Yoo! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Come on, you lot!
Today is a good day.
Ooh, there's a gold box!
LYDIA: We walk in, and there's a big box
covered in a gold cloth.
Don't know what it could be.
Just have to wait and see.
Ooh.
Good morning, everyone. CONTESTANTS: Good morning.
Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen.
Yesterday, we told you today was an immunity challenge.
But what we didn't tell you...
Oh.
..this is no ordinary immunity battle.
You will be fighting for what's under there.
Oh. OK.
The winner of today's challenge
will be taking home...
..an immunity pin! (EXCLAIMING)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Much bigger than I thought it was going to be.
It's, like, huge. Big bit of bling.
I'd love it, just right here, thanks.
An immunity pin is a game-changer
in this competition.
It has the power to take you far.
But this season,
the power will work a little differently.
What?
Whoever goes into an elimination wearing an immunity pin
must choose whether they play it
after they know the challenge
but before the cook has started.
Oh. OK.
Great twist.
This week,
we've been celebrating viral food sensations.
Today's guest has racked up millions of views
across his social media.
He's known for his non-fussed approach to delicious food,
as well as for his incredible style.
He isn't just beloved online,
he's also beloved in this kitchen.
Please welcome...
..the one, the only...
..MasterChef alumni
Khanh Ong!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Honey, I'm home!
Cool outfit! He looks awesome!
Fabulous in red.
Khanh Ong, everybody!
I love Khanh! I love this guy over here.
He's exactly how I imagined him to be -
colourful and bubbly and incredibly well-dressed.
He's one of the best-dressed people I...
..I know on social media.
And he didn't disappoint.
Hello.
Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen, Khanh.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
This is so cool but also scary.
What an entrance, yeah? Hey! Thank you.
Lydia, you were absolutely ecstatic when he walked in.
Oh, yeah. This is so great.
Like, I was literally just watching the one where you put
the holes on the net and you deep-fried the...
And...and you're just so colourful, and I'm so...
..so excited to meet you. Thank you.
Jackie, tell us, what do you like about his cooking?
Oh, my gosh, I'm... I love all Khanh's cooking.
It's just so approachable. You make it so fun as well.
I love Khanh so much.
I'm so excited to be standing so close to him.
Khanh, what is it like stepping back
into this beautiful place?
I'm nervous. I'm excited.
I feel like I'm gonna get eliminated for the third time.
(LAUGHTER)
I've got a feeling you've been dying to be on this side
for a challenge. Yeah, 100%.
It's revenge.
It's revenge?! Oh, no, don't take it out on us!
Khanh did not come here empty-handed -
he has a cloche with him.
And I'm just so excited to see what's under it.
Khanh, I reckon they're all itching to know
what you've got under that cloche.
What's under here absolutely blew up for me online.
It was something really simple.
I started it just for fun.
I didn't have any idea it was going to go SO viral.
It is also something everybody loves.
Today, I want you guys to make me your version
of an epic...
..sandwich!
(EXCLAIMING, LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
Yes.
The sandwich challenge, and I'm not doing it.
Aw. Ah, it's good.
Pretty shattered about this one.
CONTESTANT: (FROM GANTRY) Vinnie's crying.
(LAUGHTER) Vinnie's in tears.
This sandwich does need one more thing to finish it off.
Uh?
Chopsticks?
Because, for me, the best sandwiches
are about the cross-section.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Oh, wow. (LAUGHTER)
Ta da!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Look how cute she is!
Oh, my lord.
OK, guys,
you have 60 minutes...
Ooh. ..to make any kind
of sandwich that you like.
The pantry is full of anything that you can dream of,
including the kind of bread
that you cannot make in one hour.
Phew! (LAUGHTER)
We want your sandwich
to be incredible, fantastic.
When I taste your sandwich,
I want a discotheque dans ma bouche...
For those who don't speak French, 'bouche' is 'mouth', OK?
(LAUGHTER)
Discotheque in your bush... I don't know.
Just keeping it clean.
# I'm feeling for you... #
Chef Khanh can! Chef Khanh can!
# Because I love you... #
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Welcome back to Khanh, yeah?
# Do-do-do-do-do!
# I'm feeling for you... #
(LAUGHS) I used to love that song!
"Flavour, flavour, flavour,"
is what Jean-Christophe was trying to say.
He wants a disco in his 'bouche',
which means, to me, he wants flavour.
Listen, guys, we want fun.
Whoever makes the best sandwich will have
the privilege to put this amazing shining pin
on their chest.
So, is this something you want to fight for?
Yeah! Absolutely. Yes.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Are you sure? CONTESTANTS: Yeah!
Yes? Yes!
Good. (LAUGHTER)
So, Chef Khanh, can you tell us,
any advice you can give them, please?
Playing it safe today
is not going to win you that immunity pin.
Like, there's no elimination today. Go crazy.
Have fun. Go wild.
I want something amazing from you guys.
I hope you guys are ready to fight for that pin,
because your time starts now.
Go have fun. Yay, yay, yay!
Um, um, um...
Can I go in? Yeah, go.
ALYONA: I'm very excited for this challenge today.
I'm going to do everything I can today
to make my sandwich delicious
and mind-blowing,
so I can wear that pin with me.
Ooh!
I think something super, like, decadent,
really, like, bougie.
I know Khanh loves a bougie snack,
I see it all over social media,
so I'm, like, going to, like, try
and play into that today.
Well, Khanh, there are not many people that would come in
and outshine the specimen... (OTHERS LAUGH)
..that is an immunity pin... JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Oh, yeah.
..but you may well just do that.
Thank you so much for coming in and setting
an epic challenge for someone to try and pin that
on their chest at the end of the day.
What are you hoping for?
A lot.
A sandwich, for me, it can go
in so many different directions, right?
There's, like, texture that's involved,
and then there's flavour.
But I think texture is one of the biggest ones.
I don't think people think about it,
but when you bite into a sandwich,
there's always something crunchy or something soft,
like, there's sometimes something chewy, right?
There's so many different ways that this can go.
Obviously, flavour is king,
but then I want it to be assembled well.
I want every mouthful to have every single part
of the layer in there.
And for me, texture and acidity is really important.
The final question, though,
if I stole that pin, do I come back to the competition?
(OTHERS LAUGH)
Hey, give it a go, Khanh.
To get the immunity pin would be, like, the absolute coolest.
I like things that are shiny,
so I would love the opportunity to put that on my apron, yes!
I'm so ready to enjoy this cook today,
especially seeing there are no negative consequences.
Nothing to lose, everything to gain.
My family is of Greek heritage,
so in my head, I'm giving myself an advantage
by picking Greek flavours.
Do you think she's doing moussaka?
Maybe.
She's got all the veg. Yeah.
She's got eggplant, she's got capsicum, she's got tomatoes.
And then she's got the mince there too.
Lydia!
Oh, hi! Hello. OK, have we got...?
How are you? Such a fan.
Pleasure to meet you.
Oh, my God, can I give you a hug?
Oh, my God, please do. I'm gonna sneak over.
Hello. Oh, my God!
Oh.
OK, go back to cooking. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
OK, OK, OK. OK, OK, OK.
Have we got Happy Lydia today? We do have Happy Lydia today.
What are you making?
I'm doing, um, a moussaka-flavoured...
Ah, gorgeous. ..like...
My fave. Inspired, inspired.
So, I'm going to try to roll the mince in the eggplant.
Gorgeous. Crumb it and fry it,
and put it like a crunchy... Wow!
..fried-y thing in there. Oh, wow.
Possibly. Right. That's cool.
So it's almost like a moussaka parmigiana.
Yeah. Yes. Yes, yes!
I like this a lot. Thank you.
And it's just whether this all comes together...
Yeah. ..the way you want.
But it smells beautiful over here.
Oh, thank you. We'll leave you to it.
Thank you very much. Good luck, Lydia.
60 minutes is not a lot of time
for a MasterChef-worthy sandwich.
It'll have eggplant, some capsicum,
um...
..cheese.
And if I make a really nice tomato sauce to go with it -
I'm hoping I'll have enough time to do that.
In order to get that pin,
I'm going to have to cook my heart out.
I'm going to give them the best cross-section they've ever seen.
Ha!
Oh, dear lord. OK.
Hi, Annabel.
Hi, Khanh. What are you making?
I'm gonna do a steak frites baguette
with an entrecote sauce over it. Yes!
So, yeah, I've had this before, and I, like, loved it.
I've never made it on a baguette before.
OK. But I thought,
"Today's the day to pull it out."
That's really exciting, because there's a place
called Entrecote in Melbourne... Yep.
..and they make this for AO, and I'm obsessed with it.
Really? I'm obsessed with it.
It's one of my favourite things to get at the tennis. Yeah.
So I'm really excited to see... Oh, they do it on a baguette?
Yes!
Oh, damn. I thought I was really original, and I guess not.
It's very classic. Yes.
Yes, it is.
It looks quite spectacular - that beautiful green sauce,
the, like, perfectly cooked steak, the crispy chips.
Yeah. So, you're talking about multiple pressure points there.
Yes. Yeah. Crispy chips.
Yes. Perfectly cooked steak.
And that sauce has to be banging. Yes.
Yeah. Alright, make it great. Alright. Thanks, guys.
Good luck, Annabel. See ya.
I need to make sure that I nail every single element today,
otherwise, that pin, I'm going nowhere near it.
EMILY: Come on, Hannah, girl.
An immunity pin is just, like, a lifeline.
It's like Get Out Of Jail Free card in Monopoly
but for MasterChef, so I do want that pin today.
We all want it, and we're all going to try hard for it.
Straightaway, I'm kind of
thinking about when I went to Italy last year,
and the sandwiches that I lined up for
that are viral.
Today, I'm going to make an nduja chicken sandwich.
I'm going for that real Italian sandwich vibe here.
I've gone back to nduja
because it's one of my favourite things,
chicken because I love chicken.
And I'm starting to build these flavour profiles in my head up.
Hey, Hannah. Hello.
Hi. Tell us what you're making.
I'm going for the classic Italian-type sandwich
because that's leaning into what I love.
OK, so you've got some capsicums charring here.
Yeah, I'm gonna go... I'm gonna just...
Is that brining? It's brining.
I'm just going to go as hard as I can on flavour
to make sure every element packs a punch.
I've got an nduja glaze to go on my chicken.
Gorgeous.
So, how are you going to cook the chicken?
I want to go hard on the pan,
but I want to get a nice crust on there as well.
And then it's going to be glazed afterwards with this.
What do you think about just glazing something
for a sandwich?
Obviously, a good sauce is very important, right?
Yes, yes. So just a glaze?
It depends on how much is going to be left over
on that piece of protein. Yeah, yeah.
But also, just think about when you eat it. What do you want?
So, think about whether you should spend your time
making that glaze or trying to inject that flavour
into a sauce.
OK? Yeah.
You've got 60 minutes. We want to taste it.
Yeah. Yeah.
OK.
Panicking now.
The more I work in this kitchen, the more I'm realising,
"Listen to when the judges make a comment."
Maybe just glazing a chicken
isn't enough flavour infused into the chicken.
But I guess,
if you're going to call it an nduja chicken,
you need to be able to taste it.
The glaze might not be enough, like, flavour for the sandwich.
I need to change this into a sauce.
I've just got to get this chicken on
and then really work on this sauce,
so with every bite you're getting that flavour
through that chicken.
It's all about that flavour.
Come on, Jackie!
JACKIE: I'm a little bit of a risk-taker.
And today, I really want to see how far I can push it.
VINNIE: Jackie, what are you making?
I'm gonna do a bulgogi Philly cheesesteak.
Nice. That sounds so good. Did I hear right?
Bulgogi Philly cheesesteak, yeah.
Oh! Yum.
So, bulgogi beef is a dish traditionally from Korea.
Usually, it's served with rice, with sides,
or at Korean barbecue.
A Philly cheesesteak is a classic American burger.
It's packed in with onions and cheese.
It's a pretty epic combination,
because you'll have the punchy flavours of the bulgogi beef,
but the coating of the cheese
in that hot-dog bun will give it some creaminess.
Jack-Jack-Jackie! Hi!
How are you going? Hi, Poh. Hi, Khanh. How are you?
OK, tell us, tell us. What are you doing?
Yes, so I am making a bulgogi Philly cheesesteak.
Oh! Yes.
Girl! This is cool! Cool idea.
So, what have we got on so far?
You've got some onions and capsicum cooking off.
Yeah, I've got them caramelising.
This is going to be like a kimchi mayo.
So, it'll be a bit of, like, a spicy kind of spread.
And then the bulgogi. Oh, that smells good.
So we've got soy, garlic, ginger, all the aromats.
A bit of apple as well for sweetness.
POH AND KHANH: Yeah. I like this. I like this.
I really, really like this.
So, I think it's straightforward deliciousness.
Uh-huh.
But is there anything in there that you're adding
that's kind of a little bit left of centre, that's going
to give us a bit of fresh crunch or some texture?
Just think about it.
'Cause for me, that's the only thing that's missing in this.
This cook is so important. An immunity pin is up for grabs.
If the judges bite through this sandwich
and it doesn't have that crunch element today,
it's just not going to be what they're looking for.
I want to make sure that I nail this sandwich.
If you want that pin,
you're going to have to think big.
40 minutes to go!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
That was so fun!
So fun!
Let's go, guys!
Come on, Alyona.
ALYONA: Growing up in Estonia, I didn't really eat sandwiches.
First of all, Russian sandwiches are open sandwiches.
So, you have one piece of bread,
some cheese and some meat on top of it.
That's it. It's so boring.
So I feel like I only learned how to make sandwiches
living and travelling in different countries.
I love Italian sandwiches that have a lot
of freshness to them.
So, I'm going kind of, like, Italian,
something that I normally love to eat.
Hi, Alyona. Hi.
Hi. I'm Khanh. Oh, my gosh. Hello.
This looks all very beautiful.
It looks very Italian. Yes.
What are you making? OK, so I'm definitely Italian,
so... Uh-huh.
No, I'm not definitely Italian - Russian.
I'm actually Russian, but I'm going Italian today.
So, I'm brining some chicken.
I'm going to then, like, marinate it in some yoghurt,
just really, really briefly.
And then I'm going to make some pesto with basil,
mint and pistachio to go with it.
And I'm going to put some stracciatella throughout,
a little bit of pickle,
because pickle needs to go on everything.
We have a lot of different layers of flavour here.
Mm. That's what I'm reading into it.
But I'm really excited by it. Mm, mm.
I think this is cool.
I had a sandwich very similar to this...
Yeah? ..when I was in Sicily,
last year.
This is very fun. This could go either way.
It could be a lot, or it could be absolutely perfect
and you could smash it out of the park.
Look, we did tell them to go big.
Yeah. So let's just leave them to go big.
Alright. Good luck, Alyona. Go big!
Thank you.
Oh, my gosh.
Khanh just said that he had a similar one in Sicily.
This is exactly where I'm going with this idea.
So I just need to execute
and make sure I take them to Sicily.
I'm really hoping I'm going to get the immunity pin today.
I'm going to fight.
I'm going to make my food really, really delicious.
Come on, Uncle Miin!
MIIN: I want that immunity pin more than ever.
I'm still a bit, you know, up and down in the kitchen,
so having an immunity pin would probably help
in terms of calming my nerves a bit when I'm cooking.
I'm going to do a curry chicken version,
something called Roti John.
So, 'roti' means 'bread',
and 'John' is just the name - I don't know why.
But essentially, it's normally just a very soft
hot-dog roll that's filled with a curry.
It's a very saucy, messy sandwich.
And then it is finished by cooking an egg omelette
and wrapping it in an egg omelette.
I'm getting all the aromats cooking in the curry.
What I want in my sandwich
is obviously a really good curry.
The curry leaves just went in. Yeah, I know. (INHALES DEEPLY)
The smells! The smells, Poh!
Curry leaves just get me. Yeah.
So, that's really important,
because if I don't get the curry right,
then it doesn't matter what else I do.
I'm not the kind of cook who follows recipes.
A lot of times, it's just based on feel
or what we call 'agak agak' in Malaysia,
'Agak agak' translates to 'guesstimation'.
So, every time you ask a Malaysian,
"Can I get a recipe?",
it's always, "I can give you the ingredients,
"but I can't give you exact measurements
"because everything is agak agak
"or guesstimate to taste."
Keep fighting for that immunity pin!
30 minutes to go!
ANDY: Let's go, everybody! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
I'm stressed. (CHUCKLES)
Hi, Aaron. Hey, Poh. How you going?
How you going?
Are you going for a bit of a banh mi kind of inspo or...?
I'm trying to marry the banh mi bread
with a shrimp po'boy.
Oh! Ah! Yeah.
Oh, my God, I love the way we both just did that
at the exact same time.
So, I've got, like, just some fresh veg here
that I'll dress up in a sec.
And then we've got the shrimp that'll be dredged
in some seasoned flour with all those spices.
And then I'll be making the mayo with some prawn oil,
some lime and some of the spices as well.
I feel like there's a lot here to do.
Yeah, there is.
Deep-fryer's on, so that's a good thing.
And, yeah, I've got some work cut out for me.
Yeah. I'm very excited about it.
Yeah. I'm hearing texture,
flavour difference, like, acidity.
It's making me quite happy. Thank you.
Fried prawns, giant fried prawns
in a sandwich is always going to look good.
And it's always going to taste good.
But I need to nail the cook of the prawns.
I want these, like, giant prawns,
and they're all fried and crispy.
Got to have a crunch, got to have a crisp
but also be relatively light.
That's an exciting-sounding sandwich.
I really want that pin. I hope it shows, you know?
I'm really gonna fight for that pin.
So, fingers crossed they can get into it.
# And new bread, crumb and new bread
# Crumb and new bread
# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah! #
OK, crumb and new bread.
Crumb and new bread.
Of course let's take a second one just in case.
And crumb.
I can't wait for crumb anymore. Where would it be?
Oh, there it is. Panko will do.
Panko - found it.
Found it!
EMILY: Run, Lydia! Come on, girl!
I'm making a moussaka-inspired roulade sandwich.
Put you in there.
Let's put a little bit of...
Yeah, why not?
Put a little bit of herb in there.
I'm going to roll moussaka flavours
into an eggplant with some mince spiced up,
roll it and put that whole crumbed roulade
in a sandwich.
Crumbing and frying this roulade,
it's the textural element
that is needed to make this sandwich balanced.
And who doesn't like things that are fried?
So, Khanh can have his cross-section,
and Jean-Christophe can have his discotheque. (CHUCKLES)
Sandwich day is a great day.
There are so many interesting sandwiches out there.
What are we loving?
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Lydia - guess what -
she's doing a moussaka with eggplant.
Yes. In a sandwich.
SOFIA: Cool.
Jackie's. Jackie's?
It is the bulgogi beef cheesesteak.
Oh! Ooh, interesting.
KHANH: Yes. Oh, I love that idea!
It makes sense. It makes so much sense. Yes!
The only thing is,
for me, she's not really putting anything else in there,
so it's just going to be sort of, like, that...
Meat and cheese. ..meat and cheese...
Like, classic Philly cheesesteak.
Yeah, but I want something fresh.
I'm excited about Miin's Roti John.
Yeah.
I think it's going to be incredibly tasty.
You know, beautiful curried chicken...
Yeah. ..wrapped in an omelette.
MIIN: For my curried chicken Roti John, the appeal of it
is that it doesn't look like a sandwich.
What you will see is an egg
that's wrapped around something.
You only reveal the sandwich once you cut into it.
VINNIE: Let's go, Miin! EMILY: Oh, nice, Miin!
GRACE: Oh, yeah. Go, Miiny! Wow.
The omelette is really important
because it just needs to be thick enough
where it will hold its structure,
but thin enough that I could roll the entire sandwich in it.
Yeah, nice, Miin.
The judges are hovering around, looking at me,
and I'm trying to get this omelette out.
Oh, no, it's breaking. Flip it upside down.
Somehow I've messed up the omelette.
If I try to wrap it, it's just gonna fall apart.
So I'm gonna have to redo it.
Why am I so stressed?
When you know you're cooking for an immunity pin,
it has to be spot-on.
Every layer counts!
15 minutes to go!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Bring it home!
I'm not happy with my omelette...
..so I'm gonna have to redo it.
Hopefully, I'll get it done properly this time.
EMILY: Work that egg, Uncle Miin.
This is my chance for an immunity pin.
Come on, Uncle Miin!
So I want everything to be perfect.
Come on, Annabel!
I'm doing a steak frites baguette today
with, like, an entrecote sauce.
I really, really want to win today.
Like, real bad.
Extremely bad.
For my elevated steak sandwich,
although it's simple and there's three elements,
every single element needs to be executed perfectly.
What makes a really, really good entrecote sauce
is the perfect balance.
So, it's super green, super herby.
We've got sage, basil, parsley, Dijon mustard,
Worcestershire, anchovies,
nutmeg, black pepper and an egg yolk.
Ooh! Is that fish sauce?
No, I put anchovies in. Ah.
It tastes yum!
It's not too rich.
I'm really happy with it.
For my steak, the plan is to serve the steak sliced
on the sandwich.
The pink in the steak has got to be poppin',
so the steak should be rare, medium rare.
I'm feeling good. I need to get my chips in the fryer,
but everything will come together in the end, I think.
AARON: Today, I'm making my spin on a shrimp po'boy.
So far, I'm actually... I feel like I'm in control,
and my sauce is coming together nicely.
I really want this sauce to hit -
like, it can't just be your average spicy mayo.
It's got to really carry the sandwich.
All those flavours meld well together.
There's crunch, there's bite, there's zing, there's freshness.
So, yeah, I'm really hoping that it all comes through.
The sandwich has got to stand out,
so I need to nail the cook of the prawns,
the deep-frying them to get that really crispy texture,
but then also to protect the meat on the inside
to keep them quite juicy as well.
I have deep-fried prawns before and, generally,
the ones that I use aren't actually that big.
So, it only takes around, like, three to four minutes.
It's just, just done.
I just cut through the prawn,
and I think it's just a little bit opaque,
so I'm just gonna splash it in there for another 30 seconds,
and it should be good.
Hopefully they're perfectly cooked.
Fingers crossed. (CHUCKLES)
No soggy bottoms!
Only ten minutes to go!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
I love it! I love it!
Come on, everybody. Nice work, guys.
HANNAH: Got a lot to do in a short amount of time.
I'm just working on my nduja sauce.
I just want it to start sucking that up.
I've got a little list going through my head like this,
and I'm ticking off one thing after another.
I'm getting there.
Hello. Hannah!
Hello, hello. So, what's going on
with this nduja process?
Are we glazing? Are we saucing? Are we doing both?
So, instead of glazing the chicken as it comes off,
I actually chop the chicken and then lightly toss it
in the glaze.
So, that's sort of, every bite, you're getting that flavour
through that chicken. So it's a sauce glaze?
It's a sauce glaze. (CHUCKLES)
ALYONA: I didn't really eat sandwiches growing up,
so we're going to Italy.
We're going Mediterranean, and we're going big.
CONTESTANT: (FROM GANTRY) Come on, Alyona!
Taste everything, girl.
I'm really happy with my pesto.
Orange works really well with basil and mint
and pistachios.
My chicken is juicy.
Time to start assembling my sandwich.
Today I'm using ciabatta bread.
So, the first thing is the salad, with grapes
and rocket and a little bit of olive oil.
Putting grapes in, girl?! Crazy.
I'm adding stracciatella cheese in my sandwich
because, when it's merged together with the pesto,
it almost creates this new sauce, where it's, like, cheesy,
and it's nutty, and it's vibrant and delicious.
You do it, Alyona.
I'm looking at Alyona's, and it is massive. (CHUCKLES)
If I went to a restaurant and got that,
I'd probably be pretty happy.
I'd probably expect to also pay about 40 bucks for it,
but it's still looking good.
I mean, it looks really massive.
It certainly looks inviting.
I think it's going to be enough for all the judges.
I can't wait for a good sandwich!
Five minutes to go!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Tasting good? Happy?
Yeah, yeah. Great.
I need to start assembling my sandwich
so I can actually grill it with the cheese on top.
The flavour of the bulgogi is really good.
A heavy sandwich like this needs a bit of freshness...
..so I'm thinking about how to add an extra crunch layer.
I see the apple, I see the kimchi,
and I think those bits could work to add a bit
of extra crunch.
I think it takes it to the next level.
But it's not a Philly cheesesteak until the cheese
is fully melted across the sandwich.
Straight on the top, as hot as possible.
No time to loaf around -
three minutes to go!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Push, guys! Three minutes!
Got to plate it up, guys.
Woo!
LYDIA: I'm starting to think
that maybe this immunity pin could be within my realm.
The roulade is sitting tall and proud.
The flavours of eggplant and capsicum
and cheese and minced lamb pair well together,
so I can't see why they won't pair well
between a piece of bread.
Hannah's got to get it on the plate.
Come on, Hannah, girl.
HANNAH: My sandwich needs to have the best cross-section.
My chicken, my pickled onions,
my red capsicum, rocket, and my chicken skin...
..you should be able to see defined layers, defined colours,
all piled up.
And you should be able to cut it
and it stays together.
If you want this pin, stack it and get it on the plate!
One minute to go!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
CONTESTANT: (FROM GANTRY) Oh, Miin,
that's looking unreal, mate.
Sandwich wrapped in omelette.
So good. Oh!
EMILY: Miin, you're a visionary.
30 seconds left!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
GRACE: Push, guys, push! Come on, Jackie!
JACKIE: My glasses.
Moment of truth - I open the oven,
I look at the cheese, it's melted.
I'm so happy with it, and I just need to get it on the plate.
OK, guys, my bouche is ready.
Ten...
ALL: Nine,
eight, seven, six,
five, four, three,
two, one!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Looks so good, Miin.
Miin, mate, that looks unbelievable.
Thank you.
CONTESTANT: (FROM GANTRY) Well done, Alyona.
It looks so good. Yeah, man. So fresh.
I love sandwiches. I know a thing or two about them.
Ooh!
Oh, good job, girl!
Those sandwiches all look so good.
I think it's gonna be really hard
for the judges to decide who wins the pin today.
We asked you to make us an epic sanger,
worthy of that immunity pin.
Let's see how you went.
The first dish we'd like to taste belongs to Lydia.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Here she comes.
That's a monster. Oh, wow.
Lydia, got a little bit of a strut to your step today.
I love it.
(LAUGHTER)
LYDIA: I have made a moussaka-inspired sandwich.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Wow.
So, I've spiced up some lamb,
baked the eggplants and some capsicum,
and then just rolled them up,
and the intention was sort of to crumb them
and get...give you a nice cross-section if I could.
And then the cheese sort of...
The saganaki cheese, down the bottom.
And I just made a little fresh tomato sauce as well.
Is it delicious?
I think it is, yes.
Alright, well, let's find out.
KHANH: I can see all the layers. I'm very excited about this.
Dive straight in? Yeah, go for it.
If that had a name on the menu,
it would just be Beast Mode.
It's just an absolute beast of a sandwich,
and it's kind of a little bit dirty.
Like, it's a little bit naughty,
but, oh, my God, it is so satisfying
it's not funny.
The beautiful hint of oregano,
like, throughout the whole thing is spot-on.
I love the saganaki
and, like, the caramelisation on that thing.
It feels like every time you just focus on flavour,
you deliver.
Yes. I just feel like you need
to remember that in every single cook.
Yep. Nice work, Lydia.
Lydia, moussaka is my favourite Greek dish.
I love it, I make it all the time,
and I thought, "She's going to be hard-pressed
"getting that into a sandwich,"
because there's quite a lot to do.
But you've done it. It's so lovely, and it has that sort of
comforting bite about it,
like when you scoop through a moussaka,
but in sandwich form,
because you have picked the right bread.
Well done.
SOFIA: You've got that salty cheese at the bottom.
You get that meatiness from the lamb,
of course, and that richness.
But then the thing that I really love
is the sweetness that you've got
out of those peppers,
and it's just oozing into the bread
in such a beautiful way.
You've done a really wonderful job here.
Thank you.
I think that it's really well balanced.
All the layers are there. It's really well constructed.
I love moussaka, I love saganaki,
I love the sweetness that you're getting.
Really, really good sandwich. Thank you. Thank you.
There is actually a party going on in my mouth...
Excellent!
..since I've been eating your food. You got my vote.
Thank you. Thank you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Thank you, thank you.
Ah!
I created a discotheque in Jean-Christophe's bouche,
so I'm so happy.
That was the best feedback.
Next sandwich we want to taste belongs to Alyona.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
That looks super generous. Very hefty sandwich.
Looks like an entire garden.
Imagine you're in a cafe and that thing pops down.
So, what is on this?
It's, like, a summery
Italian sandwich.
There is some chicken, marinated in some yoghurt,
and then there is some rocket with grapes,
some pesto with pistachios and some pickles.
Well, on looks, you have just thrown
the absolute kitchen sink at it,
so I hope it tastes good.
Let's have a look.
KHANH: Look, I was in Italy last year, I was in Syracuse,
and I did have a sandwich
that looked this chocka-block,
so I think that this is very Italian.
So, from looks point of view, yes, it's loaded,
but I'm kind of into that because I definitely...
Yeah!
..had something this size in Syracuse.
100... Like, what? Would you rather it be smaller?
More is more.
(LAUGHTER)
The cross-section is definitely there.
You can see the chicken, the pesto,
you can see the nice cheese,
the grapes and the rocket.
You said that this was summer in a sandwich,
and for me, when I travel away during summer,
I go to a bakery, I buy some bread,
I buy some local produce,
and I sit on a beach somewhere and I make a sandwich.
That, to me, is exactly the kind of sandwich
I would have wanted to make. Yes!
The grapes were fantastic.
I think that, as I was eating it,
every time I ate a grape, I was like,
"Oh, that makes me want to go back in,"
because there was this burst of sweetness.
You should be very proud of yourself.
Oh, thank you so much.
Putting stracciatella and pesto inside
some sort of bread,
it's not, like, reinventing the wheel, right?
It's more of a classic.
But classics are good for a reason.
They are so, so tasty,
and that is what that sandwich is.
There's no more room for any more flavour.
Like, you've just gone,
"Stuff more in there.
"There's a little bit more. Get in there.
"Get in there as much as I possibly can."
Love the flavour of the pesto. Love it.
Like, you could put that on so many different sandwiches.
There's heaps of flavour from the rocket, the grapes -
interesting, but I liked it.
I would eat that so many times.
Whatever you put in that pesto, it's phenomenal.
I think it is the absolute hero of your sandwich,
and I love that you went so hard on it.
That was a very yum sandwich.
And you've used a few surprise ingredients in there.
Pistachios instead of pine nuts,
and adding the mint and also the grapes.
We can see you're being thoughtful about the way
you're putting each bite together,
and I really, really appreciate it. Well done.
Thank you so much. Nice, Alyona!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OK. Next one. Hannah, please.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HANNAH: When I'm walking up to the judges,
there's little things going through my mind -
"Is the chicken flavour right?
"Did I nail this sauce?"
This sandwich, it's all about that flavour.
I never know 100% until the judges taste it,
so I've got my fingers crossed.
So, Hannah, tell us, what is your sandwich?
My sandwich is an nduja chicken,
miso mayo, charred capsicum, pickled red onions,
rocket and crispy chicken skin.
So, where did you get the idea from?
I think, when you said sandwich, I went straight to chicken,
straight to Italy.
Last year, I was there with my mum, and we lined up.
We did the classic
'line up for the best sandwich of your life' type thing.
And it was. It was worth it.
Hey, what did you do with the sauce in the end?
I ended up making it into more of a sauce instead of a glaze,
and I chopped all the chicken up and then tossed it through that.
Is it going to be discotheque, party?
Yeah, hopefully we get a little bit of disco.
I hope the flavours are really balanced.
That would be my dream for this sandwich.
OK, we can't wait.
POH: It's holding together. Yay!
Oh, hello. Ooh!
Like that.
Nice little crossy.
KHANH: That cross-section is gorge!
Oh, thank you.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Oh, wow! She's so cute!
Step one, done. Nailed it.
Wow.
I love it. It's like an ad for a sandwich.
(LAUGHS)
When I bit into this, I was super happy.
The first thing I got was the roast pepper,
so you get that sweetness and that smokiness straightaway.
I think it's genius that you split the chicken and the skin,
because there was no way that chicken skin
was going to get crispy if you cooked it together,
and you wanted that little extra crunch.
And when you bit into it, you get the crunch,
but you also have this nuttiness
from, like, how crunchy that chicken skin was.
So I really enjoyed this. Oh, thank you.
Everything you've got in there is just so balanced.
The chicken is super flavourful.
It seems like a run-of-the-mill sandwich,
but because you've paid attention to all the details,
which I think is what ultimately makes
an amazing sandwich,
I think you have...a chance...
A chance? ..my love. Cool.
The ratios of everything inside your sandwich -
spot-on, spot-on.
Everything has a place, and you can taste the place
that everything brings to that sandwich.
Well done. Well done. Thank you.
It is de-li-cious.
The chicken is cooked perfectly.
The seasoning is on the point.
Your red pepper makes sense.
And that touch of miso, I've got to say, yeah, why not?
So I love it.
Thank you. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Yay!
Annabel.
ANNABEL: I have made a steak frites
and entrecote sauce baguette.
You nailed the steak.
The sauce is absolutely gorgeous.
I'm obsessed.
The chip could be a little bit crispier, but I'm fine with it.
Great job. Thank you.
Annabel, I want to commend you on the construction
of your sandwich,
because you've chosen to slice your beef,
which is, by the way, just like, ruby-red in the middle,
in a way that means that you get a bite of everything
in every mouthful, without losing anything along the way.
Thank you.
Aaron.
AARON: It's my kind of take on a shrimp po'boy.
KHANH: I really like the sauce.
I think the mayo is absolutely delicious.
I love the prawn flavour itself.
Like, when I bit into it, I was like,
"Oh, I know this is a prawn roll."
Like, it's... Yeah, really tasty.
Thank you.
Next dish we'd like to taste is Miin.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Wow. It smells very good.
I've made my version of a Malaysian Roti John.
So, it's a curried-chicken Roti John.
Roti John, normally in Malaysia, it's a hot-dog roll
where you would fill it with meat fillings
rolled in an omelette.
Malaysians love sauces.
So that's why you've got the curry on the side -
for you to dip their sandwich into.
Let's have a look.
Gorgeous.
Miin, I think, in Australia, when people think of a sandwich,
regardless of where you've come from,
people don't picture a Roti John.
And that's kind of one of the reasons I love it.
Because, you know, you're introducing some of us
to things that we've never had before.
You've landed texture.
I think you've got that omelette super thin,
and as you bite through it and bite through the brioche,
it kind of just all melts away.
And then you get that crunch of the cucumber.
I absolutely love your curry,
and I really liked the whole idea of the concept
and what happened in my mouth.
And I've got to say, it's my first time, too,
so... (LAUGHS) ..I love it.
Thank you, Miin.
Look, I've never had anything like this before,
so I was really super excited to try it.
And I really enjoyed eating this.
Miin, conceptually...
..I could see this thing going viral.
That sauce - you could nearly see your face in,
it was that shiny.
A beautiful omelette
encasing, you know, the goods on the inside.
When we saw that cross-section, it was like, "Game on here."
Well done. Thank you, thank you.
The last sandwich we'd like to taste belongs to Jackie.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JACKIE: I think I've made
the creative fusion concoction that I set out to make.
But the others are all incredible cooks.
They've done amazing sandwiches.
My sandwich has to be absolutely perfect.
Interesting.
Oh.
Stop it! (CHUCKLES)
That looks naughty.
I've made a bulgogi Philly cheesesteak.
I've done a bit of, like, a kimchi mayo.
And to add a little bit of extra crunch,
I've added some apple and some chopped kimchi as well.
Let's dig in. OK.
KHANH: That cross-section...
..is pretty sexy.
(EXHALES HEAVILY)
I can't...I can't... I can't wait.
Yeah. It's bloody amazing.
Oh, my God! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
So good.
Oh, my God.
When we were walking around,
we were a bit nervous that there wasn't going
to be much freshness in it. Mmm.
The apple in there, that's what it needs.
That little bit of acidity and sweetness and freshness.
And I'm so happy you did that because it's delicious.
It's absolutely delicious.
I know Jean-Christophe was looking
for a party in his mouth, but I think this is a rave
and it's 2am and we are just getting started.
OK. Let's go. (LAUGHTER)
It is so filled with flavour.
That beef is incredibly tender.
You've pushed it to the absolute limits with salt,
but then you bring it back
because of all that melted cheese
that just coats the mouth,
plus that little bit of apple in there.
It tricks you into thinking that somehow this isn't rich.
It's purely... I mean, it is simply a discotheque
in my mouth, honestly.
And everyone is invited. Oh, I'm coming.
No, not you!
Oh, my God!
It is just unbelievable.
Oh, my God.
Yes! (LAUGHTER)
Jackie, yes!
You've been, like, flirting with us to do something
like this for such a long time.
You know, I feel like I often come up to your bench
and I'm like, "Oh, my God, she's got the best idea,"
and then - just falls short.
This one, you have, like, just crushed it.
Like, you couldn't have done that any better.
This is the type of thing that you see on the internet,
and you just go, "Where is it?
"Because I am driving there, and I'm getting that right now."
Flavour-wise, it's so amazing because it is the perfect
balance between bulgogi and Philly cheesesteak.
It's got that real brightness but deepness from the bulgogi,
and then the cheese and the onions and the peppers
are, like, they just combine
to know exactly what you are eating -
a bulgogi Philly cheesesteak sandwich.
It is dynamite.
I am so happy for you.
I feel like I'm having a bit of an out-of-body experience here
because that is legit.
Like, that is legit tasty. Proper viral food.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Thank you. Well done.
Guys, I'm super impressed with you all.
You should be so proud of yourself.
I'm so happy that I'm not on this season
and cooking against you,
because I would not want to do that. I'm so intimidated.
Well, Khanh, it was a joy having you.
This kitchen always shines brighter with you in it.
Thank you for having me.
Let's give it up for Khanh Ong, everybody.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OK, now, go, go, go, go!
We asked for a battle.
You all delivered.
We don't give immunity pins away easily.
But there was one sandwich
that stood out from the rest,
and we can't stop thinking about it.
It was your sandwich, Jackie!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Jackie, that was an extremely well executed mash-up
of two things that we know and love.
And, most importantly,
you gave Jean-Christophe the party in his mouth
that he, oh, so dearly wanted.
How do you say it again? What was it?
Ah, oui, pour sur.
C'est une discotheque dans ma bouche.
(APPLAUSE)
Et merci beaucoup!
Make room on your apron, Jackie,
'cause this immunity pin is yours.
OTHERS: Oooh!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Put it on and join the others.
(SIGHS) Can you believe I've got this pin?
I can't believe it.
Getting the pin is a huge amount of validation
about being in this kitchen.
I feel like I finally have a place here.
I feel like, if anything,
it's actually given me more motivation to want to do better.
Jackie, congratulations.
This is a massive advantage to move forward
into the competition, so please use it wisely.
Yeah.
Everyone else, well done.
Good night.
We are off to the discotheque! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(LAUGHTER)
OK, go home!
Bye!
Show's over!
ANNOUNCER: Next week, on MasterChef Australia,
get ready to go global.
And with one of the most
well-travelled celebrity chefs...
It is Rick Stein!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
CONTESTANT: What a legend!
..the dishes will be truly...
POH: Ah!
..out of this world.
RICK STEIN: In my own words,
a cornucopia of delights.
SOFIA: It is unbelievably,
mind-blowingly delicious.
That is spectacular.
You win this competition
with plates like that.
Like, I'm not joking.
Captions by Red Bee Media