave the skin on.
Hello, Nat. Hello.
Hi, Rick. How you doing? Hello, Nat.
So just to make sure I understand,
it's a raw squid in the shape of noodles
to sort of act like that vessel for your sauce.
Yes. OK.
So you're keeping the skin on?
Yes, I am. That's good.
The skin is perfectly edible, but people always take it off.
But you don't need to.
We've never taken the skin off ever.
And I also think it looks good as well. So...
Mm. I think for you, Nat, the key is all about preparation.
It's a short cook.
You know your way around flavour, but you're doing something
that's quite fiddly.
Yes, 100%.
That's what I'm worried about today because otherwise it's going to be,
you know, too thick.
The acids won't penetrate it.
Good luck, Nat. Thank you.
So, I'm cutting the squid into thin noodles.
I still need to cure it.
If my squid noodles don't cure for long enough,
the skin could be too tough to eat.
This is taking way longer than I thought, though.
The colour is so beautiful.
It's absolutely stunning, Sumeet.
Oh, thanks, mate.
Today we're cooking a raw seafood dish for Rick Stein.
How many times you came on the show?
About 5 or 6. Oh, really?
Yeah, yeah. Over the years. Yeah.
We're at that part of the competition now
where we have to do something that is different
to really be able to stand out.
Sumeet!
Hello. What's the dish?
So I am making a raw red snapper with a basil garlic oil.
OK.
It's actually inspired by one of Josh Niland's recipes.
I'm very interested to see how this goes.
But make sure your dressing backs it up
because there's two components. Yes.
Both of them have to be perfect to keep you out of round two.
Absolutely. Thank you.
OK.
I'm doing tuna with raspberries with an apple puree
and covered with beets.
I think I've got an interesting idea, but the trickiest thing
is balancing it all, because I've never eaten it before.
My dish is a lightly smoked salmon
with some oyster and lime mayonnaise.
I can't see myself pulling this all together
if I don't really leg it.
Time? Less than five minutes, Gill.
Thank you.
Oh my God. I'm currently frying up my little chips
that are gonna accompany my watermelon and tuna salad.
And then I've got a plate.
So, uh...
I'm pushing.
OK, I have to move on.
It is so hard cooking in this kitchen with half an hour.
Like, these minutes just go by so quickly.
My potato chips are done.
I move on to my tuna tartare and pickled mussel vinaigrette.
I'm using the brine and the oils from the pickled mussels,
and it's just really oily and really briny.
I add a bit of honey because I just feel like it could use
a little bit of sweetness.
I really hope I haven't thrown the flavours off.
Attention, attention, everyone!
Three minutes left!
(APPLAUSE)
ANDY: I hope they're all well on their way to plating.
SOFIA: They're not. (LAUGHS) Some people are.
Like, you need the finesse with something like this.
Can't just be something you slap on a plate. Yep.
I've never been more nervous in this competition than right now.
Like, the seafood guy presenting a dish to Rick Stein.
I've had shaky hands in this competition, but right now, like,
I wouldn't even call what my hands are doing shaking.
It's more like convulsing.
But somehow I've got to roll up this delicate kingfish and plum
into a sashimi rose shape.
Yep.
Oh, man.
I just hope I can get something on the plate.
RICK: We're almost done!
30 seconds to go.
ANDY: Come on! 30 seconds!
SAV: Oh my God, Gill!
That's amazing.
Thank you!
I'm so excited for Rick to try my dish,
but I've only cured my squid for a few minutes.
I don't know if that's enough time.
The skin could be too tough to eat.
Whew!
Hope you're all done!
Ten! Nine! Eight!
ALL: Seven! Six!
Five! Four! Three!
Two! One!
Done!
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: That's it. We're done.
(MUFFLED)
Oh my God, it looks beautiful.
Ohhh!
Sumeet!
SUMEET: I'm really excited that I could put a dish like this up,
because it's not something that I would generally make.
I'm hoping I just stay safe in round one so I don't have to cook
in round two, but if it's round two, game on.
ANDY: The first dish we'd like to taste belongs to...
..Alex.
Yeah, Crispy! Whoo!
It's scary enough having the four judges,
but Rick Stein is also there.
That looks stunning. It looks cool.
Thank you.
My smile could not be larger.
Ah, but I'm also so nervous.
Alex. Andy.
A little birdie...
..said that you used to wag school to go and watch Rick Stein.
Gosh, really? Yes, I did!
Really?
I used to call sickies, and I would spend the whole day
watching food programs.
A bit of a responsibility for truancy there.
But I was learning, I was learning.
Good point.
It's a total honour to be here in front of you right now.
What'd you make?
This is my watermelon and tuna salad with nori chips.
Well, let's have a go.
(CRUNCH!)
That sounded crispy. Yeah.
(CRUNCH!)
Alex, that is a belter.
Plain and simple. Yes!
Well done. That is amazing.
Thank you, thank you.
Is there any left? Did you polish it off?
No, I ate it all.
And I ate it all because, firstly, it's your best looking dish yet
by a country mile. Oh, cool.
It was clean and concise, but most of all the flavours backed it up.
I really liked that nori and rice paper.
And I think it just goes really well with the watermelon and the tuna.
It's just sort of a delight.
Thank you.
I don't encourage people skipping school,
but if it ends up with a dish like that, go for it.
Oh, cool. See, Dad?
Well done. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Rick Stein thinks my dish is fun and delicious,
and that is all I need.
Josh Clarke!
I made a squid ceviche with a salsa verde with fried squid wings.
That's delish.
POH: I think your salsa verde is perfect.
It's really vibrant and has got just the right amount of heat.
I think you've done a great job. Thanks, Poh.
Let's have it, Lachie.
Hawaiian tuna poke with roasted macadamia and chilli oil, soy
and sesame oil sauce.
Brilliant.
You're not looking for the subtle taste of tuna in a poke.
You're just looking for the combination.
And I just think it's a great combination.
Thank you.
Next dish is Gill's.
Ooh, that's a sexy little plate.
It is watermelon and tuna with a jeow som dressing.
I like that because it's just so fresh tasting.
That checkerboard effect is very, you know, eat with your eyes first.
Thank you so much.
Pezza.
I made my Asian-inspired scallops ceviche.
I really loved that actually, Josh.
You kept it simple, allowing the seafood to speak for itself.
Thanks, chefs. ANDY: Thanks, mate.
Hey, Mimi!
Let's go!
It is probably one of my favourite platings I've ever done
in this competition.
Nah, clever.
Oh, wow. Great!
But I was dressing things very aggressively
at the end of the cook.
If the flavours overpowered the tuna, I could be in danger.
MIMI: This is Mim's tuna tartare with potato chips.
Rick? Oh. Thank you.
Plating a ten.
But it let me down with flavour.
Hmm.
For me, I just got honey.
Honey, honey, honey. Yeah.
And it takes so long to get away that you don't get to enjoy
the beautiful tuna.
Needs a bit of lift, whether that's acid, a sprinkle of salt,
a little bit of creaminess.
Just a bit of relief from the honey.
Thanks, Mimi. Thank you.
Hearing the judges' feedback, I know I've missed today's brief,
which is don't overpower the seafood,
so hopefully I don't end up in the second round.
The next one we want to test belong to...
..Sumeet!
I'm really liking the look of my dish.
This is so outside of what I would have normally ever done.
Mmmm!
So, Sumeet, tell us, what have you made?
A raw snapper.
With a basil, garlic and shallot oil.
Mmm! Very intrigued to try this.
First of all, I really like the look of the dish because it's pretty.
I really like the dressing.
I love the flavour of fresh basil through there.
It reminded me a bit of the Italian way with raw fish crudo
because they use olive oil, but with that extra dimension
of the basil.
Thank you.
It's so delicious.
I love that you used snapper,
because a lot of people don't use snapper for ceviche.
And there's this beautiful fragrance in the oil
with all those gorgeous herbs you used.
There's no way that plate of food would have come up like that
on day one.
And that shows you your growth in the competition.
I think you did a really good job.
Ohh!
Well done, Sumeet!
As I'm moving along, I'm getting a little bit more confident
in my cooking, but also backing myself a bit more
with my cooking skills.
That was great feedback in there.
The next dish belongs to...
..in French, 'Arry!
'Arry, 'Arry!
Mm! Oh, yeah, nice.
What is the name of your dish, please?
So, this is kingfish and plum crudo
with a lemon seawater and parsley oil and a Mediterranean salsa.
Let's have a look.
I like it.
I think the plums work really well with the kingfish.
They're very nice and tart.
I just thought it was very simple.
You know, sometimes I've been out catching kingfish and you come back
and you think, the only way I really want to eat this is raw,
because it just is so much better raw.
So I'm a bit of a fan, to tell you the truth.
Thank you.
It's fresh. It's light. The plums...
Whew!
So not too sweet and a little bit compote-ish.
The perfect texture.
Harry, this is your day, this is your challenge,
and you've succeeded.
Well done. Thanks, guys.
I didn't want to put this on at the start of the day,
because it'd be pretty embarrassing going home wearing this, but, uh,
I think it might be time.
The fish guy.
(LAUGHS)
Next up, we've got Darrsh.
Today's dish is a riff on, like, an open New York bagel.
So you've got salmon sashimi and silk and tofu cream.
I think if you're going to present single slices so distinctly
they need to be thicker.
I didn't really go for the tofu creamy sauce.
There was nothing in there to sort of give it any lift.
It's very ambitious.
I just didn't think it was particularly successful.
Thanks, Rick.
Next dish we'd like to taste is David's.
I have made tuna and raspberries with apple puree and beetroot.
It's pretty big on the raspberry.
It's just overpowered that yellowfin tuna.
Yeah. Appreciate that.
Sue!
(ALL GASP)
I have made you a smoked raw salmon with some oyster mayonnaise
and some lime mayonnaise.
Yeah, I mean, you've got all the flavours there,
but I think it's just made it too complicated.
OK. Thanks, everyone.
ANDY: Thanks, Sue.
We'd love to taste your dish, Nat!
Yeah, Nat!
NAT: My dish is looking really good.
Cocktail.
SOFIA: Oh, that looks beautiful. RICK: That looks great.
I'm a little bit nervous because that texture of the squid
needs to be al dente.
Nat, what's the dish?
I've made squid noodles in green sauce with desert lime, sea grapes
and ice plant.
Nat, that sauce is fire.
It's got the perfect amount of heat.
It's really zingy.
But you haven't done justice to the seafood.
It was really, really chewy, that squid.
Um, well, I disagree.
I must say I found the texture really satisfying.
Thank you.
The sauce was dynamite. Like, it's classic you.
It hits so many things that I love.
I didn't mind the chew, like, of the actual flesh.
What I have a problem with is you're not cleaning it,
because curing it has only made the skin like floss.
Today was all about making good decisions with the seafood
and what you put with it.
What you put with it was ten out of ten.
But in terms of the preparation of the squid itself,
I feel like that could leave you in trouble for me
because you can't eat that.
Yeah.
Thanks, Nat! Thank you.
Well, earlier, Rick showed us his raw talent.
And you had to return the favour in just 30 minutes.
A few of you were in the running for catch of the day.
Alex.
Fantastic, fruity fish.
Lachie.
A well balanced bowl.
Yes!
And Harry.
Kingfish by this kitchen's fish king.
Heyyyy! Hazza.
Great work, everyone.
Impressive dishes aside, we are looking for a bottom four.
If I call your name, step forward.
You're cooking in round two.
Mimi.
David.
Nat.
And...
..Sue.
The rest of you, you're safe.
You can join Sav on the gantry.
Round two...
..the people I'm cooking with, is actually really hard.
Everyone is such a good cook.
Obviously I have the immunity pin, but I don't want to play it.
Not yet.
Alright, you four, it's time for round two.
We've seen what you can do with seafood in its raw form.
Now it's time to show us what you can do when you cook it.
Roll up your sleeves because we want you to cook a fish feast
for the five of us.
Your feast must include a seafood main as well as at least two sides.
You'll have 75 minutes.
And the cook that brings us the least impressive seafood feast
will be going home.
Your time starts now!
Go, guys!
Lots of garlic.
Tomato.
Oh. Canola oil, canola oil.
It feels pretty devastating for me to be in round two.
(CHEERING)
But I definitely don't want to go home, so...
Fishy feast for five with two sides - bring it on.
Pfffft....
Rice...
I'm hoping that I can showcase, like,
how my family would eat in Thailand.
Usually on the floor and we'll all just be hands in.
So today I'm making deep-fried whole garfish with papaya salad
and sticky rice.
Let's go, Natty.
The Seafood King is here.
I mean, Rick Stein.
You're the king of simply cooked seafood.
Well... The king.
We keep calling him the king. Can someone get this guy a crown?
I do think that the fish mains are quite tricky, you know?
So really, what I'll be looking for is quite simple dishes.
What we'll be looking for the most is the way the fish
or the shellfish are cooked.
POH: I think cohesion is going to be important as well.
Like, we don't want to see one fantastic main dish
and then two weirdos on the side.
Yeah, yeah. It has to go well together.
You really got to rein this one in.
Think about having some friends over for dinner.
Yes.
What would you cook them at a master chef level?
MIMI: Fish main and two sides.
I'm just stumped by this idea of having sides.
So I'm just thinking about regular Friday night, Mum's place,
rice and fish dishes that all complement each other.
I'm dedicating this cook to the strongest women in my life.
My mum and my grandma.
This is the way I grew up.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
ANDY: I'm getting Chinese vibes.
Yeah. If I'm going out, I'm gonna go out the way my mum and my grandma
taught me to cook.
What's the dish?
I was actually perplexed by this challenge
because Chinese cooking,
we don't centralise on a main
and sides. Mm.
So my idea is to do three mains.
A scallop fried rice, steamed prawns and my version of Cantonese clams.
It comes more naturally to you
in the style in which you've learnt to cook.
Yep. But have you set yourself too much?
Thanks, guys.
Three mains is a lot to do now that I'm thinking about it.
God.
But let's just hope I pull this off today.
(EXHALES DEEPLY) Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
DAVID: Look, it's not ideal to cook twice.
I'm actually really neurologically spent.
So I'm going to revert back to something I would cook at home
and it's going to be simple, but I like it, it tastes good.
Nice, David.
So today I am making a hot smoked salmon with couscous salad
and a fennel salad.
Go, Davey. Beautiful fillet.
You got this. Keep going.
I love salmon. I cook it at home on a weeknight
when I want something quick.
I live in an apartment.
I can't smoke fish in the apartment.
And so the work around that is to use liquid smoke.
Are you doing a cure?
Um, I'm going to do, like, a hot smoked salmon.
Sick. Liquid smoke.
It's an ingredient that I really love.
It's all that smoky flavour in a bottle.
It smells great, mate. Cheers, bro.
And I'm using that as the marinade for the fish.
Good work, Dave.
You've had 15 minutes. One hour to go.
ANDY: Come on, everybody!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Today I'm making a salt baked whole ocean trout
with a side of roasted potatoes and roasted carrots.
I love your idea, Sue. Feast fit for a king.
Rick Stein king.
That's it.
I've cooked this dish before,
and I know a one kilogram fish
will take about 20 minutes.
But I've never cooked a fish this size.
This is a very big fish.
When I've done this in the past, it makes the flesh really moist.
You can just peel the skin back and it's divine.
Sue, that looks like an absolute feast.
So it's a little bit risky, but based on my judgement
from past cooks, I think it will be ready in time.
Hello.
This should be right up your alley, right?
Bit of a feast, for the fam?
Yeah, but I've got a whole baked ocean trout in the oven,
which is salt crusted. OK.
And so it will now bake until it comes to temperature.
I'm aiming for 48 degrees.
It's currently only on seven.
Your face just scared me, Andy.
If that thing just...the temperature does not move for a long, long time,
then you're going to need a plan B.
Keep an eye on that fish.
Yes. I'll be watching that... I have got my...
..thermometer like a hawk and see if it's doing anything.
Because...
If there's no fish, there's no dish.
I check the temperature on my salt baked ocean trout.
It needs to get to about 48 degrees,
but it's only sitting at about eight.
Everything's riding on this cook today
because if I don't get that fish cooked, I'll be going home.
So I've got to make this work.
So I decide I'm going to leave the fish in the oven,
but I'm also going to come up with a backup plan.
Oh, that's a smaller one.
So I take a rainbow trout.
It's about a kilo.
I know it takes 20 minutes.
Is she doing a second one?
She's doing a second smaller one, just in case.
That's such a smart decision, hey.
Sue, how are you? Hello. I'm in a panic.
You sound a bit stressed.
For that one there, it won't come up to the temperature
I really want it to.
I know this will take 20 minutes,
and then I'll have something to serve.
So you're confident enough, yeah?
Uh, for this one, here I am.
OK. Good luck, Sue.
OK. Thank you.
Not sure if it's going to feed five people,
but I'll have a whole salt baked fish to serve the judges.
Smart move, Sue.
Good one, Sue. Good one.
Get us hooked or you could be cooked!
You have 30 minutes left!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Keep pushing!
Let's go! Whoo!
NAT: I've got my rice on. I know my papaya salad tastes really good.
And now I have to start on the garfish.
I'm going to deep-fry it to a crisp,
and then the judges can just eat the whole thing whole.
OK.
Love garfish.
You eat it with, like, sticky rice in the papaya salad.
And then...it's really hands on.
Salivating.
(LAUGHS)
Just tell me about your immunity then.
Why are you going through this if you've got immunity?
It's such a funny thing, but this is, like, the only time
I can showcase a feast.
I just got good...good feelings about it, really, I must say.
I hope so. Don't get my hopes up.
So you've got fried fish,
so you have to get the cook on that right...
Yep. Nice and crispy.
If you're going to risk it, blow us away.
Thank you.
Just try one now.
Yeah, I will.
Go, Nat.
Oh, I don't know if it's hot enough.
Come on, Natty.
I put my first garfish in and something isn't right.
It's definitely not hot enough.
It should be bubbly. It should be a lot hotter.
(DEVICE BEEPS)
Ohhh... What temp is it?
Was it Fahrenheit?
I realised that the temperature gauge is in Fahrenheit.
It's alright, Nat. Just keep pushing.
I can't believe I did that.
Such a rookie move and because I dropped the garfish in,
it's made my oil less hot.
So now I'm going to have to wait for the oil to heat up again.
You're stressing me out.
Well, I'm stressing myself out.
Yes, David.
Smells awesome.
DAVID: I've got 80% of the cooked prepared,
which is the salmon in the oven.
And now I'm working on the next 20%, which is the side dishes.
The couscous is looking good and my fennel salad
is marinating in lemon juice.
This is at home with David when no one else is looking.
(LAUGHS) This is what I cook for myself at home.
Let's go, Dave.
Cheers, bro.
The fish looks good and the skin is peeling away really easily.
Nice, Dave. Oh, yeah, Dave. Beautiful.
But there's no marinade on there.
And so I decided to brush the liquid smoke glaze on top
to keep the salmon really moist and juicy.
I can smell the smokiness. Yeah.
I can smell David's liquid smoke.
Be careful with that liquid smoke, bro.
I'm a bit worried about how much he's put on there,
because if I can smell it from the gantry, when you actually taste it,
it could be really overwhelming.
Keep tasting, Dave.
Cheers, bro.
MIMI: Oh my God. This guy is hectic.
It's all happening right now.
I am cooking a dried scallop fried rice.
My version of Cantonese black bean clams.
It smells great, Mims.
And Mum's garlic prawns.
I swear to God, garlic will be the death of me.
I love this dish, but you can't even speak to anyone afterwards.
It's a very garlic forward dish.
But you know what?
It's how Mum does it.
That is exactly how we love it.
I don't have much time left.
I have to move on to finishing off my fried rice.
I think I'm on time.
I am relying on the last ten minutes of this cook
to have my dish together.
Come on, Mims!
The stress in the room is palpable! You have ten minutes left!
ANDY: Come on, let's go!
(CHEERING) Go, Sue!
Let's go, Sue.
Good stuff, Sue. Balance. Season.
Taste, taste, taste.
So I have two fish in the oven, and I just want to see
where the little fish is with the temperature.
I want to take them out when it gets to about 48 degrees.
So my small fish is winning the race.
This one here, it's not far off.
It's actually very close.
The big fish.
The oven now has got to a point where it's heated the salt crust
and it's becoming like a little oven within the oven.
So the temperature is starting to really ramp up.
What's this at?
Look at that.
The big fish could be ready in time.
Yes, Sue.
NAT: This oil is taking forever.
Absolutely cooked it.
I literally am pushing it to get all the garfish done in time.
It's a bit like cooking fish and chips at home. It doesn't work.
You got too much fish and not enough hot oil. No. Exactly.
The oil's just not hot enough, which is annoying.
Does that mean we're getting a nice shiny pin?
No, I'm just pushing my time really hard.
I don't want to play this pin at all. I want to keep this.
Nat. Don't be stubborn.
Ah!
It has to work.
Be careful, darling. Oh...
Be smart, Natty. Yeah. Be smart, Natty.
Nat, you have four minutes.
Be smart, Natty. Yeah. Be smart, Natty.
This is so not working.
She's gonna do it.
She's gonna do it. She's gonna do it. She's gonna do it.
She's gonna do it. She has to. Come on, Natty.
Alright, I'm playing my pin.
Ohhhh!
You're kidding!
I'm doing it.
Take one last look at it.
Well done, Nat.
You are officially safe.
Well done, Nat!
Thank you.
There's a loud roar and I see Nat playing her pin.
Smart. Proud of you.
And now, instead of 1 in 4 chance of going home
it's now 1 in 3 chance.
So I've got to give it all I got.
My couscous salad is done.
I've cooked the salmon perfectly.
And so I add more liquid smoke glaze.
Nice, Dave.
And then I torch it to help caramelise it a bit more.
It's looking glistening and I'm happy with it.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: OK. Three contestant left!
You've got three minutes left!
Come on! Let's go!
Nice, Sue. Nice, Sue.
Yes, Sue.
So I have two fish.
I pull the little fish out of the oven and I'm really satisfied.
Good work, Sue.
That looks amazing. The colours.
I plate up the sides.
But then the big fish also gets to 48 degrees.
Sue, it looks beautiful.
What is that?
It's a salt baked ocean trout. Oh my God.
Um...
Um, um, um...
I then second guess myself.
The big one or the small one?
Trust yourself. Trust your instinct.
You're doing good.
If I serve the small fish,
I don't tick the box of it being a feast for five.
Which one's cooked?
Put the cooked one on.
But if I serve the big fish and it's not cooked, I am going home.
Put the big one on, darl.
So it is really, really risky.
I'm going to go with the big one.
I'm pretty sure it'll be right, but I've never cooked a fish that big.
Alright. We'll be tasting your dishes in one minute!
(CHEERING)
Come on, Sue! Come on, Sue!
Come on, Sue! Finish it off.
You got this.
MIMI: My fried rice is ready and done,
which means it's game time on plating.
It's go, go, go, go, go.
Oh my God.
And then I realise I've forgotten about my garlic prawns.
I really hope they're not overcooked.
ANDY: Here it comes!
10!
ALL: 9!
8!
7!
6!
5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
Well done!
Well done! Well done!
That was a mammoth cook.
Good luck, Mimi. Thank you.
I love this feast.
It's my mum's style of cooking.
Very rustic, homely, um, stereotypical Cantonese flavours.
I'm just worried about my prawns.
But I'm really, really glad that I chose to do this kind of food today
because if it's going to send me home,
I wouldn't have picked a different meal to send me home.
Hey, Mimi. Hi.
What have you made us?
So this is dried scallop fried rice, black bean clams.
And then this was mum's garlic prawns.
I would be very hesitant on this one if you have to kiss someone
later this evening.
Pretty heavy on the garlic. Very heavy.
Mimi's family feast. Yeah.
If this is the end, it's the end.
But yeah, this is just the most magical experience ever.
Alright, Mimi, thank you. We're going to taste now.
Thanks, Poh. Thanks, Mimi.
Thank you, everyone. Enjoy.
Thank you. Thank you, Mimi.
(SNIFFLES)
So, guys, she actually did three main dishes.
It does look really stunning. I love it. It is like a banquet.
I'm really enjoying this, I must say.
I love the rice.
It's just, um, delicious.
I love the intensity of the dried scallops
and the umami it brings, so...
I can't stop eating it.
Yeah, I was, like... Mm. Very more-ish.
I feel like this is one, like, feast
that you're allowed to continue eating.
Yeah. OK, OK.
It's like we're at a Chinese restaurant around a lazy Susan.
And you can just, like, dip in and out of the conversation.
I think the flavours across the prawns, the clams
and the rice are dynamite.
Yeah. Like, especially the clams.
It was deep. It was rich. It was salty.
She's learnt it from her mum and her grandma.
I think she's absolutely nailed the flavours in that dish.
For me, this is kind of two out of three dishes
I've really enjoyed.
If you're going to split your prawns in half like that,
I feel like it has to be such a quick steam and I do feel
they're a little bit over.
I love it. I'm attracted to it, so this is a plus.
But the prawns are a little bit overdone.
Good luck, David. Good luck, David.
Thank you.
This dish revolves around smoked salmon.
Because I used liquid smoke,
it should have a smoky and molasses sweet taste to it.
Hello. JUDGES: Hi, David.
Hello.
What have you made us?
I have a smoked salmon.
I have a vegetable couscous with caramelised onions and zucchini.
And I have a fennel salad.
Have you glazed the salmon?
It looks very glisteny and sticky on the edges.
Yeah. So I glazed the top of the salmon with the liquid smoke
with the brown sugar and torched it a little bit.
Alright. Thank you, David.
Thank you very much. I'll try your dish.
Appreciate you. Thank you very much. JUDGES: Thanks, David.
Oh, look at that. Ooh!
It's flaky.
It is beautifully cooked.
ANDY: The cook on the fish is phenomenal.
It was nice and medium rare and pink in the thicker parts.
I love salmon when it's cooked like that.
Um, I didn't love the glaze.
It was very two dimensional.
You could taste the brown sugar
and then you could taste the liquid smoke.
Yeah, I really like the way the salmon was cooked.
It's perfect, really.
I just didn't particularly go for the liquid smoke.
As for the sides, I feel like they're a bit of an afterthought.
The couscous, I think, is bland.
It's missing a bit of a...oomph, or whatever you want to call it.
So, yeah, I'm really worried for David.
Good luck, Suey. You got this, Sue.
SUE: I'm feeling very nervous.
The problem with doing a salt encrusted fish is you don't know
if it's going to be cooked until you crack it open
and you see what's inside.
Whoa!
That is a behemoth.
You said feast.
ANDY: Yeah. You took it literally.
Sue, what have you made?
Salt baked whole ocean trout with a side of roasted potatoes
and roasted carrots with some Middle Eastern spiciness to them.
You went with the big boy.
I went with the big boy.
Um, I'm a risk taker, as you can see.
Yeah.
And it was the vision I had, to have a big fish.
Not that big.
Um, but the little fish...
Um, it wasn't for five people.
And you would have...
I mean, you got a thermometer in there,
but I think the thing that is kind of unknown to you
is how much heat that salt crust is retaining,
and how much it will rest through the fish.
Yep.
That's the thing that you don't know. That's why... No, I don't know.
It's frightening, isn't it? Yeah.
Hoo! Putting all my chips in and praying.
I am hoping that that is cooked.
Me too.
I just have to have the faith.
Good luck. We'll taste it. Good luck.
Thanks. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Should we crack it open?
It's definitely what's on the inside that counts for this one.
MIMI: How did it go?
They're opening it now, so I'm not really sure.
That bloody thing better be cooked.
God!
JUDGES: Ooohhhh!
It's definitely what's on the inside that counts for this one.
(JEAN-CHRISTOPHE WHISTLES) Shall we see?
Ohhh! Oh my God.
This is unbelievable.
POH: Peel that skin back.
Ohhhhh! Oh, yes, Sue!
Look at that.
It's spectacular.
Yeah.
It's looking perfect to me, I must say.
And I think a salt crust really keeps the moisture in the fish.
It actually looks epic like that.
Does, isn't it? Yeah.
I think she would be thrilled. Oh, yes.
I kind of wish she was there for that.
I wish Sue was there as well.
Yeah.
Thank you.
We've seen it. We've tasted it.
The fish cooking is...
..remarkable.
The beauty of the salt crust
is it traps in so much of that moisture,
and it is unbelievably moist.
It is delicious.
I just wanted to keep on eating and eating and eating.
It was so beautifully cooked.
It absolutely is a stunner.
I love this.
Like, it's got magazine cover written all over it, doesn't it?
Yeah, it does, it does.
And just the theatre of, like, cracking that crust open
is such a lovely thing to do at a feast.
I mean, we all felt that suspense
and that was part of the joy of this.
I love it, and I'm...forgotten just how good salt crust fish can be.
But also, I think the accompaniments are really good.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: I am...
How do you say that in English?
Flabbergasted.
Yeah, perfect. (JUDGES LAUGH)
It's fantastic.
It's amazing. I can't stop eating it.
Serving up a seafood feast for THE Rick Stein.
How impressed were you by these guys?
Well, it's been fabulous, really.
I'm just incredibly impressed with your energy
and your enthusiasm as well.
Well, put your hands together for Rick Stein, everyone!
Nat, you finally put that pin to good use.
Yep. And as promised, you're safe.
Thank you.
Of course, that leaves Mimi, David, and Sue in the firing line.
Sue.
Pretty big risk to serve us up something
that you didn't get to see.
And it's such a shame...
..because it was cooked perfectly.
Sumeet, are you alright?
God! (LAUGHS) Nearly gave me a heart attack.
Sue, that fish was moist, flavourful and feast-worthy,
sides included.
You're safe.
Well done, Sue.
Oh, my God!
Mimi.
We could not fault your flavours.
But your prawns were slightly overcooked.
David.
The cook on that salmon was perfect,
but that glaze and your sides
were not your best work.
Yep.
Unfortunately, the fish could not save you today.
I'm sorry, David. You're going home.
David, our mad scientist.
We have loved watching you in this competition.
Thank you.
Had some crazy cooks here.
Mm-hm.
Some great, some fails.
And I'm just sad for you
that you haven't tried my pistachio scrambled eggs.
(LAUGHTER)
It's time to say goodbye.
Over here first, mate.
Congratulations, buddy.
You did such a good job.
This is the first time I've ever experienced
an overwhelming amount of encouragement.
David.
Yeah. For some reason, uh, it seems that I have touched people's hearts.
And...don't know I did it.
Thankful to...
..experience it,
and that if that's it, then, I played the competition right.
I'm proud of that.
ANNOUNCER: This week on MasterChef Australia...
Look at that.
..our home cooks broaden their horizons...
..with a team challenge.
I love this! There's such an energy about a commercial kitchen.
Service, please!
Plus...
Please welcome...
..Curtis Stone!
..Curtis offers the prize of a lifetime.
It's a huge win today, whoever's getting it,
and I bloody well hope that's me.
And who will be first into the top ten?
Captions by Red Bee Media