All language subtitles for masterchef.australia.s15e49.1080p.hdtv.h264-cbfm

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

BRENT: Today it's the semifinals.

It's one cook away
from the grand finale.

It's the massive Service Challenge.

Obviously someone's going home today,

and this is where we show people
the...the cook we are.

RHIANNON: This three-course menu
has been taking up a lot of my time,

a lot of my sleep.

But you know what,

it's definitely a menu
that's gonna reflect me.

I want to show them
that every single course

is gonna punch them in the face
with flavour.

DECLAN: Everything I've been doing
throughout the competition,

the way I've grown and listened
and come home here

and just absolutely
worked my arse off

has been leading
to get where I am today.

(CHUCKLES) I want this
more than anything.

What a journey.
DECLAN AND RHIANNON: What a journey.

I can't believe we're nearly
at the end of it.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Wow!
Whoo! Oh, my God!

Jock's got his kilt on.

This is so cool.

Brent, Declan, Rhiannon,

welcome to the semifinal
of MasterChef 2023!

(ALL CHEER)

Yep, yep.

Every challenge, every dish,
all of your hard work

has led you to this point,

and the only thing that stands
between you and the grand finale

is this Service Challenge.

Service Challenges, they're the
toughest challenge in MasterChef,

and this semifinal will test
even the most seasoned chefs.

Yeah.

Each of you, you need to cook
an entree, a main and a dessert

for 20 diners, plus the three of us.

Do the maths -
that's almost 70 plates of food

all on your lonesome.

Declan, Rhiannon,
to achieve this mammoth task,

we're gonna give you four hours

before your entrees
need to leave the pass, right?

Yep.

Of course, Brent,

as the winner of
the Advantage Challenge with Curtis,

you'll get an extra 30-minute
head start.

Meaning, you'll have 4.5 hours until
your entrees need to leave the pass.

WOMAN: That's huge.
Huge.

The two contestants
who design and execute

the best menu overall
will be our grand finalists.

And one more thing.

Alright.
Oh!

It wouldn't be right
to do your last service

without the legend,
the main man himself.

Ooh!
Oh, my God.

He's come back to guide you
and push you

and make sure that you leave nothing
on the table today.

Please welcome...

..Shannon Bennett!

(CONTESTANTS CHEER)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

DECLAN: Whoo!
RHIANNON: Whoo!

How lucky are we?
Shannon Bennett's in the kitchen.

Here he is!
Yeah, Shannon!

(JOCK BARKS)

Hey, guys. How are you?

RHIANNON: He's a bloody legend.

I'm gonna be leaning on him
for sure.

My hands are clammy.
Palms are sweating.

Shannon, semifinal, it's a bit of
a rite of passage, isn't it?

It is a rite of passage,

because no matter what,
no matter how prepared you are,

something is gonna go wrong,

and I think today
is gonna be about who you are

from a character point of view,

and it's gonna be how
you pick yourself up

and what you put on the plate.

Some very wise words there, Shannon.

Alright, shall we do this?

SEMIFINALISTS: Yes.
Let's do it!

By the end of today,
two of your will have won your place

into the grand finale.

Just remember that,
whatever happens next,

you've earned your place
in the semifinal.

We're proud of you all.

Brent, you start first, buddy.
BRENT: Yeah.

Good luck. Your time starts now.

Go, Brentles.

(EXCITING MUSIC)

I've got an extra half an hour,
so, yeah, I'm gonna use that

to my advantage
and not waste a second.

I've got three great recipes
in my mind.

Hey, Brent.

So I'm getting it down on paper.

And you've actually written
the recipe down,

every bit of this recipe.

Yeah.
Every ingredient.

Every ingredient, yeah.
And weight.

And weight, yeah.
Wow. Awesome. Impressive.

So, entree is XO octopus.

It's got a beautiful
pickled ribbon daikon

and then a nice charred,
warmed lemon.

It's on a beautiful skewer.
It's hibachi.

It's packed with umami,
it's packed with flavour.

Main is beautiful roasted
pork belly, pork sauce,

beautiful charred salsa on top.

Yum! Sounds delicious.

Dessert is my little take
on sort of a boba tea,

where I've got coconut ice cream,

beautiful tapioca pearls
in a brown sugar sauce,

and then we've got pickled mango
just to break it up a little bit,

and some macadamia crumb
for texture.

I've made these dishes before,
which is just gonna help me heaps.

Yeah, look, this is the...
This is it.

This is...
like, it's do or die today,

so I'm just not gonna hold
anything back.

Good luck.
Yeah.

Thanks, Andy. Oh, come here.

I've got all the timings.

Just got a few things that
really need to get on super quick,

just so that it has time to cook.

And that...that is this pork belly.

I want super-crunchy skin,
really tender meat.

DECLAN:

RHIANNON: Yeah, he's going well,
isn't he?

The method I do, I've tried and
tested this so many times at home.

I start really low temp,
nice and slow cooking.

Fat sort of renders down,
confits the meat.

Finish it right at the end
super hot, the skin pops up.

And it works every time.

Rhiannon, Declan, you ready for the
most important cook of your life?

Yeah.
Let's do it.

Well, your four hours'
prep time starts now.

(CONTESTANTS CHEER)
Good luck, buddy!

I didn't get much sleep last night

because I just had this
ticking over in my head,

the process of how I'm gonna be
curating the best menu.

I think I've shown in
some of my past cooks

that I can really switch into,
you know, Chef Declan,

and that's my take on today.

Alright, alright, alright,
let's start off here.

This menu today are dishes
that I love, but elevated.

THEO: Come on, Dec!
Whoo!

Hey, Declan.
Shannon, how you going?

Good. OK, tell me,
what are you cooking?

Um, so, the menu's gonna be
harmoniously South-East Asian.

For entree, I've got my take
on a prawn toast,

and I'm doing a scampi toast.

I'm gonna be putting some
beautiful caviar on top of that.

OK.

And then for the mains

I'm following it up
with blue-eye trevalla,

crispy skin.

I'm gonna have a green curry
in the bowl,

steamed rice, Thai eggplant.

OK.

And then for dessert

I'm doing my take on a Paris-Brest.

Oh, yeah.

I've got a pandan coconut
creme pat...

OK.

..some charred pineapple
and a tamarind caramel.

OK.

So, you know, the biggest thing
for me is gonna be prepping it.

Well, OK, we're already,
what, 10 minutes in.

10 minutes in.

OK, well, you realise
that this first hour

is the foundation
that's going to set you up

for the rest of the cook, OK?

Yeah, alright. Thanks, Shannon.
Alright? Good luck.

My menu is ambitious.

Oop.

But everything I've learnt,

it's all, hopefully,
gonna shine through in cooks,

and earning my spot
in that grand finale.

MALISSA: Let's go, Declan!
CATH: Come on, Dec.

Curry in a hurry.

Developing flavour to a good sauce
requires time.

Alright, parsley, lemongrass.

So I know I need to start on
that curry sauce

for my green curry
with blue-eye trevalla main.

MALISSA: I feel like
that's so Declan.

Like, he's gonna push
himself, you know?

Show what he's got, which I like.

He's not just playing it safe.

With my entree,

I'm going for,
you know, a prawn toast,

but I'm trying to make it
a bit bougie and use scampi.

That's a lot of...
That's a lot of scampi.

But prepping this is gonna take
a lot longer than what I've thought,

so I need to really push.

This is the most prep
I've ever done in my life.

Alright, Rhiannon, take me through.
What are you doing?

I am doing betel leaf scallops
with a Thai green gel,

bitter melon and roasted peanuts
for entree.

For main I'm doing beef ribs
in the pressure cooker,

like a massaman-style flavour.

OK.
Um, yeah.

And the potatoes, you're tricking
them up and doing a...

Tricking them up. Potato fondant.

So beef rib, one per portion,
and then a cucumber salad

with coriander and everything
like that to lighten it up.

And then I'm doing
lemongrass panna cotta,

finger lime gel and tropical fruits.

OK.

What I want you to do is load it.

It would love to see texture,
flavour and salt...

You got it.
..and sour and sweet.

That's what I'm going for.

Good luck.
Thank you.

I'm getting straight onto
my desserts.

(SINGSONGS) Pineapples.

ADI: Watch Rhi-Rhi pound it.

That's how I get
my frustrations out.

(LAUGHS)

A little bit of beating
some lemongrass.

So, I'm getting
my panna cotta mix on.

Panna cotta needs, you know,
three to four hours to set.

Who doesn't love
a wobbly panna cotta?

Like, it's literally something
I have cooked at home

for so many years,

so I know what I've got to do.

Obviously I haven't made this many,

but when you've got
a lot of kids and that,

you do make quite a lot
when you're at home too.

THEO: She's already done
her panna cotta.

GRACE: Ooh, well done, Rhi.

(EXCITING MUSIC)

CATH: Well done, Rhi! Fantastic job!

Whoo-hoo!
Well done, Rhi!

Whoo!
Yes!

Smells really good.

Now I'm moving onto...

I'm probably gonna have to start
getting my aromats for my sauces.

So, I've got two really
important sauces

in my menu today.

I've got the XO sauce for entree,

and then obviously my pork sauce
for the main course.

(WHISPERS)

You know, my sauce game
has really elevated this season.

I've set a high standard for myself
and I want to hit that every time.

So now it's just up to me
to deliver.

Oh, how's that with the garlic?
It's really... Oh, the garlic!

How good is that?!
Look at that garlic!

Whoa!

Ah!

(LAUGHS)

Is that for the garlic?

(INTENSE MUSIC)

Chefs, you've got 2.5 hours
before your entrees

need to start leaving the pass.

Gantry, get behind them, come on.

(ALL CHEER WILDLY)

RUE: Deccy needs to move.
PHIL: Looking good, Deccy.

Come on, mate. Keep on pushing.

ROBBIE: Come on, brother.
Concentrate, man.

Declan.
Declan.

Gents, how are you?
Good, mate.

Um, how are you?
Good.

I think, you know,
one of the only things

that was gonna be my battle today

was my prep.

I wanted to smash out a lot of
the prep in that first hour,

but it did roll into
that second hour.

And...
It's a big battle, man.

It is, like, you forget things.

Especially with the dishes
that I'm doing,

so many ingredients
are going into them.

OK.

But you've still got to finish
what's going on here

and this is getting on cooking.

Yeah, I know it's a big push.
Sweating already.

Here's the thing with your menu.

We can tell that you're really
trying to push the boat out.

We can tell that you're trying
to push yourself,

which we love,
but there comes a point

where pushing yourself too far
can lead into execution problems

'cause you don't have the time.

Because if you start falling behind,
the wheels could fall off on that.

(TENSE MUSIC)

ROBBIE: Come on, Decca.
Come on, brother.

Make sure you're ready for entree,
'cause if not, it'll just snowball.

DECLAN: Yeah, thank you.

Andy, he's worried

that my menu is too complex
to execute in time.

Oh, it's so hard.

There's obviously
a lot of steps to do

and a lot of elements to execute.

I've just got to keep
my game face on

and...and stick to my plan.

I've really gotta keep on moving.

How you going, mate?
Yeah, good. How are you going?

Yeah, not too bad.

Alright, so we've got
that, that, that.

I'm pretty on track.

I know my entree - scallops -
is a quick cook.

My panna cottas are done,
so it's all about the main.

I'm doing a beef short rib

with a fondant potato
and a cucumber salad.

Pressure!

Yeah, so the beef short rib,
I want to keep them tender

and falling off the bone.

I want it to have punchy
massaman flavours.

God, my eyes.

Cloves.

I love big, bold flavours.

It's just how I am.

It's my personality.

So you can smell a lot of spice
coming out of the paste.

Lemongrass, ginger, garlic,
chilli, dry spices.

Ooh!

CATH: Yum!
Look at that!

(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHATTER)

Rhi! Yummy!

Get loaded and get 'em on.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

Which one do we want?

Straight into pommes fondantes.

You know, normally, I'd just do,
like, a big bowl of massaman

with potatoes in there,

but I'm trying to show
some skill today,

so I'm thinking fondant potatoes.

Fondant potatoes are so decadent

and they're silky
and they're buttery.

They'll be crunchy on the outside
and fluffy on the inside.

And it's gonna kinda look French,

but it's not gonna taste French.

I know it's labour intensive,

but I also feel like you've really
got to bring your A-game,

because it's semifinals.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

I buggered that one up. Bloody hell.

Take your time.
Don't cut your fingers.

I'm proud of you
for what you're doing,

but you're putting a lot of pressure
on yourself.

They're not easy.
No.

Yeah, I'm a bit worried, because
this is gonna take a long time,

and I've still got so much to do.

CATH: Come on, Rhi.

Your entrees should be ready
to serve in two hours!

ANDY AND MELISSA: Come on!

ANDY: Come on, let's go!

JOCK: Step it up a gear!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(INTENSE MUSIC)

How good is that?!

I think I'm where I should be.

I've got my sauce on,
so it's gonna tick away.

CATH: Sauce has been going,
you know, for ages.

It's gonna have so much flavour
in it.

The octopus are braising away.

It's under two hours till service

and I've still got
a mountain of work to go.

I know how much I've got to push...

..push on to get this done.

So I really need to get onto the
dessert now, so ice cream is first.

The dessert needs to be perfect

because it's quite simple.

So I just need to make sure
that everything is bang-on.

This dessert is gonna be, you know,

it's a really nice toasted coconut
ice cream on a crumb of macadamia,

some pickled mango,
and then, you know,

you pour this tapioca pearl syrup
all over the top,

almost like one of the boba teas.

Look, I'm always nervous
about desserts,

'cause they're not my A-game,

but part of this challenge
is to put out a dessert,

so that's what I'm gonna do.

This year I've made
a couple of ice creams.

You know,
a couple have been belters.

And then a couple have probably
been better eaten with a straw.

SHANNON: Another five minutes
and it would have been fine.

In summation,
a Cherry Ripe Puddle Pop.

(LAUGHS)

So I really want to give it
plenty of time to churn and set.

Happy?
Yeah.

Yeah? Good.

You know, I don't want
a runny ice cream today.

MALISSA: Whoo! Go, Rhi!

(TENSE MUSIC)

RHIANNON: So the potatoes
are finally cut,

and now I really need
to get them on.

CATH: Hey, Rhi, just a little bit
of cholesterol with the potatoes?

(LAUGHS)

All that butter is gonna get soaked
up into that potato,

so they're gonna be beautiful
and luscious and buttery.

Keep an eye on it.
Get on something else.

Get onto the rest of your list.

I haven't seen much activity
on your scallop dish prep.

Um, yeah.

Getting that blanched and...yeah.

I've really got to move
to get this entree done.

Oh, my God, I'm only just starting
with my entree.

I'm doing scallops with betel leaf

and a bitter melon
and coriander salsa.

This is like a Thai green
nam jim gel.

And I'm also, like,
making a nam jim dressing,

but I'm making it into a gel.

I just want you to be able
to put it in your mouth

and just go,
"Explosion of flavours."

It's a very me entree.

Big moment. I've got my scampis
prepped, in the fridge.

That's it, Declan. Come on, mate!
Whoo!

I've got my curry bubbling away.

Mm.

It's delicious.

Now I'm just working on
my choux pastry.

Time has disappeared so quickly

throughout this cook.

What about your fish prep?
When are you starting that?

Well, I sort of wanted
to start it now.

So, we've got to pick
some time up really quickly, OK?

I still have so much to do
for the entree and dessert,

but need to move on to filleting
this blue-eye for the main.

Fish knife.

Ah, here.

Cooking with fish is my strength,
so I've really got to back this up.

Far out.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

This is so intense.

I just can't stop working
at this point.

Time is getting away from you all.

We've only got 90 minutes
until service.

(GANTRY CONTESTANTS YELL)

(INTENSE MUSIC)
CATH: Come on, guys!

I can smell something burning.
Yeah, I can too.

(GANTRY CONTESTANTS WHOOP)

Shit, shit, shit, shit.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Oh, are they burnt?

Jesus.

They're burning, they're burning,
they're burning, they're burning.

Get them out?
Get me a lifter.

Oh, shit.
They're burnt. They're gone.

Yeah.
They're gone.

Oh, damn!

Bloody hell.

SHANNON: Shit, shit, shit, shit.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
RHIANNON: Damn!

I put so much time into these
potatoes for my main course.

Bloody hell.

But now they cannot be served.

So not where I wanted to be.

And I don't have time to make more.

So I really need to think about
how I'm gonna pivot

and figure out what I'm going to do.

At this point,

I'm just pushing forward
with the entree.

I need to get that done.

I'm now in, like, rush mode.

I've got to get this entree ready.

I've got to get the betel leaves
all picked beautifully.

Bloody hard with these leaves.

I've got to make a salad

and finish this nam jim gel
and cook the scallops.

There's so many components still
to be done just for the entree.

Now is the time to keep calm
and carry on cooking.

You've only got 60 minutes to go.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(INTENSE MUSIC)

Little bit longer.

I need to be serving entrees
in less than an hour.

You've really got to motor.
Yeah, I am.

There's a lot to do in the next hour.

But I'm not ready
to move onto my entrees.

I need to pipe my choux buns
for my dessert

because I'm not gonna have enough
time when service has started.

I really want to get those
choux buns looking beautiful.

Mate, they're not easy to do.
No.

And in this time,
and the amount you've got to do.

Correct.

How to make choux buns,
it's been something

that I've loved learning
throughout this competition.

THEO: Go, Dec.
You're so bougie.

Yeah.

Four. Five.

The choux pastry, I thought,

"How can I amp this up
and elevate my dish?"

Five.

One.

So I'm doing a Paris-Brest style,
which is five little choux buns

that once baked in the oven
will morph together.

ROBBIE: You're really
laying it out, son.

I've never done this style before,
and, you know, it's a bit risky,

but I'm going as fast as I can,

and I just hope that
it's gonna pay off.

Here they come,

which means you have
30 minutes till service!

(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)

RHIANNON: Bloody hell.

BRENT: Diners are coming in.

They're expecting feeds
very shortly.

Entrees are about to go out
in half an hour.

There's so much to do.

So all of a sudden, I'm like,
"This is really happening."

Yeah, so I'm just working on
the octopus now,

so I've got to skewer
these little bad boys.

So I've got go hard as I can.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

Um, how's your...
Your octopus all good?

Yeah, it's good.
OK.

And the pork, what's going on
with the pork?

Yeah, it's just, um...

It's cooking away.

What temperature are you cooking
the pork belly at?

150. 150.

For as long as possible.
Long as possible.

Finish it at about 230. Crackling.

OK. Normally, crackling...

You've done it this way before?
Yeah.

See, conventionally, I've always
cooked pork crackling another way.

How do you normally do it?

I normally just crank up
the temperature first

when you get that pork going,

because that's where there's less
humidity in the oven.

Because, obviously,
once it's puffed up

and it's all crispy,

you're not going to get any issues
with humidity in the oven

where the moisture
from the actual pork meat

is actually then entering
into the oven.

Yeah.

I cook pork belly this way
at home all the time.

It works perfectly.

So I really didn't think
too much about, you know,

putting so much pork belly
in the oven

and it sort of making it
quite humid in there.

I'm, like, banking on
this pork belly being crunchy.

That makes this dish.

That's texturally
where you get that crunch.

And I won't know if it's going to
work until right at the end.

But I don't have time
to sort of do any more,

so I crank the oven up.

Yeah, feeling the pressure.
There's a little pinch right now.

Um, but definitely not
gonna give up.

I knew there would be a point
through this cook

where it would be, like,

you know, "I can't do it anymore."

So this is that point

where I just have
a little chat internally,

you know, prep myself back up.

I can get the entree out
quick as I can

and then reassess it.

But it is hectic.

ROBBIE:

CATH: They've all just got
a few issues all of a sudden.

ROBBIE: Yeah, bang.

Take a breath, Rhi!

PHIL: Let's go, Deccy,
come on, mate.

Yes.
Yeah, it's pretty hectic.

Two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, 10.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

Whatever you're doing, drop
everything and focus on your entree

'cause you've got 15 minutes to go.

Come on, guys! Go, go, go!

(MUTTERS)

You've got to move, mate. You've got
minutes till service starts.

Yeah.

Keep going through your head
what you've gotta do.

ROBBIE: Come on, brother.
Just do this one.

Beautiful.

I've left my entree
to the last minutes.

I'm doing scampi mousse on toast
with some caviar.

What's the process?

Are you making them crispy at all,

or are you putting the scampi mousse
straight on, then you're frying?

What are you doing?

So I'm putting it straight on,

dipping it in panko-sesame crumb
and then frying it.

And then put the caviar on top?
Correct.

I still need to blitz up
my scampi mousse.

There's shallots, spring onions,
chilli, garlic, galangal.

You just keep pushing.
How long on this mousse?

This... It's five minutes.
OK.

Five minutes. I'm gonna...
I'm putting a timer on.

Alright.

I feel like, you know,

under the pump, a lot of stress,
a lot of pressure.

And I'm rushing and trying to get
everything done in this time frame.

Ah!

Ooh, shit!

Shit.
What's happened?

He's cut himself bad.

Ah, gee.

(DECLAN SIGHS)

This is pretty bad.
I've given it a good knock.

SHANNON: You've cut yourself.
Yeah.

Bad?

Pretty bad.

(GANTRY CONTESTANT GASPS)

It's all falling apart.

(SOMBRE MUSIC)

Have you got some duct tape
or something? Some electric...

A cut is never something you want
in the MasterChef kitchen,

let alone in the semifinals.

It's gonna be setting me back
even more.

Ah, gee.

ROBBIE:

CATH: Oh. He's got a lot to do.

I've still got to pipe
my mousse onto the bread

for the scampi toast, and fry them.

(GANTRY CONTESTANT GASPS)

Yeah.

Tight and up.
Yeah, yeah.

A lot's going on right now, but I
just need to sort out this finger.

OK, entree - how we looking?

The entree's ready.
Great!

I just need it on service...
I want that pass nice and neat.

I want all this daikon cleaned up.
Is that all ready? Is that done?

Yeah, yeah.
Enough flavour on the daikon?

Yeah.
What about your XO?

Really, really umami-heavy,
full of body.

OK.

My entree is almost there.

I just need to get a move on
with these octopus.

So, yeah, I'm gonna hit it
with lemon juice

and a little bit of olive oil,

and season it right on...
once it comes off the hibachi.

I've cooked octopus a couple
of times in this competition,

and they were really,
really tasty dishes.

But not with this amount
of pressure.

Let's go, Brent. Come on, mate.

SHANNON: Get everything ready
for your entree now.

Full focus on the entree.

RHIANNON: I've got the gel prepped.

It actually tastes really yummy.

I've got the betel leaves picked.

Quite stressed at this point.

I'm much further behind
than I was hoping to be

at this point of the game.

How are these scallops going?

Well, they're not going.
They haven't gone.

(TENSE MUSIC)

The scallops have to be cooked
to order. I want them to be hot.

Just another thing that I've
decided to do time-consuming.

THEO: Ah, scallops.

This is hard. This is hard.

Alright, mate, what are you up to?
Little setback, but it's OK.

Doesn't faze me.
You get that on big jobs.

Alright, everyone, here it is.

10...

(OTHERS JOIN IN) 9, 8,

7, 6, 5,

4, 3, 2, 1.

That's it!

Service started,
and I've tried all the elements,

I'm quite happy.

Yeah, I'm happy with
the cook of the octopus.

I'm just gonna get it out
to the diners.

So, you've got that pickled daikon
ribbon in a nice little bunch.

The beautiful skewered octopus

goes down nice and charred
but tender.

It's got a little bit of the oil
and then that charred lemon.

And then I just spoon on
the XO sauce.

It's a rich sauce.

Service, please.

Thank you.

Choosing this charred octopus
definitely plays to my strength.

But the biggest worry for me
is that it's too simple.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

OK, so this is the entree from Brent.

Charred octopus with XO sauce
and pickled daikon.

I think it's very Brent.

Minimalist.
You know, two, three, elements,

That's it.
It's what he's been known for.

But has he been able to execute
like he's done in the past

with everything else
that's been going on?

There's nowhere to hide here, right?
Yeah.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

OK, we've seen octopus
from Brent before,

but we wanted these contestants
to play to their strength.

This is why it's his strength.

Charring it's just sent it
to another level,

and with the octopus
and the XO sauce combined,

it's stunning.

It's such a good dish,

not just for three people
but for another 20 down the road.

And it looks stunning as well,
so he's come out strong.

The XO sauce,
lot of flavour in there.

Nice texture as well.
It's been cooked up beautifully.

It's developed a good amount
of flavour.

Really smart.

I think the pickle
was just deliberately plain

to let the XO do the talking,
and it did for me.

It all looked great.
It all ate really beautifully.

Very, very, nicely done.

BRENT: Service, please.

I'm getting there.

The scallops have to be cooked
to order. I want them to be hot.

But it's so daunting
cooking seafood to order.

There's always a concern
with the scallops,

because you cook them
and then you put them on the leaf

and they can still continue cooking,

so I don't want them
to be under or over.

I put them on the betel leaves.

The gel has definitely got
all the punchy flavours

of a nam jim.

And I'm, like, thinking,

"This actually looks really good."

Like, it's a beautiful betel leaf
with a beautiful salad.

Service, please.

Well done, Rhiannon!

(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)

Thank you.
Looks beautiful!

There's so much pressure,
but I'm not gonna lose my cool.

I'm just gonna keep doing
what I'm doing.

Hi.
Enjoy your meal.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Alright, so our entree from Rhiannon,

scallops with betel leaf,
Thai green gel and bitter melon.

It's very Rhiannon.
ANDY: Yeah, it's very Rhiannon.

Her food is about the flavour.

It's not about finesse.

And the fragrance as well, I think.

Incredible.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

Rhiannon should be stoked

with this plate of food
that she's presented us,

because it's fantastic.

There's so much to love about it.

You know, the betel leaves
are such a beautiful vehicle

for a really lovely punchy entree.

The nam jim, I thought, was perfect.

You get that beautiful flavour,
spectacularly done.

I think it's a great dish.

It's packed with so much flavour.

It's...it's bordering on the edge
of being too much.

(LAUGHS)
Don't you reckon?

And that's a good sign.

It's just creamy, zingy,

and, like, I've got no complaints
with that at all.

It's a very well balanced dish.

Really, really good.
Yeah.

Holy shit!

Far out.

Things are really
intensifying right now.

Rhi and Brent,
they've sent out their entrees.

I'm still working on
my scampi mixture.

Bloody scampi.

Time's ticking away.

BRENT: Service, please.

Entrees goes out.

I don't even have time to celebrate,

'cause I've got bigger problems
behind me with my main.

Alright.

Time to check the pork.

Hey, Shannon, can I get a hand?
Yep, coming now, mate.

Stress levels are through the roof.

If my main part of my main dish
doesn't work,

that's it, it's game over.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Turn it upside down when you're
cutting it. So it should be...

Just cut one slice,
see how that goes, so...

(CRACKLING CRUNCHES)

It's good.
Yeah, it's great.

Taste it.

It's very...perfectly cooked.

I'm happy with the cook
of the pork belly.

Just, you know, crackled up perfectly

and still nice and tender.

It's good. Well done.

Oh, man.

But I've got no time
for a breath or anything.

I've got to finish my salsa...

It smells nice.
Yeah.

So...
Take a little bit of the char off.

OK, so all of it diced up into a...
Not quite neat, yeah?

No, not neat.

..and balance my pork sauce.

DECLAN: Alright, alright.

Beautiful.

With my entree, I'm going for,
you know, a prawn toast,

but I'm trying to elevate
this dish and use scampis.

I have fried my scampi toast.

Time to plate up.

And it's frantic. You know,
things haven't really gone to plan.

This entree is maybe not as refined
as I would have liked.

But I've got that
crispy cos lettuce,

my prawn toast sitting on top,

some dots of chilli mayonnaise
and caviar.

So I think its gonna be tasty
and full of flavour.

Alright. Service, please. Thank you.

(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)
Yes, Deccy!

I'm relieved, but I've got a million
things running through my mind.

I'm thinking about cooking
the fish off for main.

There's still a lot to do
for my dessert.

Thank you.
Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

So, Declan's entree of scampi toast
with chilli jam and caviar.

Very generous distribution
of caviar over the top.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

OK, I think this one reeks
of Declan going,

"Let's do something
with prawn toast.

"Let's try and step it up a notch."

If you're gonna step it up a notch,

it has to be better
than the original,

and I think he's missed the mark,
unfortunately.

I think it was a nice amount of
colour on the prawn toast.

But the mousse, it's just, like,
mushy protein in there.

And there were so many aromats
in the actual mousse itself,

like, you couldn't even taste
the caviar.

And there was a decent amount
of caviar on there, like...

Prawn toast is prawn toast
because the texture of prawns

just lends itself so well
to being pulverised

and not losing its integrity,

so you do get that beautiful,
bouncy texture when you eat it.

Scampi doesn't do that.

Which is a real shame.

And then the chilli mayonnaise,
it feels like an afterthought.

So I'm a bit disappointed
for Declan today.

What I hope is he's gonna
back up a main course

and a dessert at full whack.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

The.. What's... Is that alright?
BRENT: Yeah.

So right now,
I'm getting onto my main.

The charred salsa brings that
sweetness, that refreshingness,

the acidity.

Then the sauce,
I think it tastes great.

Not too rich.

You know, the pork meat
is beautiful and tender,

but I'm just hoping

that, you know,

the pork crackling
is absolutely perfect.

Alright, service, please.

MALISSA: Beautiful!
Well done, Brent!

JOCK: Ohhh.
Thank you.

Alright!
Thank you.

OK, so, main from Brent.

Pork belly with pork sauce
and charred salsa.

Looks pretty good.
Doesn't it?

Mm.

It smells pretty good.

Smells good.
Smells amazing.

(CRACKLING CRUNCHES)

Sounds crispy.
Sounds good.

That's good.

Toffee-crisp all the way.

The promise of a golden,
crunchy pork crackling

is always something
that I'm going to order.

And end-to-end, beautifully crisp

and it had that great,
satisfying crunch about it

that you really, really want.

So that great contrast
of the crunchy and the succulent,

it was really beautifully done.

In terms of, again, a dish that
I could just go, "Brent!"

(CHUCKLES)

This is another one, right?

I loved the sauce,

but the pork was super fatty
and rich on that side,

and the other side, you had that
sort of tropical pineapple,

so it came together
from the outside in.

I really enjoyed that.
It was really great.

RHIANNON: This is the last one.

They're out, so that's great.

But, yeah, now I've got to
get on the main,

'cause now my potatoes
haven't worked out,

so I've got to really start on
something else.

Yeah, I was planning on cooking
massaman-style short rib

with fondant potato.

Oh, my God!

At this point in the cook I was
hoping the potatoes would be done.

I was hoping my salad would be made.

And all I have to do is take that
sauce out of those pressure cookers

and balance it.

Oh! I feel like
I'm just beginning again.

Bloody hell.

(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)
(STEAM HISSES)

(GANTRY CONTESTANT WHISTLES)
Pressure cooker.

PHIL: Let's go!

I've got nothing done
except these beef ribs.

SHANNON: Hurry, please, Rhiannon.
We've got one starting plate-up.

Brent's already there.

So it is, like,
"OK, I've got to get onto this."

I've got to actually take this out
and reduce it.

It's nicely cooked.

Yeah?
Yeah.

I've just got to sieve it
and then I'll...

I'm just gonna keep working hard
and fighting,

because I haven't come this far
for nothing.

I've burnt the fondant potatoes

and I know they cannot
go on the plate.

So I'm like,
"OK, what am I gonna do?"

I still would like to have
a potato element.

Because it ties in
with the massaman beef curry.

What about if I deep-fry
some potatoes?

Nothing like a thousand pivots
in a cook.

I need to get the skates on
and make sure I get this dish out.

They're gonna be good
once I salt them up.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

Time's ticking.

Alright, this is my last one.

Beautiful. Service, please.

Thanks, guys.

That's it for the entree.

I'm behind.

Get your plates or bowls warm.
Thank you.

There's still so much to do.

My main's a green curry
with blue-eye trevalla

and Thai eggplant.

These eggplants?

Yeah, they're going in
with the curry sauce.

My curry sauce, it's been
simmering away for hours.

I've got to add some more stock
to it,

balance out those flavours
with palm sugar and fish sauce,

and just keep letting it simmer away
for as long as it needs.

So now I've just got to
cook the fish.

I think the key to cooking great fish

is having that consistency throughout
the whole fillet you're serving.

The bloody cook on the fish,
I just want it to be perfect.

ROBBIE: You only got
a few more to go, brother.

Alright.

RHIANNON: That looks pretty good.

I've got that salad,
I've got the chips.

SHANNON: OK.

Salt on while it's hot.
Yeah, definitely.

OK, start plating.

Oh, my God,
it's time to serve the main,

and even though it's not what I was
originally gonna put on the plate,

I'm thinking,
"Wow, I've pulled this together."

I'm gonna get this dish out.

Didn't think you'd be doing this,
huh?

Never in my life, Shannon.

Well, you're doing it now.
Literally a dream come true.

So I've got my beautiful
piece of beef in the middle

and it's so tender.

The sauce actually tastes
pretty good.

It's balanced out.

And I've got my gorgeous
crunchy apple salad

and those crispy potatoes on top.

A bit different
to the fondant potato.

The crispy potatoes are awesome!

Why didn't I think of this before?

Service, please.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)

Whoo!
Whoo-hoo!

JOCK: Thank you.
Hey, thank you.

Rhiannon's main.

Beef short rib
with salad and potatoes.

As we can see,

evolved in its looks
and its execution.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

Alright, let's start with
the short rib.

How well was that cooked?

Stunning.

Unbelievable.
Like, you could just...

You don't even need
a fork and knife.

You could have just used a spoon.

Beautifully succulent.

Obviously, the pomme fondante
didn't make it.

I didn't miss it. I wouldn't have
wanted a pomme fondante with that.

It would actually be too much,
I think.

Instead, she's pivoted
and done a really nice slaw

with some fried potatoes
for a bit of texture,

which I'm quite happy with.

It kind of brought relief.

I think it was a good dish, but it's
been let down by this sauce.

(TENSE MUSIC)

I think she's over-spiced it
a little bit.

Star anise, cinnamon, cassia -

there's a lot going on.

Just...it's the semifinal, man,
and when...

It's one thing
that could bring you down.

Yes, I liked how
the beef was cooked,

but you're playing with fire

when you throw a bunch of spices
into a braising liquor

and then start to reduce
into a sauce.

It can go wrong very quickly,

and I think it's evident right here.

It is so overpowering.

The sauce was heading in
the right direction,

but just that little bit
too much spice.

I'm a bit disappointed.

It's a tough one.

BRENT: Oh, man.

I'm so exhausted
but this is the final push.

Come on, Brent! Come on, buddy!
Whoo!

I'm just working on
the final touches of my dessert.

Take me through
what you've got to do.

Yeah, I'm just quickly
putting my crumb on.

Ice cream's just in the freezer.

Mate, it's got to be perfect.
Yeah.

It's all a running joke about me
and ice cream. I get it.

I'm about 50-50 this season.

But my dessert is quite simple,

so this toasted ice cream
is the star of the show.

Without this,
I've got just about nothing.

I'm just like, "Please be set."

CATH: His ice cream's hard, then,
it looks like.

It's frozen solid.

It's just rock hard.

All of a sudden,
this whole competition

looks like it's gonna be hinging
on this ice cream.

I've got to come up with,
really quick, how I can fix it.

Talk to me.

I've just pulled the ice cream out.
Yes.

It's a little bit hard.
Yeah.

What's our plan?

Um...

DECLAN: Alright, bing, bang, boom.
It's ready.

So, I've got my blue-eye trevalla,

and I'm hoping they're all perfect
and golden.

Whew!

Green curry sauce
that's been cooking away,

and the Thai eggplant halves.

ROBBIE: Come on, brother.
Come on, mate.

So I'm ready to go.

Alright, service, please.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)

I'm really excited
how this is coming together.

Thank you, thank you.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

Oh, thank you.
Thank you.

Thanks very much.

Alright, so this is Declan's main
of blue-eye trevalla

with sauteed spinach, green curry
and steamed rice.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

Very interesting.

Um, my fish was perfect.

But the problem lies with the sauce.

Yes, there's a decent amount
of flavour in there,

and, yes, it's balanced pretty well.

But it's just... It feels lifeless.

Yeah.

It feels lifeless.

He's had too much time
to cook this sauce.

That was the first thing
he got onto.

So that's been on the stove
for such a long time,

and I think it just
pulled the life out of it.

Great to see Declan,
even under pressure,

nailing fish.

Stunning.

Perfectly set,
beautiful piece of fish.

And crispy skin as well.

I think the pressures that Declan
felt with his entree, right,

when the wheels fell off
that first dish,

this became the lost child.

He's like, "Fish, I can take care
of. It's fine. It'll be alright."

But then he left himself
no time to refine this.

I'm gutted for him,

because I know that he would have
wanted something better than this.

The mains are out of the way,
and as it stands right now,

I'm gonna call it and say a win
from Rhiannon on the entree.

100%.

Absolutely.
The win for Brent on the main.

ANDY AND JOCK: Yeah.

So Declan is going to have to
give us a perfect dessert

if he is going to stay in the game.

Applications for contestants
are now open.

Head to the link and apply.

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

RHIANNON: There you go. Thanks, guys.

CATH: That's it, Rhi! Yeah!

Done!
Whoo-hoo!

Oh, my God, last main dish is out.

It's like you've just been
to the best birthday party

and you're just celebrating
and it's like,

"Oh, my God, I just did this."

And it's like,
"Oh, hang on a minute.

"I've gotta do dessert."

How are you feeling?
Need a beer.

(BOTH LAUGH)

Yeah, so it's time to take
the panna cottas out of the fridge

and check that they've set.

Better have bloody set.
Eased... On the side. Yep.

So much is riding on this moment.

(TENSE MUSIC)

Yay!
CATH: Yay, Rhiannon!

How good is this?

I'm just hoping they're set.
I didn't need another fail today.

I'm making this beautiful
fruit salad.

I've got the finger lime syrup on.

And it's like, "Oh, OK,
don't stop, don't stop, don't stop

"until that last dish goes out."

ROBBIE: You right, brother?
You're doing really well, Declan.

(LAUGHS) Far out.

Time has flown by,

and I'm feeling
absolutely shattered.

But I've still gotta
finish my dessert.

I pull my choux pastry out of
the oven and it's looking unreal.

They're nice and golden.

They've all sort of puffed up

and formed the one shape
that I was after.

I've made my tamarind caramel.

Alright, caramel, caramel, caramel.

Now I need to work on
my pandan custard.

How long's it gonna take you
to make this custard?

Ah, probably too long.
I'll be able to do it.

It'll be 15 minutes, 10 minutes.

This is so intense, and it's...

It's so much harder
than what I was expecting.

If I had my time back,
I'd definitely go a bit simpler

and make it a bit easier for myself.

(SIGHS)

BRENT: Yeah, I'm worried
about the ice cream.

It's been sitting on the bench.

I'm hoping that it's getting soft.

I want the perfect texture.
I want that nice creaminess.

And I think it's just delicious.

Good? Well done.
Yep.

Good.

I could just melt
into a puddle right now.

So, I start with the bed
of the macadamia crumb.

Then the pickled mango
goes around the outside.

Big scoop of this
toasted coconut ice cream.

And then in a little jug is
the tapioca pearl brown sugar syrup.

The diner will just pour it
onto their ice cream.

It runs down and then they dig in.

Service, please. Thank you.

ANDY: Thank you.

MELISSA: Thank you.
JOCK: Thank you.

Alright.
Ooh.

Brent's dessert of coconut ice cream

with pickled mango
and brown sugar tapioca pearls.

Where's the pearls?
Oh, they're in here.

Ohhh.

Nice little dessert from Brent.

The texture of
that coconut ice cream was epic.

That crumb is delicious, but
it's got a fair bit of sugar in it.

The macadamias could've been toasted
just a little bit further

to try and pull back
some of that sugar.

Some really great components
in there.

I just felt it was
a little bit sweet.

I get where you're coming from
in terms of being too sweet,

but I think, for me,
somehow the sweetness makes sense.

It's delicious,
and so it sort of had

that slightly nostalgic
feeling for me.

Clearly, I did enjoy it.

I did take all of the tapioca pearls
and put them in it.

Love the texture of it.

I love these types
of desserts as well.

(TENSE MUSIC)

My panna cotta's got
a little bit of wobble.

I'm pretty much taking everyone
to North Queensland today.

I'm putting the fruit salad
around them

and this pink finger lime syrup
on top.

And I'm really bloody happy with it.

Service, please.

This is me on a plate.

All North Queensland,
you drive up and down the highway,

there's pineapples, there's mangoes,
there's passionfruit.

This is just a tropical delight.

Home stretch.

And I can actually see the end.

ANDY: Here they come.
Holy dooley.

Here we go.
Thank you.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Look at that.

Oh, you've gotta be happy with that.

Yeah.

Doing the dance.

Rhiannon's dessert
of lemongrass panna cotta

with pineapple,
mango and passionfruit,

and a finger lime syrup.

Look, you can't be unhappy

with a panna cotta that arrives
with that much wobble going on.

That is spectacular.

I have to say,
the salsa around the sides,

you know, there's something
really nostalgically Australian

about that combination
of tropical fruits.

It's pure Rhiannon.

Yeah, I'm with you.

The set on the panna cotta
was absolutely beautiful.

And the texture and the flavour
of lemongrass was fantastic.

She will be stoked with this.

Hey, I'm so happy that she's made
something that just reads Rhiannon.

Yeah. I love her.
And I love her food.

And this is her food.

Yeah, it's sunshine on a plate.
Yeah.

Service, please. Thank you.

That's the last.

Yee-ha.

CATH: Is that it, Rhiannon?!

That's it!
(ALL CHEER)

Service, please.

Oh, man.

(BOTH SPEAK INDISTINCTLY)

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

It's been a long, long ride.

And it's a lot... It's a lot, um...

Big challenge, you know, um...

Yeah. Feels good, but.

Yeah, super proud, super proud.

SHANNON: Custard, you all good there?
Custard's in the freezer, cooling.

Happy with the stabilisation of it?
Yeah.

Brent and Rhi,
they've both finished their service,

but I still haven't
plated up desserts.

I start with a swirl
of tamarind caramel.

Slice the choux in half.

These choux buns,
they're looking a lot fancier

than my traditional choux bun
that I've been making.

I've got that pandan custard.

Pineapple salsa in the middle.

CATH: Oh, looks awesome.

Well done, Declan.

These are looking beautiful.

I've outdone my expectations
on the look.

Thank you, guys. Service, please.

I gave it my all,
and I hope I've done enough

to earn that spot
in the grand finale.

(TENSE MUSIC)

Alright. Thank you.
Thank you.

This is Declan's dessert
of choux buns

with kaya, charred pineapple
and tamarind caramel.

Nicely done.

I've gotta commend Declan on this.

Like, he's really
pushed the boat out.

He's done a Paris-Brest
times 23 of this.

So I feel he's executed
that so well.

It's not easy...
No, they have to be cooked perfectly.

They have to be cooked perfectly
and piped perfectly.

The choux...

..brilliant.

10 out of 10.
10 out of 10.

The bit that I have
the most problem with...

..is the cream
in the inside of the choux.

It's chalky, and he hasn't cooked
the custard out enough

and so you've got a sort of chalky
kind of texture and taste.

It's not making me not wanna eat it.
As you can see - I ate it.

I mean, the flavour of it
was really, really nice.

There's no getting away from
that slightly chalky aftertaste,

and it definitely detracts from

a beautiful perfume
of pandan and coconut,

which otherwise would've
made this a perfect dish.

GANTRY CONTESTANT: Yes!
Service, please.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

MALISSA: Go, Declan!

(RHIANNON SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
Well done, guys.

Good job!

(MOMENTOUS MUSIC)
(ALL SPEAK INDISTINCTLY)

JOCK: 70 plates, three courses,

and just two hands.

A task that would usually
take a small army,

you each completed on your own.

(WHISPERS) Good job.

Let's not beat around the bush.
It was tough.

Oh.

Shannon, you've supported these guys
through thick and thin

all season long.

How'd you reckon they went today?

You really can't put in the
job description what we did today.

(ALL LAUGH)

You should all be really proud.

And fingers crossed
for all of you now.

Let's give it up for
Shannon Bennett, everybody!

(CONTESTANTS CHEER)

To secure your spot
in the grand finale,

we needed to see
the absolute best of you.

The best entree...

..it was flat-out flavour.

Ooh.

The best entree today...

..was cooked by Rhiannon!

What?!
(ALL CHEER)

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

Yay!

All three mains
that we tasted today,

they were essentially
a protein and a sauce.

But the best main had
a protein and a sauce

that brought out the best
in one another.

That main was cooked by...

..Brent.

(ALL CHEER)
Yeah, Brentles! Well done, buddy.

Well done.

Declan, at this stage
in the tasting,

you needed to bring us a dessert
that blew us out of the water.

Your choux,

it was a 10 out of 10.

But, unfortunately...

..your creme pat, it was chalky.

And that's why, I'm sorry, Declan,

you've fallen just short
of the finish line, mate.

(LAUGHS) No worries.
Ohh.

It's all good.

(DECLAN CHUCKLES)
(CONTESTANTS CLAP)

(BOTH SPEAK INAUDIBLY)

Ah, Declan, when you first
walked through those doors,

you were green and you were keen.

(LAUGHS)
I was.

A chippie with a passion for fish.

And since then,
you have continued to surprise us.

That's what lasts in this kitchen.

Rest assured,
you have left a legacy behind

that will inspire others like you
for years to come.

Oh, I'm so humbled by the experience,

not only getting the insider
knowledge from you guys,

but met a great bunch of people,
had so much fun being a part of it.

And, yeah, I'm just keen to take
everything I've learnt

and put it into the future Declan.

Well, we will always remember that

Declan is your name
and fish is your game!

(CONTESTANTS LAUGH AND CHEER)

I'm feeling like
I've accomplished so much -

making semifinals, top three.

Good work, guys, good work.

Good work, Rhi-Rhi. Proud of you.

Australia's third-best home cook
for 2023,

so it's...it's pretty bloody amazing.

Give it up for Declan, everybody!
(ALL CHEER WILDLY)

Oh, thanks, guys.

It's a good day.
Don't worry about it.

Robbie, Declan's had an incredible
impact on a lot of people

in his time in
the MasterChef kitchen.

How would you describe him, mate?

Declan?
Yeah.

(OTHERS LAUGH)
Declan.

Oh, an amazing young guy.

Um, we've... (STAMMERS)
(LAUGHS) Oh.

We've... Oh!

(DECLAN CHUCKLES)

Take a breath. You're alright.

Oh, we've had a special friendship.
We have.

And very proud of him,
what he did today.

And unfortunately,
he didn't make the line.

But these two guys, congratulations.
You know, well deserved.

But, you know, Declan's
such a great kid to be with and...

Very special, so...
(LAUGHS) Yeah, thanks, Robbie.

Thank you.

Short but sweet.
Thank you, mate. Thank you.

Holy shit.

Brent, Rhiannon...
Ohh.

..you did it!

(ALL CHEER)

You are both in the grand finale
of MasterChef 2023.

How good does it feel?
ANDY: Hey!

Come on!

RHIANNON: Oh, my God,
I can't actually believe it.

For the last time, go home,
make yourselves a cup of tea,

put your feet up,
be kind to each other.

We'll see you back here tomorrow.
Thanks, guys!

(ALL CHEER)

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

Oh, I know!
(SCREAMS) Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

NARRATOR: Sunday night
on MasterChef Australia,

Brent...

All the hard work,
everything I've done for myself

has gotten me here.

..or Rhiannon?

I've worked so hard
to get to this spot

and I am that close
to lifting that trophy.

Only one will
claim the title.

But...

Amaury Guichon!
(ALL CHEER)

..they'll have to
conquer a dish...

His creations
have been viewed

billions of times.

Billions.

..from a megastar.

Captions by Red Bee Media