All language subtitles for Masterchef.Au.S17E48.1080p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-WH

ANNOUNCER: Previously
on MasterChef Australia...

ANDY: Go!

(WOMAN SHRIEKS)

Our top seven are a cut above.

Oh, that smells delicious.

So, a week of immunity challenges...

# A, B, C, D, E, F, G! #

..put the X in extraordinary...

ANDY: That was a stunner.

SOFIA: That is a picture
of perfection.

Oh, my goodness.

POH: I can feel
this little electric current

running from you to the dish
to Andy,

and it's Jock.

That's your best pasta
I've ever eaten.

That's unbelievable.

..which spelled success for Laura.

And...
Michael Wilson.

(CHEERING)

His Tower of Terror...

Wow.

(GASPS)

Eight layers of absolute precision.

..was a massive win for Jamie.

It was your first pressure test
in 12 years,

and you won it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Tonight...

..an elimination means time is up
for one of our incredible cooks.

Oh, my God.

Here we go, gang.

Find a bench. It's game time.

BEN: More cloches.

LAURA: Another cloche.

I see.

Hey, everyone.

Hello.
Hi.

Today...seven becomes six.

And even though we don't want
to see any of you go,

the only person who can shield you
from elimination is you.

You have a massive decision
to make today.

And it has everything to do with
what's under these cloches.

Are you ready to find out
what it is?

I'm going to count you in.

You can lift them
in three, two, one.

SARAH: Oh, gosh.

It is time.

On that clock is 90 minutes.

That is the amount of time
that you have to cook with.

In round one,

you can make anything you like,

using as much or as little time
as you want.

The moment you finish your dish,
stop your timer...

..bring it to us and we'll taste it.

Golly!

If you cook
one of the top two dishes,

you're safe.

But if you cook one of
the three least impressive dishes...

..you'll find yourself cooking
in round two

with whatever time you have left.

Oh, my God.

That's 45 each.

Meaning how you play this is vital.

You can use more time in round one
to try and perfect your dish

or play it safe
and leave yourself a buffer.

Your 90 minutes starts now.

(SHOUTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT)

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Good luck.

Good luck.
Good luck.

Good luck.
SNEZ: My God, you're so fast!

Guys, Callum!

Wow, what a challenge.

Oh, my God, this is mad!

Time split -
I've seen this challenge before.

I've never done it.

I'm not prepared for it,
if I'm honest.

Ben's already cooking.
He does that.

He goes straight to the equipment
and puts pans on before he goes in.

Allez! Allez, Ben. Good luck.

So my strategy here
is to cook something quickly.

If I can pull out a dish
that is fast,

I might be able to save myself.

And if I can't,
it'll leave me loads of time

in order to come up with a dish
for round two.

Let's go now.

(MUTTERS TO HIMSELF)

Come on, Ben.

Oh, yeah.

POH: Last in, first out.
SOFIA: Nice!

Very efficient shopping.

Look, this challenge is
all about strategy.

And really, there are a few ways
you can do it.

What would you do?

I would just go all out
in that first dish.

I'm going all in.
So how many minutes?

90.

If this doesn't work...
I'm really screwed.

No. You're out.

Last time you did this,

you used 89 minutes...
Yeah!

..and thankfully made it.

Yes.

And you didn't have to cook
in round two.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

But do you know what?
There was no strategy behind it.

So how do you...?

So don't really talk to Poh
on this one, right?

I would do a short cook to start.

So belt one out. Maybe a raw dish,
seafood, something like that.

30-minute cook.

In round two,
I'd leave my best dish.

I absolutely agree with Andy.

You spend less now

to have a lot more for round two
and be safe.

They're all so good, though.
They're all so good.

I know, I know.

I'm feeling really good.

I'm feeling really hectic.

I've never done this challenge.

So I'm making this beautiful

like a lardo and Wagyu skewer.

So a crazy quick cook
that's super delicious.

Time was never my friend
in this kitchen,

but I feel lately I kind of changed.

My strategy today is

I want to use less time
in round one,

but smash it with the flavour.

So I'm going with
a quick 35-minute cook.

Wagyu is this beautiful cut of meat
that cooks really quickly.

I'm also making
this beautiful green sauce

and a delicious aioli,

so I'm really confident
in my choice of dish today.

If I nail it,

the flavour is there,
the technique is there.

They're hopefully
going to keep me safe

from round two.

Come on, Snez, punch.

Thank you.

I'm a pretty quick cook.

I'm one of the fastest here,
I'd say.

But the risk with cooking
a quick dish, obviously,

is that you don't have time
to build flavour

and you might not
do everything perfectly.

Hey, Ben.
Hello, hello.

How are you?
Hi, Ben.

I'm very rushed right now.
Hit us with the strategy first.

Strategy is
I'm cooking a delicious dish

that's gonna take half an hour.
Right.

It's gonna be delicious
King George whiting,

tomato butter sauce, basil oil

and a cucumber and mussel
sort of salad.

That does not sound like...
I know.

..a short-cook dish.
It's right.

But the fish cooks super quickly,
and so does everything else.

It sounds like
it should take an hour.

It's gonna take half an hour.
As simple as that. Yeah.

So I'm not taking my time
and having a coffee break.

I'm just smashing it out
as quickly as I can.

And the quality's still going
to be there.

That's my goal.
So we'll see what happens.

I'll be hawkin'. Good luck, mate.

The way to get flavour
into this dish

in a little amount of time

is to use the richness
of the tomatoes and the butter,

with the saltiness
of the mussels

and the char from the cucumber

with the beautiful
King George whiting.

And multi-task my...

Multi-task everything,

trying to get this done

so I can hopefully be safe
in round two.

LAURA: Come on, Benny.
JAMIE: Go, Benny.

CALLUM: With a time challenge
like today,

I think I'm going to try and use

just under half of my cook time

to try and cook a really good dish,
but leave myself enough time

that if I need that insurance policy
for round two,

I've got it there.

Callum, hit us - strategy.
How you going? How are you?

What a challenge.

He is the strategy master.
So what is the strategy?

Um, so strategy,
but not gambling, right?

I'm going to keep plenty of time
for my second cook.

Yep.
So this is going to be a good dish.

Hopefully I won't need
the second cook.

What is the dish?

Yeah, so I'm going to do
a little take on moules frites.

So it's the kind of Belgian dish
that's got mussels cooked in cider.

But I'm going to do it
in a really fun little format.

So I'm going to sort of
make little edible mussel shells

and serve it inside that.

It's just a... Hhha.

..one-bite situation.

(BOTH MIMIC HIM)

You have to make that noise as well.

Alright. Good luck.
Thanks, gang.

Now, my version of moules frites

is going to be quite different
to the classic.

So I have to take the time
to nail the flavour profiles.

I have to get this right.

LAURA: Come on, Cal. Let's go.

You've had 15 minutes.
You have 75 minutes on the clock.

Good luck.

Yes, yes, yes.

It looks like this is going to be
your quickest curry ever, yeah?

Uh, one of them. One of them.

You're always cool, yeah?

Even in a hurry.

In general, like, when I make
chickpea curries at home,

I don't use canned chickpeas.

I would pressure cook it for ages,

and then I'll slowly build flavour.

There'll be whole spices.

There'll be dry spices.

God, these packets.

Today I'm going to do
a really quick chickpea curry

without compromising on the flavour.

Depinder.
Hey, guys.

What's the strategy
and what's the dish?

So the strategy
is to split it halfway.

OK.

And stay as close to 45 minutes
as I can.

OK. What's your dish?

My dish is going to be street food
today,

so I'm doing aloo tikki chole chaat,

which is basically, like,
this stuffed potato patty.

On top of that,

you've got a really flavour-bomby
chickpea curry.

So you just take one bite
and it's like a flavour bomb.

And then I'm going to do
two chutneys

and a yoghurt sauce on top.

In 45 minutes?
Yeah, I'll do it, I'll do it.

Righto. We trust you.
Good luck.

OK, thanks.

45 minutes is going to be a push.

Normally, I would have
at least an hour

to build that depth of flavour,

but I'm going to put all my eggs
in one basket

to get it done in that time.

I do not want to cook in round two.

JAMIE: That was good, Depinder.

So for this green sauce
I'm using tarragon,

parsley, chives.

It's going to be full of flavour.

It needs to complement
the fatty Wagyu and lardo skewer.

Olive oil.

So next element I need to get on
is my aioli.

So my aioli is going to kind of add
the creaminess to this dish

and also the little zing
of garlic through it as well.

Why is this happening?

I blitzed it and it splits.

What?!
I never split mayo in my life.

So I need to start again.

OK. Deep breath.

You see, time is obviously
an issue with you.

Yeah.

Because you need to control
your measuring.

Yes.

You're going to do
the same mistake again.

You should not...
I know time is important,

but you should not compromise
your standard, yeah.

Good luck.

I cannot believe this.

This is just not happening.

LAURA: What's wrong?
My mayo is splitting.

I always do it the same way.

Oh!

This is the second time.

Second time - splits again.

It's really frustrating

that this is happening
on black apron day,

and especially
when I don't have time.

I need to do it again.

I feel like I wasted 10 minutes.

I didn't do a single thing.

So annoyed.

Think you can be
the next MasterChef?

Only one way to find out.
Applications are open now.

Head to the link below and apply.

We'll see you in the kitchen.

It's Snez vs the mayo.
Holy moly!

Where's my salt?

I never give up.

JAMIE: Come on, Snez!

I really have to do it.

This time it has to work.

What the hell is happening today?

Oh, my God!

(EXHALES)

LAURA: Snez. Snez. Snez!

Just breathe. Hey, hey, hey.
Breathe, breathe.

It's just happening third time.

I'm gonna go over the time
that I set.

That means if I do
end up in round two,

I'm not gonna have much time
to cook.

Come on.

I don't know what anyone else
is doing around me.

I just know that I am making
a really fun dish.

It is creative
and a little bit conceptual,

and it's a dish
I can make in 30 minutes.

Basically, it's kind of, um,
a take on soldiers and eggs.

So I am going for
beautiful lamb skewers

and dipping into
pomegranate hollandaise sauce.

Obviously it's MasterChef,

so it needs to be
a little bit fancy.

Not just going to do
boiled eggs on toast.

How the hell does this work?

This little egg tool
just cuts off the top of the egg

in a perfectly round circle.

So I'm going to use this

and pour
my pomegranate hollandaise sauce

back into it.

OK.

So you do have that play
on soldiers and eggs.

Oh, that really works.

I like this dish,

but it can be risky to do
just two elements.

So I really need to nail these
so that I get safe from round two.

LAURA: Come on, Sarah!

Yeah.
Beautiful. Beautiful.

Going alright,
so I've got the sauce reducing.

I've got my cucumbers charred.
Got my mussels cooked.

What I'll do now
is cook the fish and plate it up.

Ben's definitely taken
the Usain Bolt approach today.

And it's like speed, speed, speed.

This is hectic. I'm just trying
to do things so quickly

without making mistakes.

Um, so I'm just going to do my best
and hopefully get it through.

I'm making
a pan-fried King George whiting

with a mussel
and charred cucumber salad.

Come on, Benny.

Pretty much everything is done
except for the cooking of the fish,

but it's in there
for literally two minutes.

It's out. It's crispy.
I'm really happy with it.

The plating is going to take me
hopefully less than a minute.

I don't have time to waste.
Get the salad on there.

I get the fish on top.

The creme fraiche, the sauce.

Puck stop!

Hit the clock.
66 minutes to go.

I did it in less than 24 minutes.

I can't believe it. I'm stoked.

24 minutes.

Ben, you've just stopped your clock.

It's time to taste your dish.

That was fast!
Oh, very good!

When the judges taste this dish,

I want them to have the flavour
of the fish,

the texture of the salad
and the mussels,

and not for a second to think

that this was done
in less than 30 minutes.

First course is served.
That is ridiculous.

Wow.
That's why we call it rapido!

Fast food.

You've made this
in 23 minutes and 48 seconds.

How are you so speedy?

Um, I'm in a rush to get up there.

(ALL LAUGH)

What's the dish, Ben?

It's King George whiting

with a mussel
and charred cucumber salad,

a tomato butter sauce
and a basil oil.

Ben, your fish is impeccable.

What I love
is that combination of flavours.

It's simple.
It's also quite original.

You manage to execute a dish
even under your timing,

which is fantastic.

What I loved about the dish -

the fish was prepared
and cooked so beautifully.

I thought the dish overall
ate pretty well.

I would have liked
to touch more acid.

I felt like that the creme fraiche
with the butter

kind of dragged it down a bit.

However, those mussels
were cooked really beautifully.

Um, some positives, some negatives.

Mm-hm.

I think your mussels
were just cooked.

Almost borderline.

Unfortunately,
I got a bit of a beard in mine,

so I think that's what happens
when you rush, right?

Yeah, I thought I checked
every one of them, so...

When you make a little mistake
like this

with competitors like that,

it could be the thing
that sends you into the next round.

Let's see if
your quick stick strategy pays off.

Thank you.
Nice, Ben.

(APPLAUSE)

That's a bummer.
That's bad.

That's a real bummer.

Gutted.

But the one thing on my side is

I've got a lot of time
for round two to cook,

and all these other guys
are still cooking,

even though my judgement's finished.

So the longer they take,
the better it is for me.

You've had 30 minutes
and there are 60 minutes left to go.

There's always that little voice
in the side of your head going,

"Hang on a minute,
Benny's already gone up.

"Maybe I should be rushing up now."

But I really need

to start cracking onto
these edible mussel shells.

And the tricky thing is,
they're quite delicate to work with.

And I can only make one at a time.

I'm using mussel
and kind of squid ink batter

made from the actual cooking liquor
from the mussels itself,

with that cider in there as well.

And I've only got
one mussel mould here.

Each mussel shell I'm cooking

takes about two minutes or so
to cook,

so I'm going to burn
five or 10 minutes here.

LAURA: Did it work, Cal?
Yeah, mate.

I feel slightly more rushed
making this dish

than what I maybe had planned
at the start of the cook,

but I think knowing
that I'm pretty happy

with all the elements,

I think it's worth every second.

There's no point doing a quick dish
if it's rushed,

'cause then
it's not going to be good.

Where's my garlic?

I'm still building flavour
in this chickpea curry,

so I'm going to let this simmer
in its spices for as long as I can.

Yum.

Meanwhile, I'm going to start
working on my pea filling.

This is where the flavour
is going to come from

when you bite into that aloo tikki,

which is the potato patty.

I need to move super fast.

I've got a lot to do,

so I'm just working
at the speed of light at the moment.

Normally I would have
at least an hour to make this dish.

But today I'm going to try
and do it in 45 minutes.

Head down, bum up.

JAMIE: Depinder. Good?

Yeah, I think so.

I'm just trying to get it done.
Hustle.

Yeah, trying.

But every single element
has to be done perfectly.

That's the only way to save myself
from round two.

I might actually make it.

Breathe, Snezzy. Breathe.

(EXHALES)

Oh, thank God! Far out!

This aoili
really knocked off my time.

I'm really happy I have it now

'cause I cannot waste
another second.

I already went over my time,

and I'm just doing
my Wagyu and lardo skewers.

Small twist...

Snez, what happened
to your mayonnaise?

Did it split or did it...?
It just split straightaway.

And then last time,
I managed to do it.

I do have my green sauce.
I need to pass it through.

This is finishing off.

I'm going to glaze it last minute
as well.

Cook it. It's going to be...

How long is that going to take
to cook and rest?

Not long, I'm going to add
extra five, 10 minutes to myself

to make sure I nail this
and it's perfect.

That was not the plan, was it?

No, it absolutely was not the plan.

But, um... Yeah.

Come on.
Yes.

Push on. Let's go!
I can do it, Andy.

SARAH: I'm starting to get
a little bit worried.

I wanted to get this done
in 30 minutes to save that time

in case I need it for round two.

My pomegranate hollandaise sauce
is done,

but I haven't even started
my skewers yet.

There's only two elements
on this plate,

so I want these lamb skewers
to be cooked perfectly...

Oh, shit, that fell in.
Oh, my God!

They're falling apart.

..but the skewer mixture,
it's just not holding together.

Ooh.

If I don't fix this,
then I don't have a dish.

Oh, shit, that fell in.

They're falling apart.

90 minutes on the clock,
it's two rounds,

we are nearing the halfway mark,

and my lamb skewers
are just kind of falling apart.

LAURA: Come on, Sarah.

I know it is going to eat into
my second round,

but I need to fix this
and cook them again.

But I need to make sure
that they're not overcooked.

I'm just going to make sure

they're super delicious
and juicy and, um, keep...

Yeah, get it done.

CALLUM: Good? Perfect. Primo.

I'm really happy
with these edible mussel shells.

They look pretty much like
a dead ringer for a mussel shell.

We're going to pop
some of the confit potato in there.

Some of that apple and radish slaw
on top with the braised mussel.

And I think that it is the dish
I promised the judges.

So, yeah,
I'm feeling really happy with that.

Beautiful.
Thanks for the support, Loz.

I popped the last garnish
onto my last mussel

and I smashed that clock to stop it.

(BUZZER)
I have stopped.

Hopefully I'm not in round two,
but if I am,

I should still be able
to cook something really good
in the 50 minutes I've got.

Callum, you've stopped your clock.
Bring it down to be tasted, mate.

Wow, look at that.

Oh, that looks like a... (CHOMPS)

One... (CHOMPS) ..coming up!

SOFIA: I'm sorry,
is that an edible shell?

It is.
It is.

I know!
I just clocked it!

So, I'm calling it moules frites,

which of course is that classic dish
of mussels braised in cider,

with confit potato underneath.

There's an apple, radish
and fennel slaw on top of that.

Mussel poached in cider, finger lime

and Geraldton wax on top.

One hit, yeah?
Yeah, go for it.

(CHOMPS)

I love it when someone brings up
a dish

and I can feel that we're all trying
to keep a poker face,

because that is so good!

That mussel shell,
it's the most perfect texture.

It just completely falls apart
in your mouth.

The most satisfying,
lightest crunch.

And the hero is still the mussel.

Remember, moules frites is French.

What is important is you've retained
the mussels' flavour.

You got the textures of the chips
without the chips,

and your seasoning
is correctly on the top.

Well done.
Thank you very much.

(CHEERING)
Thanks, everyone.

Well done. That's amazing.
Thanks, mate.

SARAH: Everything is ready to go.

My lamb skewers
are looking beautiful.

I've got that glaze on top.

I've poured
my pomegranate hollandaise sauce

into my egg shell,
and I'm plating up.

LAURA: Beautiful, beautiful.

OK, stop.
(BUZZER)

Oh, God, 49 minutes.

(CHUCKLES)

I wanted to get the dish right.

I'm just hoping the cook on my lamb
is nice and juicy.

I took my time with it,
so hopefully that is right.

Sarah, you're done.
Time to taste your dish.

I see.
Eggy soldiers!

Dippy eggs!
Dippy eggs.

Today's dish is spiced lamb skewers
with pomegranate hollandaise.

Sarah, this is
a real nowhere-to-hide dish.

Only two elements.
Do you think you've nailed them?

Yeah, I think so.
I think it's tasty.

And, um, it's a good dish.

Yeah, this is really fun.

Sarah...

..I love that little char

that I got
on the outside of my skewer,

and the hollandaise's
beautiful, silky texture.

It clung on to that skewer so well.

I was standing there like I was at
the fair with a Pluto pup,

which I loved.

Um, I thought you could have went
a little bit harder

with the spice mix.

And I hate to say
the skewer was a little dry on mine,

so I hope for your sake
it's different down the end.

It's very tasty,

but I've got to acknowledge
it might be,

and I think it might be
a little bit too dry.

You know,
I love the way you cook, so...

Yeah.
..good luck.

Thanks, Sarah.
Thanks, Sarah.

Well done.
Thanks.

You're halfway through
your 90 minutes.

You have 45 minutes to go!
Come on, everybody!
Allez!

SNEZ: All other cooks are finished,

and it's just me and Depinder
still cooking.

It's done.

I'll get the stuff from the garden!

She's gone to the bloody garden.

Where's the lovely herbs?

The lovely herbs?

I feel like I lost 15 minutes
just on this aioli.

I really need to make sure this dish
is perfect, so it saves me.

Oh, my God.

Where's my time? Where's my time?

(BUZZER)
41 minutes!

(PANTS)

Done.

Snez, you're finished.
We'll taste your dish now.

41 minutes and 14 seconds

was definitely not the position
I want to be

if I need to do a second cook.

SOFIA: Pretty!
Oh, it looks pretty as a picture.

OK, what have you made?

I made a Wagyu and lardo skewer

and green buttermilk sauce,

aioli on top,
and some herbs from the garden.

This was meant to be
a 35 minute dish.

Max.

It nearly took you 50 minutes.
I know.

Firstly, the presentation was a 10.

It looked absolutely cracking.

Such a delicate presentation,
and the skewer was cooked perfectly.

I thought the sauce was delicious,

and I loved all those zingy herbs
that you put in there,

and the colour was just stunning.

How long did you spend
on your mayo in total?

Probably 15 minutes.

Right, I think you could have
saved yourself 15 minutes,

because I don't think your dish
actually needed that mayo at all.

I agree, yeah.

You've got this fattiness from
the Wagyu, which is so beautiful,

and then the mayo
almost obscures it.

And now I'm wondering if the thing

that you spent 15 minutes
trying to perfect,

that you didn't even need,

could be the thing
that sends you into round two.

Good luck.
Thank you.

Oh, babe.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE:
OK, you had 50 minutes.

Now, 40 minutes left to go.

Depinder is the last cook
still cooking in round one.

Faster!

Go faster.
Faster.

The chickpea curry is really tasty.
It's got a depth of flavour.

This is the time
I wanted to be done with my dish,

and I'm still constructing
my potato patties.

Got to go. Go, go, go.

I'm stuffing them
with the pea filling.

I still need to fry them.
I still need to do a yoghurt sauce.

Come on, Deep, hustle.

Yep, I'm almost there.

Move, move.
Come on.

Yeah.

Yes, look at that. Look at that.

Beautiful.

I'm feeling extreme amounts
of pressure right now,

because every minute

beyond this point is potentially
a minute off my round two cook.

I don't know
how long these potato patties

are going to be cooking,
but I need them to be crispy.

I don't want to compromise on
that texture,

because
that's what makes up my dish.

Oh, my God.
It's literally that one thing.

Pfffft!

JAMIE: Come on, Deep, hustle.

My two chutneys. Yeah.

My plating is complete,

minus these potato patties.

I press down to allow

for more surface area
to cook in the ghee...

It's getting there.

..and I can finally see it browning,
and I'm like, "Thank God!"

OK, this is looking
really bloody good.

OK.

I take out my potato patties.

They look amazing.

This is how an aloo tikki
should look.

I'm gonna stop the clock now.

(BUZZER)

Nice, Deeps.

Depinder,
you're the last to finish.

That wraps up round one.
You can bring your dish down now.

I've got everything crossed
for myself right now.

I've got the least amount
of time left

compared to everyone else.

If I have to cook a dish
in 35 minutes...

..I don't know what I'm going to do.

Depinder, what's your dish?

So, today I've made
aloo tikki chole chaat.

So tikki is the actual patty,
which is stuffed with peas.

And then the chole
is the chickpea curry.

And then you have the yoghurt,
the two chutneys, the masala on top,

and you just devour it.

Are you gonna make it for us?

Is that the deal here?
Yeah, show us how it's done.

(PATTIES CRUNCH)
JUDGES: Oh!

Not what I was expecting.
Oh-ho-ho!

I feel like all that hard work
has just been crushed.
I know!

No, but that's the sound
you want to hear.

Yeah, you want to hear that.
It's an amazing sound.

It looks so generous in flavour
and colour,

and the smell coming off it,
it's extremely enticing.

Depinder...

..this is such a scarfable dish.

Like you really just want to dive in
and just, you know, get into it.

It was really worth the time
that you invested

in frying that tikki really well,

because it's just got
that lovely crunchy outer coating.

And then in the middle, it was just
so nice and comforting and smushy.

Yeah, beautiful dish.
Oh, thank you.

You are the only one
who did not use any protein.

It's just veg, spice
and your knowledge.

And you know what? Your dish is...

..magical.

What I did not know is

the point of using
this crispy, very special potato

who was impeccable
and support all the flavours.

And you've nailed it.
So I'm so pleased for you.

Thank you.

Depinder the gambler, huh?!

(LAUGHS)

She gambled today,

and she said "flavour bomb,"

and it is an absolute flavour bomb.

You couldn't have described it
any other way.

Great gamble, great strategy,
whatever you want to call it.

And it may very well
have paid off, Depinder.

We've got a decision to make.

Yeah.

Woo!
Good luck.

When looking
for the least impressive dishes,

it's getting harder
and harder to narrow it down.

That said, if I call your name,

you're cooking in round two.

Snez, you spent too much time
making that mayo,

to the detriment of your dish.

Yep.

Sarah,

so close,

but you needed to spend
just a little bit more time

amping up those flavours.

And lastly, Ben.

That was a massive achievement
in such a short amount of time,

but sadly,
your dish lacks some refinement.

I got a beard in my mussel.
Soz.

Callum, Depinder,

you're safe.

Congrats.
Thank you.

You can join the others
on the gantry. Well done.

This is it, you guys,
the final round.

You can cook anything you like,
but just a reminder -

you only have the amount of time
you didn't use in round one.

So, Snez, you have 41 minutes.

Sarah, you have 49 minutes.

And Ben,
you have 66 minutes remaining...

Oh, great.
..which means you're starting first.

OK.

Ben,
it's time to start your clock now.

Come on, Ben!
(APPLAUSE)

Go, Benny!

CALLUM: Let's go, mate.

BEN: I've got a lot more time
than both Sarah and Snez.

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

BEN: I've got about 20 minutes
before they even start cooking.

That's 20 minutes I can use
to prep things better

and add more flavour to my dish.

In round one, I was trying
to do everything as fast as I can,

cutting corners.

In round two, I'm going
to take my time

and execute everything perfectly.

Come on, Benny.
Let's go, Benny.

Cheerleaders!

Use your time wisely.
Ooh, good basket.

I'm not leaving a beard in a mussel
or anything stupid like that.

Ben.
Hello, Ben.

Guys, how are you going?
Really good.

Are you feeling the pressure?
There's definitely pressure.
There's always pressure here.

You were the only one
out of the three that landed
in round two

that actually, like, stuck to what
they said that they were going to do.
Oh, that's good.

You said you were going
to go like the clappers,

and you were going
to leave yourself enough time

to cook a banger of a dish.

How is this dish
going to be that dish?

Because this dish is going
to be a scallop tortellini

with a bisque sauce on it,
a squid ink emulsion

and a little bit of fennel,
so balanced perfectly.

It's going to be full of flavour.

And I'm going to use every minute
of that 60 minutes

to make a very flavourful sauce
that no-one else has the time to do.

That's a...
That's a very, very, very smart idea.

Yeah, it's the first thing
I've got on,

it's the last thing I'll finish,

and everything else will
come together in the middle.

You just need to make sure
that this dish tastes

like it was cooked in 66 minutes.

(LAUGHS) Yeah, I will.

It's going to taste
like it was cooked in two hours.

Yeah.
Yeah, even better.

Good flavours, Benny.
Smells good, Benny.

My advantage in this cook
is that I've got more time.

Any guesses, Laura?
Some pasta!

I can make the pasta,
include more elements,

and I can use
every one of those 66 minutes

to add flavour to this dish.

I can feel the other guys
watching me.

And this is great because I can
basically get in their heads

and show them how much I can do in
20 minutes, before they even start.

Better not to watch.
Yeah, yeah. True.

Hey, Snez, how are you feeling?

I'm so nervous.

I feel like Ben's been cooking
for hours.

That's how I feel.
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

I had a beautiful idea
for a dish number two,

and it needed at least 55 minutes.

Now that I have only 40 minutes,
I can't do that dish anymore.

I need to pivot, and I need
to think of a replacement.

Round two,

and I am here to bring everything
that I have.

I've got 49 minutes.

I wish I had a little bit more.

I think around about an hour
is a good amount of time

in this kitchen.

Anything under that
is definitely stressful.

Sarah, you had 49 minutes left
from round one.

You can go start your clock now.

Go on, Sarah!
(APPLAUSE)

DEPINDER: Let's go, Sarah.

I came here to take risks
in the kitchen,

and that's who you're going
to get today.

I decide on a dish
that is hard to pull off.

It is creative
and a little bit conceptual,

but I want to show technique,
and I have to nail it.

Pastry in 50 minutes.

She doesn't have long enough
to do that.

She must be doing something else.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: She knows
what she's doing.

CALLUM: She's trying
to make rough puff.

Wow, that is pushing it.

Sarah.
Sarah.

Hello.
Are you doing pastry?

Yes. Shortcrust.

What's your dish?

It's my take on a scallop pie,
basically.

And I'm making a vichyssoise.
So, spiced leek vichyssoise.

And that's going
to be around the outside.

OK.
The scallops,

I'm kind of turning into a bit
of a flower on top, in a way.

I don't know whether 'flower'
is the right word.

There's a dramatic flower, too.
I like it.

Yeah.
Sounds like a lot of work.

Why are you doing that
when you've only got 49 minutes?

She loves the risk.
I do, I do.

Loves the adrenaline.

It's pumping like crazy!
I can't even tell you.

It's very ambitious.
Make sure you can pull it off.

Yes.
You are biting off a lot here, Sarah.

Yeah.
And you don't have a lot of time?

No, I do not.

DEPINDER: Come on, Sarah.

I am definitely pushing myself
today.

And it is all about timing.

If any single step needs
to be redone,

then my entire dish will be ruined.

Snez, the wait is over.
Yep.

Your 41 minutes starts now!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JAMIE: Come on, Snez!

Let's go, Snez Dog!

My strategy in round one was to have
a knockout dish in 35 minutes,

and then have plenty of time
to cook in round two.

It didn't work.

OK, baby. Come to mama.

I used too much time for kind of...

..oh, not really a knockout dish.

Butter, sugar, salt.

And now I'm left with only
41 minutes for a knockout dish.

(LAUGHS)

LAURA: Let's go, Snezzy.
Come on, Snezzy.

But I've been
in this situation before.

I can fight. I never give up.

My strategy here
is to go with a dish

that I can cook with my eyes closed.

It's going to have that beautiful,
homey flavours that we all love,

but it's going to be elevated
and refined.

Snez.
Hi.

ANDY: Snez, how are you going?
Very good.

Great.
That's good.

Bit less chaotic
than the first time.

It's just because I have
this kind of clear idea now...
Yes!

..and I feel good, so I'm ready.

Tell us.
Tell us about the clear idea.

OK, so I'm going
with a flavour that I love.

I'm just gonna try to make it
kind of refined,

like it would come out
of the restaurant.

So I'm doing
this like mushroom ragu,

and I'm gonna have, like, a whole
grilled mushroom sitting on top,

soft polenta, porcini cream,

like, classic, delicious
but refined.

OK, execute this
and elevate the components...

Yes. Yep.
..so that it doesn't feel

like it was cooked in 40 minutes.
Yes.

Make us feel like
it was cooked in an hour.

You know what I mean?
Yes. That...

That's the plan.
Yeah.

Yes.
Because that's what it's going

to take because you've got...
That's right.

..a highly conceptual dish
behind you in Sarah,

and then you've got to battle
against Ben, who's had 66 minutes

to create his dish.
Yep.

You just need to focus
on the task at hand now.

Yep.
And it is flavour.

That's it. (EXHALES HEAVILY)

Thank you.
Good luck.

Yeah. Thanks, guys.

CONTESTANTS IN GANTRY: Ooh!

(LAUGHTER)

BEN: This fish sauce is going
to be my secret weapon,

because I can use a whole hour
to put flavour into it.

I'm also making
a scallop mousse cappellacci,

which is sort of like
a nun's-hat-shaped pasta.

Look at that pasta, Benny.

Pasta can be a risky thing
because if it's not right,

you're going home, especially,
like, in this elimination.

But I am pretty confident with it.

Now I just need to execute.

I've got the bisque sauce on,
I've got fennel charring,

I've made my pasta dough -
it's going to rest.

The pasta is going to be epic.

And then the sauce is going
to be next-level.

So I've got no chance other than
just doing these things perfectly.

It doesn't matter when you started.
You've all got 26 minutes to go!

CALLUM: Let's go, guys!
JAMIE: Come on, guys!

DEPINDER: Let's go, guys!

That really did go very fast.
Yeah.

BEN: Now I have to spend
all of my time

getting the scallop mousse
absolutely perfect.

Oh, Benny. Beautiful, beautiful.

So I weigh out some of the scallops
and add salt to it.

I blend it up, then add a little
bit of egg,

and bit by bit some cream
till I get the right texture.

Despite having the most time
out of anyone,

I'm working like anything
to try to get this going,

and I can't afford
to take my eyes off the prize here.

Let's go, Sarah.
You got a timer on for your pastry?

I'm just going to watch it.
BOTH: OK.

The pastry for this scallop pie
is in the oven.

How long does it need
to be in there for?

The whole time, basically.
BOTH: OK.

It is insanely risky cooking pastry
in this amount of time.

You think... You think your tart
will be crispy enough, yeah?

Hopefully.
It's...

No, it will be.
OK. You're sure, yeah?

Yeah.

But all I can do is
keep my fingers crossed.

So, next I get started
on my vichyssoise.

I've got my leeks,
which I'm sauteing down,

and adding into that my potatoes.

I've got a bit of stock
going into that.

While that is starting to simmer,

I move on to my curry leaf oil.

Curry leaves.

I want this to have
that little touch of South India

in terms of the flavour profiles.

I can't see them.

Curry leaves.
That's not curry leaves.

I love the flavours across India,

so this really is, truly,
I can say, my style.

Curry leaves. I can't see them.

What did I come here for?

Oh.

I'm feeling so much pressure.

I feel like Ben and Sarah
have been cooking for hours,

but I'm definitely going crazy
a little bit today.

No time to think. I'm just going
with things that I love.

For my polenta with mushrooms,

my polenta is on the stove,

and I need to get
onto that mushroom ragu.

My mushroom ragu today
is going to be kind of soft,

but mushrooms still have a texture.

It should be kind of quite fragrant
from the thyme,

from wine, from all the aromatics,
shallots, garlic.

And when mixed with polenta, it's
just going to be a perfect match.

I don't think people, many, have
cooked polenta in this kitchen,

but I think, if done well,
it could be a really knockout dish.

Spoons. Did I bring spoons? No.

My plan here is to cook it low
and slow

and make sure it's nice and soft
and absorbs all the flavours,

and it's so creamy and delicate.

So this dish pretty much
is how I cook at home.

Like, a homey flavour.

And, yeah, I'm just trying to do it
today a little bit differently,

a little bit more elevated.

BEN: For the scallop cappellacci,
it's time to strain the bisque.

Just going to get
all of the liquid into a pot.

And I need to reduce that down
with a little bit of cream

until I get
a really nice sauce consistency.

Let's go, here, let's go.
That's cooked. Pasta time.

This is coming down nicely.
Really thick, really tasty.

Fennel's braising away,
pretty much done.

And just need to roll the pasta,

get it filled and make it perfect.

Rolling out the pasta takes time,
and there's no short cut here.

I've got just enough time to do it.

You've just got to laminate it
and do it long enough

that the pasta
has the right texture.

It's as simple as that.
There's no rushing it.

CALLUM: Pasta looks lovely, Benny.

There's so much pressure
on my shoulders.

I don't want to go home.

Again, what's standing between me
staying in this competition or not,

is how well I can make
these pasta shapes.

Go, Benny.
Come on, guys, under 15.

The time is evaporating really
quickly,

and there's so much
going through my mind.

I've got to make five or six
of the most beautiful pasta shapes

I've ever made in my life -

thin, stuffed to the brim.

I need to get them in the water
and cooked in time to get it

on the plate, and there's
very little time to spare.

Let's go, guys.

Sarah, how's your pastry?

SARAH: Uh, it was
still a bit blonde before.

I've got my pastry in the oven,
and I have my curry leaf oil done.

I am now working on my vichyssoise,

and I'm just balancing it out

with a little bit of cream,
a little bit of butter.

Can you tell me
when there's four minutes left?

DEPINDER AND LAURA: Yeah.

But I'm starting to freak out.

There's not much time left
on the clock,

and I still don't know if my pastry
is going to be done in time.

OK, guys, five minutes to go!

Allez!

BEN: I just want to reduce it down
as fast as possible.

LAURA: Oh, my gosh.

This is, like, plating time,
not cooking time.

This is, like, proper chaos.

Where's the soy...? That thingy? Oh!

Did I have it?

There's not that much time left.

Snez, what are you doing?
Just get on with it.

I'm really concerned. This is crazy.

Honestly, I don't even know
if anyone is going to have

a complete dish on a plate.

JAMIE: Pull it together. Come on.

ANNOUNCER: Grab your aprons

and try these delicious
MasterChef-approved recipes on 10.

SARAH: I still don't know
if my pastry is going to be done
in time,

but while I'm waiting,
I am moving on to my scallops.

So I'm slicing these thinly

so that I can place them
in a flower shape.

I need to be really delicate
with this.

DEPINDER: Come on, Sarah,
you got to cook those scallops.

Four. Come on, Sarah, let's go.

I'm cooking them only on one side.

I want caramelisation on the base,

and I want them to be beautiful
and opaque on top.

Come on, Sarah.
Home stretch. Home stretch.

Seriously, Sarah in round one,

I'm really angry at you.

You could have just given me
two more minutes,

and this would have
been absolutely a breeze.

Have you tasted everything, Snez?

Where's my spoon?

I'm happy with my mushroom ragu.

My polenta is creamy, it's lovely.

And as soon as I finish it off
with some Parmesan and butter,
it's just going to be spot-on.

My butter, butter,
butter, butter, butter!

Not finished, Chef.

I'm running out of time.

So for my pine mushrooms, the plan
is just to quickly pan-fry them

and to finish it off
with some butter, thyme and garlic,

which I'm going to be basting
as I go.

Even if it's a vegetable,

the cook on the vegetable
is really important.

This dish is all about mushrooms,

so this is why I'm choosing to put
the whole mushroom on top.

Visually, also, it's quite striking,
as well, when you receive it.

And also, I really love
cutting into a whole mushroom.

I'm just hoping it's enough
to keep me safe.

Two minutes!
LAURA: Come on, guys!

Come on!
DEPINDER: Let's do it.

Come on, guys,
it's smelling incredible.
It smells incredible.

BEN: I'm running out of time.

The pasta's not finished cooking.

I've still got to get it
into the sauce to coat it,

so I decide to start plating up
the fennel

because that's ready now.

Oh, Ben, that looks amazing.

I've got my braised fennel there,

but I also want some freshness
in the dish.

So I shave some of the fennel
really finely,

which is going to add loads
of crunch.

Nice, Benny.

I've made the pasta as well
as I could with the time I had.

I've got as much flavour
as I possibly could into that sauce.

Strategy in round one
didn't pay off completely,

but it's afforded me the time
to make what I think

is a really good dish in round two,

and I've had time to get flavour
into that sauce and make pasta,

which no one else can do.

Hopefully, that's going
to set me apart and keep me safe.

One minute to go!

JAMIE: Snez, pull it together.
Come on.

Oh, my God!

SARAH: I'm in the last minute
of this plate-up,

and I pull my pastry
out of the oven.

LAURA: Nice, Toddy.

Oh, my gosh, my pastry is done.
Thank goodness.

But there is no time to waste.

Oh, God, it's stuck.
Use a spatula.

Oh, my God.

I'm trying to get my scallops
out of the pan,

and I'm really struggling
to get it out.

Can you scrape it
with something else?

Oh.

This is meant to be a beautiful
rose formation.

If this falls apart,
then the dish is ruined.

Come on, Toddy. Come on, Toddy.
Come on. It still looks fine.

Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God!

Come on, Sarah, get it on the plate!

You got it, you got it.

Nice, Toddy.
Nice. Beautiful.

I get it onto the plate.

Oh, it is done, and it's beautiful!

Woo! Come on, guys,
let's do it on the plate.

Your time is up in ten...

JUDGES: Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one!

That's it!
ANDY: Ah!

That is it.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Wow.
Well done, guys.

SNEZ: Oh, my God.
Well done.

Well done, Toddy.

(SIGHS) That was a lot.

Well done, guys.

I had more time than everyone
but I was pushed right to the limit.

Really well done. Snez, well done.

Well done, girl.
Not sure.

I'm pretty proud of what I presented
in 40 minutes.

But knowing Ben and Sarah,

they're going to come up
with amazing dishes.

So it's going to come down
to small details.

BEN: Walking this up to the judges,
you know,

I can't help but be a bit nervous.

Hey, Benny.
Hey, Ben.

Hello.
ANDY: Hey, mate.

It is a real double-edged sword,
having more time

because I think
that puts more pressure on me

to deliver a better dish,

even though
that should be my advantage.

I'm not 100% confident here
that I'm safe.

Ben, what have you made?

I've made a scallop cappellacci
with a shaved fennel,

braised fennel, squid ink emulsion
and a prawn bisque sauce.

Do you think you used
your 66 minutes wisely?

I think so.

So I had the sauce working
the entire time.

Had enough time to make pasta.

So, there's definitely a bit
of extra pressure though. Yeah.

Yeah. (CHUCKLES) Thanks, Ben.
I think we need to taste it now.

Thank you. Good luck, yeah?

Great use of his time.

I thought the pasta work
was magnificent.

It was, like, filled to the brim,

and a beautiful cross section
on that pasta as well.

The sauce is really reduced,

but then when you get it with
that...especially the raw fennel,

and obviously
with the scallop-filled pasta,

then it really starts
to come to life.

I think that's the best sauce
that Ben has provided on MasterChef.

I am quite mesmerised, actually,
the way he did it.

And I'm super, super impressed.

I think he's used his leg up
with the time really well.

He's got heavy-hitting flavour
in his dish

that you can only buy with time.
Yep.

SNEZ: I picked the wrong strategy.

Hello.
Hi, Snez.

And I left myself only 40 minutes
to finish up my second dish.

I actually feel a bit deflated.

If this dish is the last dish
I put up in this competition,

I'll be really devastated.

OK. What have you made?

So I made a soft polenta
with mushroom ragu

and porcini cream.

That must have been difficult.

Yes!

You know, just to shake off
round one, really.

It was so stressful.

Ben was half into his cook
when I started,

so it was really...
Like, you know, it doesn't help.

I feel like everybody's
at the top of their game,

and I know I can cook,
but can I keep up?

Was you intimidated by everyone?

I was so intimidated,
especially at the start.

Even now, and when I see all
these beautiful dishes passing me,

I'm like, "Oh!"

I feel like I'm still kind of
delivering this rustic flavour here.

Well, when we see
what you did last year,

and now what you've done
coming into the kitchen,

you know, in Back To Win...
Yeah.

..surrounded by legends,

we are so, so proud of you.

Yeah. Thank you.

Thanks, Snez. We'll taste now.
Thank you.

Thanks.
Thanks, Snez.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Good luck.

Thanks, Chef.

I think there's some good flavours
across the board, right?

You know, from the polenta
to the mushroom ragu,

some deep caramelised-onion flavours,

and then the polenta
is seasoned really nicely.

The problem that I've got are
weirdly the pine mushrooms on top.

Yeah.
They're quite dry.

And that skin on the top
of the mushroom cap

has gone really tough.

Something in the way
that they're cooked in the pan

and have sort of dried out,

that just kind of dampens
the rest of the work

that she's put in to the dish.

I think this is
a really pleasant-tasting dish.

The polenta was quite well cooked
and had lovely seasoning in it,

and the mushroom ragu
was lovely, as well.

But I think what worries me is,
when you're cooking a rustic dish,

you need enough technical elements
in there

to know that you're in the race.

SARAH: I'm definitely nervous
walking to the judges

because I had so many things
to get right in this dish.

Hi, Sarah.
Hi.

Hi, Sarah.
Hi, Sarah.

SARAH: I had to get
the pastry right.

I had to get those scallops
cooked perfectly.

I had to get both sauces done.

And I ended up really rushing.

Sarah, what have you made?

Curried scallop pie.

Seared scallops -
just a gentle sear on the base -

a mildly spiced vichyssoise
and a curry leaf oil.

Attempting this dish
was definitely ambitious.

There's a time and a place
for extremely risky dishes.

But today's an elimination.

So I don't know
if that strategy has paid off.

In round two, you ended up
with about 49 minutes.

Yes.

But you chose to make a dish

that usually would take somebody
about 75.

Definitely, the pastry was
my biggest worry.

And I also just wanted to make sure
that I'm showing enough technique

and doing something
that is complex enough

to be worthy of being here.

Well, we love having you back
in this competition.

Would you mind finishing your dish
for us?

Yes. Thanks.
Thank you.

OK, enjoy.

Thanks, Sarah.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Good luck, yeah?

I think this is such
an elegant dish.

What I love is the fact
that she used some French technique.

Vichyssoise is about how to condense
the potato and the leeks

to get that very unusual flavour.

But what she did is to get it
to another level with the spices,

which is very, very, very smart.

What's really clever is
the sort of half-cooked scallop,

and the freshness that it delivers

clarifies the spice,
and it lightens it.

And then, when you put
the curry leaf oil on top,

the smokiness of that oil just
adds another level of brightness.

I think she's done
a really good job,

and she's stuck to her guns.

She's still got her signature move
in place. (LAUGHS)

Risk-taking?
Risk-taking.

And I think it's really paid off.

A lot of contestants
would be hard pressed

to make this in 75 minutes,

and Sarah pushes herself
to the absolute limits

to knock it out in 49.

She's a wizard.
She's an absolute wizard.

Two of you smashed it today.

And unfortunately,
one of you stumbled.

The cook going home
brought us a dish,

but the star of the show was dry.

That impacted the taste
and the textures.

And in the end, the lack of time

showed on the plate.

Snez...
I got it.

..I'm so sorry, you're going home.

It's OK, guys.

You probably haven't really had
a chance to think about

how extraordinary it is
how far you've come.

Not only have you set a new PB,
you've nearly gone all the way.

I think so too. I, like...

Just today, coming here thinking,
"I'm fighting for top six.

"How did that happen?"
Yeah!

All I wanted was to survive
the day one when I came here.

This is where I exited
in the first Back To Win.

So I know exactly how you feel.

Snez.

Chef.

There's only one Snez.

You should be very proud
of yourself - you know.

Yeah.

You know, you can see clearly

you are a fighter, a survivor,

you never give up,

and you are super positive.

You know, when you say
that you were intimidated

walking into the MasterChef kitchen,

I will not believe you.

We love you. You are fantastic.

Thanks, Chef.

And please, never,
never stop being Snez.

I don't think I can.
(LAUGHTER)

Thank you, Chef.

Snez, we're really going
to miss you,

but it's time to say goodbye.

Thank you.

Big hug.

(APPLAUSE)

Oh, Sofia!
Well done, Snez.

Thank you. Thank you.

You get to go on MasterChef once,

but to get to go twice
and to experience all this...

I'm going to miss you, Chef.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: All the best.

..it was just...it was...
It's so special.

BEN: Well done, Snez.

I'm so proud of myself today,

getting this far and making
all these friendships.

Give it up for, Snez, everybody!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

It's a pure magic.

ANNOUNCER: This week
on MasterChef Australia...

"What a journey." Far out.

..with their loved ones
behind them...

BEN: "When I asked if they want
Daddy to come home soon,

"the answer was, 'Not yet.
We want him to win.'"

..they're literally putting
everything on the line...

This is the everything box!

(EXCLAIMING)

Oh, I'm so screwed!

..for the cook of a lifetime...

One of Australia's most
iconic restaurants.

Please welcome Hugh Allen.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

..and...

Julie Goodwin and Nat Thaipun!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

..for a spot in the top five.

BEN: The standard is so high
in this competition,

and it is hard to stand out,

so you've got to do it
in anyway you can.

Whoa!
Oh, wow.

Winning this competition, is going

to take everything you've got.

Bring it on.

Captions by Red Bee Media