All language subtitles for MasterChef Australia - S18E48Eng

ANNOUNCER: Previously,
on MasterChef Australia...

Please welcome Sanjeev Kapoor!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

This guy is like
the Gordon Ramsay of India.

He inspired unbelievable
creativity.

SANJEEV: This is stunning!

This is what makes
MasterChef Australia

the best food show in the world.

And unusual ingredients

from around the globe

won Pat a world holiday.

It's fantastic.
ANDY: It is just divine.

Oh! The sauce, Pat. The sauce!

It's so good.

But it also sent Emily home,

and...
Please welcome...

..Sam Aisbett!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

..his pressure test...

(EXCLAIMING)

..was the end of the journey
for Alyona.

ALYONA: This was one
of the best experiences

of my life, and I'm really
excited to see

what's going to happen next.

Tonight,

we light up the kitchen...

(EXCLAIMING)

..as we ignite heat week.

VINNIE: Wahey! Let's go.

PETRO: Get in there.

(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE, EXCLAIMING)

Morning, guys.

Looking a little spicy.

ANNABEL: That's so cool.
It's cool.

Looks spicy.

We're at seven now,

so this is a pretty
surreal feeling.

These boxes get better
and better.

I know.

I'm just trying
to, like, sit with it

and, like, soak it all in,

and just be like, "Wow!"

Last woman standing.

With only seven of you left
in the competition,

it is really heating up.

So, it's only fitting...

..that this...

..is heat week!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Heat week. Heat week.

Each day, the top dish
wins immunity,

which means the elimination
at the end of the week

will have fewer of you in it...

..making it so much harder
to survive.

Far out.

Last week,
I was in the pressure test,

and it almost sent me home.

So, I really need
to get immunity today

because the competition
is really fierce now.

That's three all-important
chances at immunity.

And it all starts...

..with a flaming mystery box.

Ooh.

AARON: Yes!

This sizzling mystery box

has been set by an all-time
MasterChef favourite.

She has built
her own food empire...

Ooh, here we go.

..from what's in your pantry...
(GASPS)

..to the books on your shelf...

Ooh!
What?

..to what you're watching
on your phone.

(WHISPERS) Is it Marion?

She's an entrepreneur...
(WHISPERS) Marion.

..TV presenter...

..food journalist....

Oh, my God.

..and one hell of a home cook.

AARON: Sick!

It has been 16 years

since she last walked
through those doors.

(WHISTLING)
Damn.

Please welcome...

It's Marion Grasby!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

ANNABEL: That's cool.

Look at her in red!

AARON: The all red is sick.

Dressed for the occasion.

(CHEERING)

VINNIE: This is insane,
having Marion

in the MasterChef kitchen.

She is an absolute icon.

Hi, guys.

Marion's one of my favourites!

This is so exciting.

She's had one of the most
impressive careers,

coming out of MasterChef.

Like, so awesome.

Oh! So exciting!

Oh, she's a legend.
Wow.

Oh, I'm so nervous for you guys.

(LAUGHTER)
Dammit.

Marion, it's been a minute.

Welcome back.
How have you been?

Oh, my goodness,
I've been so good.

16 years, Poh, is a long time.

Wild.

I heard rumours that when
you left the competition,

it was only, like,
within a couple of weeks

that you bought a ticket
to Thailand

to start developing
your product.

About three...two,
three weeks later,

my husband and I had
my little recipes

that I stole from my mum...

(LAUGHS) ..and we went
to Thailand,

mortgaged our house.

Oh, my God.
We put everything into it

because that's what
we wanted to do.

And that's why I'm so excited
for you guys.

It really is just the beginning,

and there's just so much
you can do.

Hearing Marion's achievements,

it's, like, super inspiring.

Just a testament to what could
be in store for someone like me.

Marion, you're about
to make everybody's day

by, once again, cooking
in the MasterChef kitchen.

Yay!

Shall we?
POH: I'm so excited!

MARION: Let's do it.

AARON: Getting a masterclass
with Marion was amazing.

I'm stoked.

OK.

I actually got goose bumps.

I'm going to show you how
I like to use heat from spices

in a savoury dish
and a sweet dish.

So, first up, I'm going to make

my steamed
Thai green curry gyoza

in a coconut-lime sauce.

So, my filling here has
a Thai green curry paste in it.

So, you get that beautiful heat
through the filling.

And then, just a classic
gyoza fold here.

(WHISPERS) Sick.

Your fingers are like...

Now, all those pleats
in the shape of the dumpling

will sort of catch the sauce
as you're eating it.

It's not just about aesthetics.

Cute.

So, now, I'm going to steam
these for about ten minutes.

Mmm.

Then, we're going to move on
to the coconut-lime sauce.

So, this is very loosely based
on a Thai soup

called tom kha gai.

Coconut milk

and some water as the base.

Makrut lime leaves, lemongrass.

A little bit of sugar here,
as well,

just to balance those flavours.

And some fish sauce.
Ooh, yes.

Heat this just
until that sugar dissolves,

and then let it cool slightly.

And then, that big hit
of lime juice will

really pop in your face.

Perfect.
(CHUCKLING)

Start with our dumplings.

PETRO: Oh, that's a nice-looking
gyoza.

Ooh, yeah.

LUKE: Yeah, now you're talking.
That's the stuff.

Now, ginger.

So, ginger is another ingredient
that's going to add more

of that warming
kind of earthy heat.

Delicious.

Lime leaves, to sort of mimic
the flavour that's in the sauce.

Watching Marion whip up
this dish really quickly,

that is, like, delicious,
is very inspiring.

And it's got me thinking a lot
about some really cool dishes.

And then, crispy chilli oil...
PETRO: Oh!

..which happens to be the one
that I make,

so I love it.

ANNABEL: Yum!

CASPER: I'm definitely making

little mental notes
I'm going to use for the cook.

And there you have it.

That's my steamed
Thai green curry gyoza

in coconut-lime sauce.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now it's time for dessert.

I'm going to be making

a Flaming Hot and Numbing
Bombe Alaska.

(EXCLAIMING)

So, the first thing I need
to make

is the Hot and Numbing
ice-cream.

I have Szechuan peppercorns.

Green will give you this really
beautiful citrus flavour.

The red one is more earthy
and warming than the green.

POH: (WHISPERS) Wow,
she really does layer.

AARON: Wow.

(WHISPERS) Unreal.

MARION: This is Korean
gochugaru flakes.

So, I love this for colour.

POH: Looks beautiful.

MARION: And then, I am going
to strain it, though,

because we don't want
a grainy ice-cream.

It's such a cool colour.
Yeah.

So, you can see that colour,
there.

And then, I am going
to add in some chilli oil,

and then a pinch of salt.

OK, now this goes
into my ice-cream machine.

Oh, yum!

Now I've got the beginnings
of my Italian meringue.

But I also have some flavour
and spice to add to this.

So, this is a yuzu-chilli
marmalade.

Look at that. Mmm.

And then, what you end up, here,
is with a meringue

that is citrusy and also spicy
and warming.

Huh.

So, what I have here
is a yuzu-citrus cake,

down the bottom,

and the ice-cream, just moulded
and placed on top.

ANNABEL: Wow.

OK. So once you've piped
your meringue,

it's now time for the fun bit.

So, we have some spiced rum.

OK, time to light.

Ooh!
(CHEERING)

Let's go.
And a little bit of salt.

Ooh!

(MOUTHS SILENTLY)

When Marion puts a pinch of salt
in the alcohol

to make this flame turn
this really bright orange,

I feel like I'm back at school
when, you know,

your science teacher's got,
like, little bottles

of different elements,
and you spray it on the flame,

change its colour.

That's sick. (CHUCKLES)

And...

(EXCLAIMING)

So, the key is to kind of
get it toasty on the outside

without melting that ice-cream
through the middle.

See, Annabel?

(LAUGHTER)

Ah, yes, my take
on a Bombe Alaska

was actually just a puddle
of melted ice-cream.

CONTESTANTS: Ooh!

I would have loved to have
watched this demonstration,

you know, right before
the connoisseur challenge.

I would have been way more clear
on what to do.

And that is my Hot and Numbing
Bombe Alaska.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Do you want a taste?
CONTESTANTS: Yes.

Come on up!

PETRO: (LAUGHS) Yeah!

Yes!
VINNIE: Yes, mate.

LUKE: Cheers, brother.

ANNABEL: Tasting all
the different layers

of the heat in these dumplings,

that coconut sauce
is so fragrant. Like, so yummy!

Make sure you get some meringue
and cake and ice-cream.

I love how it's...set.

And then,
this Hot and Numbing ice-cream

kind of gets the cogs ticking
in your brain.

Mmm!
Peppery and spicy.

And it's got that Szechuan
numbing feeling,

but then, the ice-cream's
really cold.

It's really complex
and balanced.

It's really inspiring,
and it really gets

the creative juices flowing.

So, why don't you head back
to your benches now?

PAT: Here we go.

Hey, here we go.

After that demonstration,

I've got a pretty good feeling
that we're going

to see some of those ingredients
under our mystery box.

I'm really hoping to see the red

and the green Szechuan
peppercorn under there.

You can lift your lids now.

(EXCLAIMING)

Whoa! Wow.

Oh!

OK.

ANNABEL: Where did this guy
come from?

LUKE: Ooh-la-la!
Very cool.

Oh, wow!

So, you've got pork belly...

Really nice.

..silken tofu...
OK. Silken tofu.

..pumpkin...
Pumpkin.

Kangkong.
Stunning.

There's also some Thai basil
in there as well.

OK. Not bad.

There's shiitake mushrooms.

(CHUCKLES)
Limes.

Then, some of your heat
and warmth ingredients -

there's ginger...
Ginger.

..green Szechuan peppercorns
and the red

so you can have a play
with those.

Oh, wow!
Some Thai chilli powder as well.

One tip -

try the chilli powder
before you start using it

so you know exactly
how hot it is.

There's also soy sauce...
Is that gochujang?

..and gochujang as well.

PAT: Oh-ho-ho! Gochujang!

MARION: And then, finally,

one of my favourite ingredients,

my Crispy Chilli Oil.

Oh, yes!

Flavour Bomb Central.

Like, this is all very exciting
ingredients to work with.

There's 75 minutes on the clock.

You can cook anything you like,
sweet or savoury...

..but it must have
a spicy kick to it.

You need to use at least one
of the ingredients

that Marion's selected
for her mystery box.

You also have pantry staples
under your bench

to help you out.

The best dish
at the end of the day

will win immunity,

which means a fast track
to the top six.

It's a big deal.

Marion, any final words
of wisdom?

I think, think about the layers
of flavour -

not just the heat
that will smack you in the face,

but what is it that will bring

the most harmony to your dish
and make it really beautiful?

Good luck. Your time starts now.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PETRO: Opa!

LUKE: Come on, boy.
Sorry!

Heat week!

Pretty happy. I love eating
and cooking with chillies.

Come on, boy!
Yes, boy.

At work,
we've got the Chilli Club.

So, once a quarter,
everyone brings a dish in.

The only rule is
it has to have chilli in it.

So, this challenge
is right up my alley.

I'm loving this mystery box.

It's got a lot of flavours
that I love to cook with.

So, gonna have
a bit of fun today.

OK.

Kind of scary, this box.

Mystery boxes, usually,
I lift the lid,

and, like, immediately,
I'm drawn to a certain

few ingredients,
and I'm just like, "Bang!"

A dish comes to mind.

Hmm...

Today is not quite the same.

What am I doing?

I'm finding it really,
really hard to build a dish

in my mind that I'm like,

"Hell, yeah, I feel really
good about this."

Mmm...

Is the mystery box bringing back
any bad memories for you?

I loved it,
I personally loved it.

Did you like it?

I...I probably found mystery
boxes more scary.

But I think what it does do,

it brings into very, like,
pure focus...

Yes!
..everyone's skills.

Yes.
Because you don't have that,

"Oh, I've made a mistake.
I can get something else."

It's also a really good
opportunity for them

to just go outside
of their comfort zone.

Mmm...

Let's hope we see some
of that adventurousness today.

Yeah, I hope so.

PAT: Today, I'm going
to be making

a hot and sour pork soup.

I've got my pork bones,

some ginger, peppercorns,

stalks from the Thai basil
in there,

stalks from the spinach,
some shiitake mushrooms,

some soy sauce
and the chilli powder,

and just let that bubble away
to let those flavours develop.

Hello, Pat.
Hello, Andy.

Hello, Poh.
Hey, Pat.

ANDY AND POH: Ooh!
How are we going?

Ooh-ho-ho! That looks good.

It does look good.
Thank you.

I'm just gonna say it.
What is it?

I'm inspired by a dinner
we had out the other night.

Went to a Thai restaurant,
and it was pork-bone soup.

Oh!
I was out with Emily.

Yeah.
She was like,

"We have to get it!"
I was like, "Righto."

And I got it,
and it was incredible.

So, I'm gonna do
a hot and sour pork broth...

Yeah.
..with a sweet, glazed

barbecued pork belly

and some noodles.
Yep.

Early on,
I got my pork belly on.

It's going to take
about half an hour, at least,

in the pressure cooker,
and I'll put my broth on

nice and early
because it's going

to take a while to develop
those flavours.

And now, I'm moving on
to my noodles now.

So, I'm gonna have
a sour and hot broth,

and then a sweet and hot
pork belly glaze.

So, you'll get sweetness,
then sourness,

but constantly having a bit
of spice there.

So, that's the aim.

I am sold,
I don't know about you.

I really think that, yes,
the pork belly,

I back you on that.
Yep.

But this broth is where
I really want you

to focus your attention...
Yes, yep.

..because the balance, like...

Mate, cooking
for Marion Grasby.

Yeah, I know. Yeah.
I know.

Right? A Thai-style broth.
Yeah.

I'm conscious of...
With noodles, it's going

to dilute everything
a bit as well.

Mate, we are all ears
on this dish.

Alright.
Yeah.

You've just got to bring it
home, because, mate,

immunity, top six.
I know.

How bloody good could that be?

'Cause you haven't
won enough things.

Good luck, Pat.
Well, he's not gonna try today

'cause there's no prize
on the line.

(LAUGHTER)

There's no cheque, no fridges.
Yeah.

AARON: That's it.
Have it all here.

I'm loving the idea
of heat week.

I love a chilli.

I'm super keen to give it a...

like, you know, a red-hot
crack,

especially for, you know,
top dish.

Nice.

This is definitely playing
in my ballpark.

I started eating chillies
when I was about three.

I literally have a photo of me

and my dad, and the way
that he used to feed me,

because I would try
to steal food off his plate

because I knew it was spicy.

So, he had to hold me
between his legs

so I wouldn't reach out
and grab his food.

And he'd eat his food

and give me a bite
every now and again.

So... (LAUGHS)

I love all the Asian flavours
and aromats.

You know,
it's what I grew up with.

I could make it easy for myself,

make something Malaysian,

but because only one person
wins immunity,

you've got to go big.

I want to show a bit
of style and flair.

What else do I need?

I want to go down
a bit of a fusion route.

Now. This is for later.

Hey, Aaron.
Hey, what's going on?

Hi.
You're using the pork?

I'm using the pork.
And what are you making?

I'm trying to make
a braised pork

and stir fried kangkong-filled
tortellini,

sitting on top of a spicy,
whipped silken tofu sauce.

I want to make, like, a tuile
that sits on top as well.

OK.
OK.

A lot to do.
So it's going to look

vaguely Italian, but just
be Asian Flavour Central.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So, I want...
It's kind of right up my alley,

I have to say.
I love it - it is!

..do a fusion-y
sort of situation.

It is right up your alley.
Yeah.

I've got my pork belly on.
Got to roll out my pasta still.

That will be
for a little bit later.

On face value alone,

I think this sounds like
it's definitely in the running

for a top dish.
It does.

In terms of concept.
Yep.

Also sounds very complex.
It is.

So, there's the danger of it
tipping over the other side.

Yeah.
Uh...

Hopefully, I can land
in that sweet spot today.

I think you can do it, Aaron.

And if you can,

top six is yours.

Fingers crossed. (LAUGHS)

Good luck.
Thank you.

I want that immunity so bad.

The way I'm gonna make this work

is just really trying to focus
on each individual element,

and then marrying them all
together

and balancing them as I go.

Hopefully, the fusion IS fusion
and not confusion.

You got to spice things up
today.

60 minutes to go!

I feel good,

although I'm not super familiar

with a lot of these ingredients
together.

Oh, it's starting to smell
good already.

It smells amazing.
POH: It does.

I really look up to Marion,
and I think she's amazing,

but...

Oh, no.

I'm a little worried
about what dish I'm going

to end up getting up.

I want to do something,
like, fun

that, like, stands out
from the rest.

I don't have a super,
super clear idea yet.

Oh.
What do you have in mind?

Um...

Um...

I'm going to do pumpkin
and mushroom skewers

on the hibachi with, like,
a Szechuan-soy glaze,

and do, like, a whipped
gochujang tofu on the bottom.

Nice.
I don't know.

I think this dish is definitely
not something

that I feel really
confident about.

I think my heart's not in it.

I'm just trying to get
a dish up on the plate.

This is off.

Anyway.

That's a bit scary!

I'm really struggling with this.

ANDY: Keep those creative juices
flowing

because you've only got 50
minutes to go!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Forgot how much clapping
there was.

There's so much clapping.

My whole hands are calloused.

VINNIE: How are you going,
Casper?

CASPER: Good.

I'm so excited
for a mystery box.

They're, like, my favourite
thing to do in this competition.

I've gotten a top dish
in four mystery boxes so far.

Far out.

So, it's great, but it's also
a bit of pressure I've probably

put on myself to keep
the momentum going,

and I don't want that
to weigh me down today.

Casper.
Hello.

You are loving this mystery box,
aren't you?

Yeah, I am.
You look very happy.

Yeah, yeah.
Where did you land?

So, I'm gonna do, like,

I guess a riff
on a red braised pork belly,

and then I've got
pickled mushrooms done.

And then, on the base...
Mmm!

..I'm gonna do a pumpkin puree.

I want to get a bit
of lime in there,

and maybe with some
of the chilli oil

to get the heat in there
as well.

I like the sound of that.

Are you feeling the pressure,
though?

Yeah, I think I am a little bit.

Like, it's at this stage
of the competition

where it's, like...kind of
can be everyone's game.

You never know - you could
be that immunity-winning dish.

Oh, so cross our fingers.

The competition
is really fierce now.

We're all so well versed
in this kitchen

and really experienced.

So, immunity is really
something worth fighting for.

So, I want to make sure
that I'm tasting every element.

Mmm!

Layering the spices
so I can put together

the perfect dish.

My pork belly won't
be too far off,

being pressure cooked,
so I can really afford

to just take the time
with this puree.

Definitely have set a standard
for myself for mystery boxes,

but I think I can pull it off,

and I've got the time
to do it today.

I think I've got a pretty
good shot at immunity.

Yum.

LUKE: You going alright,
brother?

Yes, not too bad.
Trying to figure it all out.

You?

Yeah, pretty similar.
(LAUGHS)

Today's mystery box
is a lot of Asian flavours.

I don't have much
experience cooking them.

Are shiitakes able
to be eaten raw?

So, I'm really going
to have to taste as I go

and rely on my instincts

to come up with a cohesive dish.

I will be making
Szechuan pork belly.

That's pressure cooked.

And then, I'm gonna cook it
on the hibachi.

I'm gonna do tofu sauce
at the bottom,

and the rest of it,
I'm going to work out as I go.

This is such a fun cook
in terms of...

I've got no idea
what half of these even do.

This mystery box definitely
feels like it's going

to be very hard today.

They want heat. They want spice.

And that's making me
a bit worried.

I don't know too many
of these ingredients.

I'm not great with spice.

It's gonna be really hard
to balance everything going in

and making sure that the dish

isn't just kind of blowing
someone's head off.

Definitely keen to have a bit
of a play

with the ingredients today,
and to see if I can just

get something
that's a bit different,

but also has great flavour.

The plan for this dish
is to make it quite spicy,

and then tame it
with a cool, creamy element,

so it's spicy,
but it's also pleasant to eat.

Hey, Luke.
Hey, Luke.

Hey, hey! How are you doing?
What's going on?

Not much.
Do you like spice?

I do love spice,
it just doesn't really love me,

I think, is how I describe it.

I feel you, bro.
Yes, mate.

I feel you! I feel you!

Trying to find a balance
between heat,

but not just going crazy
and overpowering the dish.

(CHUCKLES) Righto.
What are you gonna do?

That's the plan. I'm thinking
the pork in the air fryer.

Get it beautiful -
nice, juicy, crispy.

Right.
I'm gonna make a glaze

with some of these condiments -
the gochujang, the soy.

I then want to use the tofu
to make puree on the bottom.

I'm gonna do a roti
with the spinach.

OK.
Yeah.

I'm hoping to make sure
that if I don't put too much

flavouring into the tofu,
then it'll counter really well,

and it'll contrast nicely -
that's the plan.

OK, OK.
Think about this whole dish

and how it's gonna eat together.
Yeah, yeah.

Good luck.
Thanks, guys.

Good luck, Luke.

# It's getting hot in here... #

(LAUGHS)

Having Marrion here
is really, really great.

And also, it being heat week,
I love heat.

You know, I love spicy things.

I wear a chilli,
so that's one thing.

I definitely feel, at this stage
of the competition,

I kind of need
to be a bit more creative.

I really want to put up
something different

that the judges haven't seen
and won't see today.

Today, I'm going to do, like,
a bit of a fusion dish,

because these are obviously
a bit more Asian ingredients

that we've got, and I kind of
really like the spice

that we have.

The Szechuan is really,
really interesting to me.

So, today I'm making

spiced pumpkin gnocchi
with Szechuan pork sauce.

I'm kind of drawing inspiration

from a cacio e pepe-type
of dish,

which is a Roman-style pasta
made with peppercorns

and a cheese.

I'm going to use
the Szechuan peppercorn

as I would a black peppercorn
in my sauce.

I don't have the cheese, but
I'm kind of gonna riff on that

and just see where
this dish evolves.

Although the elements may

be a little bit different
than normal Italian cooking,

they kind of still make sense
in my head

because with the Italian,
you've got black peppercorns

and you've got Italian basil.

So, they're, like, similar types
of ingredients

that I'm using in the same ways.

In order to get some more spice
into my dish,

I'm going to use
the Thai chilli powder

in my pumpkin gnocchi.

(COUGHS)

I really just need
to rely on my intuition

and try my absolute best

to get these flavours
balanced properly.

The heat is rising.

You've only got 45 minutes
to go!

(APPLAUSE)

(COUGHS)
(COUGHS) It really is...

Yeah. (LAUGHS)
It's getting in there.

Everyone's gonna start sneezing
in a minute.

Clearing the nasal passage.
(LAUGHS)

Petro.

Hello, how's it going?
Petro.

So, tell us
what you're thinking.

(CHUCKLES) What am I thinking?
Um...

That didn't sound
very confident.

I'm just nervous
'cause I just don't use

these ingredients much.

I'm working through it. I've got
pressure-cooked pork belly.

So, I've charred off
some ginger,

put that in there.

There's some shiitakes.

I've got some
red Szechuan-soy sauce.

All those flavours in there.

And then, I'm going
to play around with tofu creams,

uh, with a little bit

of the Crispy Chilli Oil,
I think.

I'm wondering...

Because, you know,
it's been very popular

to turn this into cream.
Mmm.

But once you cream it, it turns
into something very rich.

Mmm.
And I just want you

to think about that.
Yes.

The worry is, pork belly - rich.

The whipped tofu could be rich
as well.

Yeah.
You know,

and then you've got
rich on rich.

I think you just need
to look at the ingredients

a little bit more creatively.

Pull them apart,
and think about,

"What could this ingredient give
to the dish?"

Yeah.
You know?

And I feel you can do it.
Yeah, so do I.

Yep.
Alright.

I'm gonna keep that in mind.
Yep.

I'm going to start
experimenting.

Good luck.
Good luck, Petro.

Thank you so much, guys.

Yeah, it is freaking me out
right now.

Got 40 minutes left
to figure out

what I'm going to do
with this tofu.

I have to push myself to stand
out from the pack

and give myself the best shot
at immunity today.

Be precise with your spice.
30 minutes to go!

Alright. Er...

Top dish gets immunity,

so I need to figure out

how I'm going to make
this tofu element.

I'm trying
to do something creative

and outside of my comfort zone.

And it's a mystery box,

so that's what
these days are for.

I'm just gonna experiment.

I'm gonna start
tasting everything

and see what I can do.

After tasting the silken tofu,

I realise that it's very fresh.

I think the flavours
are going to work perfectly,

mixed in with the Thai basil
and the water spinach,

in a cooling, refreshing salad.

Oh, yeah. We're in business.

Well, well, well, Marion,
tell me,

are there any spice-ific...

(LAUGHS)
..dishes going on?

Tell me - what is going on?

I am very excited
about Asian pasta.

Ooh!
I love that combination.

And I think we've got
a gnocchi going on.

Oh!

And we've got
a tortellini going on.

AARON: Stunning.
Annabel,

she's going to do
a mushroom and pumpkin skewer.

ANNABEL: Oh, my God.

She's excited
but not super confident.

(SIGHS)

We do have one dish
that we were high-fiving over.

Yes. So, Pat.

OK.

He's doing his beautiful broth.

So, he's got all
your goodies in there -

aromatics, the mushrooms.

He's building up
a really nice broth.

Hot and sour was what he wanted
to bring in the broth.

Hot and sour broth!
MARION: Yes!

Yeah.
POH: And then noodles.

MARION: Do you know, I think
a good broth

is one of those things

that encapsulates everything

that I was saying
at the beginning,

which is about layering
the flavour.

Yep.
If he can achieve that

in the broth, I think
that would be magic.

It could be an absolute cracker.

AARON: All the elements
for my tortellini filling,

they're on the go.

The kangkong has been sauteed,

pork's in the pressure cooker,

and I've made
my silken tofu sauce.

So, the silken tofu sauce
will be a creamy element.

So, you get more aromas,

rather than the heat
of the chilli oil.

Nice.

There's still a lot to do.

I want my pasta
to be really textural,

but also have a really
nice colour,

which is why I decided
to use the oil

from the chilli oil
in the dough itself,

to add a bit more pop.

Nice little kick, actually.

What else do I need?

I really want
to take it up a notch,

try to push myself...

..so I'm making a tuile.

Yeah!

And I want it to look a bit
like a coral,

and then have the tuile
just covering everything

to add a bit of mystery
and crunch to the dish as well.

Oh, yes!

CASPER: That's a big mortar
and pestle, mate.

Yeah, well...
What's this? Bacon?

Gochujang lardons.

Oh, for your... Yeah, yeah, yum.

Yeah.
It's a good idea.

Thanks. Thought of it myself.
(BOTH LAUGH)

My gnocchi's boiling, and now

I need to make
my Szechuan peppercorns.

I don't have that much
experience working

with the Szechuan peppercorn.

But I've been to Japan,
and I ate a lot of it there.

I'm going to get those green
and red peppercorns into my pan

with my gochujang pork lardons,

my gnocchi and some pasta water.

I need this dish to really pop
in flavour,

and it needs to be spicy,

and needs to have that really
tingly effect on the tongue

from those Szechuan peppercorns.

Oh!

That is bangin'.

Really, really nice.
Szechuan is perfect.

I think it needs a little
bit of extra heat,

so I'm gonna add a little bit
of that Thai chilli powder.

Um, the puree is looking
really good actually.

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with it.

I've also put some limes

and some of the chilli oil
in there as well.

Tasting this puree,

I really think it was worth
the time.

That out the way.

I'm really happy with how
this is coming together.

You get lots of different layers
of heat and textures.

Nice.

The pumpkin, the gochujang,
the glaze on the pork

has caramelised up really
nicely.

But having a look around

at the calibre of the rest
of the contestants,

I'm starting to worry

this isn't pushing the boat out
far enough today.

They're nice, so we can
get those out as well.

Wow.

So, I want to make a real zesty
pumpkin-seed salt,

just to give it
that extra level of flavour.

Blitz those up with a bit
of green Szechuan peppercorn

and some chilli.

So, there's a fair bit of heat
in that finishing salt.

Hopefully,
that's, like, my edge.

Have your kidlets
watched MasterChef?

Your MasterChef?
Only just recently.

A lot of kids at school now
who...

"Oh, my mum and dad
watched your mum and..."

Oh, that's really sweet.
Yeah. No, it's cool.

I don't think
they really understood.

They just...they just thought
all kids get fed this well.

Always.
Yeah.

They're like,
"Doesn't everyone have boxes

"on the supermarket shelves?"
Exactly.

We should be right.
Feeling pretty good.

Just getting every last bit
of lime juice

out of these limes

because I'll need
every bit of it for my soup.

The broth is the star
of the hot and sour soup.

So, if I don't nail this broth,

I'm in with no hope
of getting top dish today.

(COUGHS, SPUTTERS) Hot!

(LAUGHS)
It's hot!

(CHUCKLES)

So, the broth has been simmering
now 45 minutes.

So, it's extracted all
the flavour out of everything

that's in the pot.

I just need to now balance it
with the citrus.

I'm going to make it more
powerful than I normally would,

because once it's got
the noodles in the dish,

that will dilute the flavour
a little bit.

It's really good.
I'm super happy with it.

You definitely get the sourness
of the lime first,

and then the hum of the heat

just kind of sits there,
especially on your lips.

So, hopefully, they enjoy that.

I'm just going to touch
the pork belly on the hibachi

with the glaze.

I'm hoping, once you have
a mouthful

of the really sour spicy soup,

the sweetness of the pork,

and then those beautiful
textured noodles

will balance each other out.

The idea of the broth -

I'm really looking forward
to that.

I'm just working my glaze
at the moment.

I'm trying to make sure
that I get

a really nice flavour.

I want it to be really zingy.

I definitely feel like this dish
has nailed the brief.

The glaze and the tofu cream
have layers of heat.

The rotis look good.

But it's all going
to be about the pork.

Let's have a look.
The moment of truth.

I take my pork out
of the air fryer,

and it's looking really good.

So, super tender and nice
and crispy on the char.

That's pretty good.

I can really see this dish
coming together.

I think I could be in for a shot
for immunity today.

Spice up your life!

15 minutes to go!

(APPLAUSE)

I hope they knock
your socks off today.

So do I. I hope, like...

We're like proud parents
of these seven.

(LAUGHS) I know.

So, I really hope
that they shoot for the stars.

Prepped my vegies.

They're just marinating
in their marinade.

This dish is definitely
not something

that I feel excited to eat...

It's more like a mayo.

..but it's time
to get onto my skewers.

I want to cook the pumpkin and
the mushroom on the same skewer,

so I'm going to alternate -
pumpkin, mushroom,

pumpkin, mushroom,
pumpkin, mushroom.

Annabel, are you happy
with your choice or...?

I'm getting there.

Now, I can see clearly,

all the layers...
Yes.

..that the pumpkin
is still hard,

but the flesh of the mushroom
is already very soft.

I think it might
be very difficult

to have the pumpkin and
the mushroom cooked perfectly.

OK. Yes.

I didn't think
about the mushroom cooking

at a different rate.

Of course. Like...

..of course they're going
to cook at different times.

OK. Thank you.

Alright.
Yeah.

They've got completely
different densities.

I know that!

Only ten minutes to go!

(APPLAUSE)

Jean-Christophe made
a good point

about the, like, cook time

of the pumpkin
and the mushrooms.

I am going to redo the skewers,

and I'm going to put
all the mushroom on one

and all of the pumpkin
on the other, and cook them.

I'm just trying to get
a dish up on the plate,

and I'm just, like, making
silly decisions along the way.

And I'm not thinking clearly,
and I think it's showing.

I really have to knuckle down
on folding my pasta.

The outside would be this,
like, silky Italian pasta.

And then once you bite into it,

you'll get the flavours of
South-East Asian.

I really want to make sure
that everything is balanced,

refined and done well.

The spice is layered through
the silken tofu sauce,

and I've also got green
Szechuan peppercorn dust

that goes over the tuile.

So I've layered all these
different levels

of spice and different kinds
of spice throughout the dish.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Not long left.
Five minutes to go. Come on!

Ooh! It's smoky.

We're getting to the end
of the cook,

and I'm getting ready to plate
up my spiced pumpkin gnocchi.

My dish does have a lot of heat.

Gonna make some more.

But I just don't know

if I've executed every layer
of spice properly.

So I'm going to make
a Thai basil topper as well.

I'm just working on, like,
a chilli oil,

bit of Thai basil,

a bit of olive oil
and lime juice

just to top off the rest
of the dish

so it cuts through all
the richness.

PETRO: The silken tofu salad
tastes amazing.

And then I've got my glaze
going.

It's made out of juices

that have been sitting
in that pressure cooker.

I get that on the pork

and finish it off on
the hibachi.

I feel like my flavours are
there,

and so I'm hoping I can
get immunity today.

Immunity for the top dish!
Only three minutes to go!

I've got the mushroom skewers
and the pumpkin skewers,

and I'm brushing them with
the glaze.

My mushrooms look great

and they're, like, soaking up
all the smoke.

And they're going all charry
and all those gnarly bits.

My pumpkin's taking a lot
longer.

Shock. Who would have thought?

Oh, no. This is not good.

I can't serve those pumpkin
skewers.

Oh, no.

I feel really sad
and really disappointed.

This is not a plate of food
that I am proud of.

We're wrapping it up in ten...

JUDGES: Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

That's it, everybody!

Well done!

ANNABEL: Oh, my God.

I can't even believe I have to
serve that.

I'm not gonna cry.

Anyway. It's not an elimination.
I don't know why I'm crying.

I'm just, like, disappointed
in myself.

These are disappointed-in-myself
tears.

I know no-one's going home,

but I'm just like, "Oh, dammit!"

I feel like,
just even the last week,

I've really started to picture
sort of, like, going pretty far

in the comp, and like, you know,

maybe even making it to
semifinals.

So it's just like,
you start thinking that

and then you start,
you know, you don't cook well,

it's just like, "Oh, well,
maybe you can't do this."

First dish we'd like to taste
belongs to...

..Petro.

Yes, Petro!
Go, Petro!

This is definitely different
compared to

what I originally had in mind,

but I'm really happy with
how it's all come together.

I hope that my tofu salad
makes me stand out.

Huh!

Petro, what have we ended up
with?

So we've ended up with
chargrilled pork belly

with a roasted green
Szechuan salt

and silken tofu salad.

Righto.

Petro, what you've created here
is absolutely stunning.

The pork, it is delicious.
It is really well cooked.

It's got a great char on it.

The simplicity of that silken
tofu element is perfect.

It's that beautiful moment

of sweetness, sourness
and numbing.

They're the three kind of
sensations

that this plate
is absolutely littered with.

Thank you so much, Andy.

So this tastes like something

that I might find in, like,

a really modern Asian restaurant
in Singapore.

It's got this real
sophistication to it.

And it is wonderful to see
that tofu

in its actual glory.

And the way you've treated it
counters perfectly

with that really smoky,
deep flavour

you've gotten on that pork.

My mouth is, like, floating
with the flavours,

you know, and it's all mixing
together.

I'm loving it.
Thank you.

The thing that I love
about it is

that it still has
the intensity of flavour

and the interest of street food,

particularly the char
on your pork.

It's almost like you're walking
through a smoky street

somewhere in Bangkok.

This is excellent cooking.
Thank you.

It's got the sensation element
that Marion's dessert had.

So you've got the hot,
numbing barbecue pork,

and then you've got this kind
of refreshing tofu salad.

So, well done.
Thank you, guys.

I am getting a lot more trust
in my intuition.

Well done.

So I think I've got a really
good shot at top spot today.

But there's a lot of good cooks
here, so you never know.

OK, next please...

..Vinnie.

VINNIE: I'm pretty proud that
I put up something

that packs a punch.

You know, I've used those green
and red peppercorns,

Thai chilli powder, chilli oil
and the gochujang on my pork.

I definitely feel like I've
nailed that aspect.

So, Vinnie, tell us,
what have you made?

I did a pumpkin gnocchi

with a Szechuan and pork sauce.

I kind of wanted to come up
with something still, like,

kind of close to my roots,
but with different flavours.

So it's basically like
an alla Gricia-type of dish.

It's got the Szechuan
as like the peppercorns

and then the pork as the
guanciale.

And then I've kind of done
the gnocchi as the pasta.

I like it when people do bad
things to traditional food.

Whether or not it succeeds is
what we need to find out.

Oh, ho-ho-ho!

(CLEARS THROAT)

Bloody hell!

(COUGHS)

(COUGHS)

(EXHALES)

That is so ho-hot!

You trying to kill us or what?
No, no, no.

My mouth is burning, honestly.

Vinnie, I actually like the
level of heat,

but I love chilli.

I think there's one problem
here.

(COUGHS)

The Szechuan peppercorn isn't
quite the right substitute

for a black peppercorn
with a cacio e pepe flavour.

To me, cacio e pepe has
an earthy pepperiness,

whereas this Szechuan peppercorn

makes a dish very bitter
and very overpowering.

And so it's almost like
that overpowering numbingness.

And everything from the Szechuan
is making everyone cough.

(HOARSELY) I kind of like it.

It's, like, fun.
Me too. It's kind of addictive.

Yeah, it's challenging me,
but I...

It hurts, but I want it to
like me.

Yeah.

There's something that's
nearly happening there

with the sweetness of that
vegetable

and the intensity and fruitiness
of the spice that you've used.

And I think it could be a
really, really interesting dish.

So take it away with you,
see what you get.

Andy will always happily
volunteer as your tester.

I used to like you.

Oh, you know.
Thank you, Vinnie.

Oh, you know.

There's definitely room
to improve on my dish,

but I feel pretty happy

that I was able to actually
bring up something

that was super creative.

No-one else had thought of this,

and it was something new
to the judges

that they hadn't had before.

Well done, V.

Can you make that for dinner
tonight?

Aaron!

AARON: This is definitely
the type of food

that I want to be creating.

Has a sense of fusion,
creativity

and technique and flavour.

That's the kind of chef
that I want to be.

Aaron, what did you make?

I've made a braised
pork belly tortellini

on a spicy, whipped silken
tofu sauce.

Let's get stuck in.

(CRUNCH!)

I love that crunch.
The sound is nice.

My pasta was really lovely.

It was super thin.

Super delicate.

The filling, I thought,
was lovely.

The sauce, for me,
I don't think you got there.

I feel like the heaviness of
the soy flavour in that,

you've tried to balance it out
with fresh aromats.

It just hasn't got there, mate.
Yeah.

When I ate the tuile,

that savouriness added
another dimension

to all the textures

and I think it helped

because you had the soft pork
filling

and you had the soft sauce
as well.

Yeah.

I think there's one thing that
let you down and that's balance.

Yeah.
I get a lovely heat at the end,

but there's quite a lot
of tanginess

overpowering everything.

I think if you could have pulled
that back a little bit,

it might have been a winner.

I like your tortellini.

I think you've done an amazing
pasta work.

Clever using chilli oil into
the pasta dough. Brilliant.

I hate to be dragon auntie,

but I feel like this challenge
was yours.

You've got insider knowledge

on how to use all these
ingredients.

Just be careful
you're not overthinking

when you don't need to.
Yeah.

Noted. Thank you. Thank you.

I did say I'd go big today

and I think, in looks,
it's worked today,

but not in flavour.

I think, just going forward,
I need to try not to overthink.

You're up next, Annabel.

ANNABEL: Marion is someone that
I really look up to,

and I really wanted to put up
a dish

that I was proud of
that I think she would like.

I just don't think this is
the dish today.

Annabel, what have you made?

I have done soy- and
Szechuan-glazed mushroom skewers

on a gochujang tofu.

Oh!

Dammit! Uh!

(SOBBING) Sorry.
It's OK.

I felt really good, um,

coming off the back of last
week. Sorry...

I really want to be here.

And I really want
to take this as far as I can.

And I've sort of started to,
like,

be able to picture myself
doing that.

But I'm not putting up
dishes consistently

that I'm really happy
with and proud of.

But I think I'm just like scared

that if I continue to cook like
this,

I'm going to find myself getting
eliminated.

Alright.
We're going to taste your dish.

Thank you.

(EXHALES)

Annabel, that is not as bad
as you think.

Really?

I think the flavours, to me,
are quite beautiful.

I can taste that hint
of the hibachi, which is nice,

that little bit of smokiness
and the ginger.

I like those things,

but that spice overpowers
everything.

So I'm not tasting the mushrooms
as much as I would like.

If I could taste more of
that meatiness in the mushroom,

that would have been better.

OK. Thank you.

If one day I ever end up
to become a vegetarian...

..I will make sure I eat
those shiitakes

the same way to remind me
about proteins.

Yeah. I don't think you should
be too hard on yourself.

Thank you. Thank you.

You know what? The plate
still looked very beautiful.

And even though you can taste
the struggle,

I can also see
the love and the effort.

I think you're just putting
so much pressure on yourself

to do even more great things
in this kitchen.

The best thing in this place
is to cook with enjoyment.

The worst thing is to cook
with fear.

Competition is a scary thing

and I think it goes
up and down a lot.

And if you can just find
that confidence again,

I think you'll be fine.
I hope so, thank you.

Thank you.

Enjoy your cooks,
you silly sausage.

Next dish we'd love to taste
is Pat's.

Yeah, Patty.

The judges said they really want
a dish that has layers of heat.

It is something some people
have struggled with.

So I really hope the judges

get different levels of heat
with my dish.

Pat, what have you made us?

I've done a barbecue
glazed pork belly

with a hot and sour soup.

OK.

Pat, impeccable work on
the noodles.

They're so fantastic.

And the pork is really nice
and tender.

Has a lovely, subtle
sweetness to them.

But, yeah,
the broth has let you down.

There is a lovely warmth
coming through it,

but I think you've thrown
too much lime juice into it

and it's throwing
the balance off.

When you're introducing
quite a bit of acidity,

you also have to balance it
with sugar.

There is quite a bit of hidden
sugar in South-East Asian food.

MARION: There is. Did you add
any sugar into the broth?

No, I didn't.
Yeah, I think definitely

that's what's let you down.

The depth of your broth
is impeccable.

The darkness, the clarity,
the strength.

That little mistake
of adding too much lime,

very unlucky.
Great concept, though.

Like, honestly, noodles on
point.

And I love the cook
on the pork belly.

Pat, you got your noodles,
your broth,

your pork, your two
for three easily.

So there is so much to gain
from this bowl of food

and so much about it
that's really delicious.

I really want to commend you
for cooking food

that isn't necessarily your
style

and trying new things,

because not resting on your
laurels like that

is how you grow.

Thank you.

OK, next, please, Luke.

LUKE: I'm not great with spice,

but I definitely feel like
this dish has nailed the brief.

The dish doesn't blow your head
off, but when you eat it,

you get every layer of heat
and spice

and I'm hoping that it pays off.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Wow.

So, tell us, what have you made?

LUKE: I've done crispy roast
pork

with whipped tofu
and water spinach roti.

Luke, do you know, when I really
love a dish and there's roti,

there's only one thing to do.

And that is get it all in
there like that.

And your dish makes me want
to do that.

I love how the sauce itself
is tangy enough

to cut through that pork,

and I'm getting this beautiful
hint of spice

after every mouthful
that isn't overpowering.

It just all works together.

Look, mate, the roti is fire,

like, it is so, so well done.

So is the pork belly in texture
and how it's cooked.

It's really juicy.

The crackling is really crispy,
really aerated,

which was spot-on.
So, good stuff.

You had these little ribbons
of ginger,

the fresh raw ginger in there,

which just cut through all of
that fat together.

It does create harmony in
a dish.

And that's exactly
what Marion said

she wanted to see
at the start of the day.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: The roti,

especially with the water
spinach,

is delicious, crispy.

When you were a three-year-old
on the front of the TV

watching Chef Marion,
you would have never realised

that one day you would have
turned up

on the front of her and us

and flogged us one of the most
delicious dish ever.

Well done.

LUKE: Thank you.

On you, Lukey!

Yes!

Next dish we'd love to taste
is Casper's.

CASPER: I'm feeling pretty good
about this cook.

Like, I would definitely be
happy with this plate of food.

I think it tastes really nice.

I've just got that little
thought in the back of my head.

Have I hit that spice brief
hard enough to be top dish?

Casper, what is the dish?

CASPER: So I've done a braised
pork belly

with a pumpkin and lime puree,
some pickled shiitakes

and chilli salt with
the lime zest and pumpkin seeds.

Alright, we're gonna taste
your dish.

You know, when I came around

and I had a look at
your pickled mushrooms,

you'd chosen to use the green
peppercorns.

It's citrusy.
It's a high note.

And I think that's really
clever.

And this salt makes
your tongue dance.

And there's nothing more that
you can ask from food

than your tongue to be dancing.

POH: Yes, yes.

There is a spicy discotheque
in my 'bouche'.

(LAUGHTER)

Take that home.

Because I reckon...

I reckon Marion's gonna steal
that recipe

and put it in a jar
and make a fortune.

You betcha!
So make sure you trademark it.

I'll get a co-sign! Yeah!

But even within every element,
there are layers of flavour.

So when you put it all
together - ah! - magic.

The puree has just got that
lovely push-pull

of, like, sour, sweet.

And then you've got the pork

that's a bit salty,
beautifully cooked.

I love that sort of chewy
meatiness

of those pickled mushrooms.

That slight kiss of char on
the pork belly

went so well with the fruity
Szechuan number.

I think that's a really,
really delicious dish, mate.

Well done. Thank you.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Thank you.

Not only did you turn up
the heat,

but I saw so much passion today.

Passion, that white apron
and a lot of hard work

is how you win.

POH: Put your hands together for
Marion, everyone.

You guys went hard.
You gave us some great dishes.

There were three of you that
really, really stood out.

Luke.

Your kangkong roti, man,
that was banging.

You showed us that daring,
experimental side that we love.

Well done.

Petro.

Your use of Szechuan pepper

across the pork and the tofu
salad,

great use of spice.

Good work.
Thanks.

Casper, your pumpkin puree
was silky,

your pork belly succulent.

And that pumpkin seed, lime
and Szechuan salt was brilliant.

And that's why, Casper,
you're dish of the day!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Thank you.

Congratulations, Casper.

You are top six.

(EXHALES)

Whoo-hoo! It's getting real!

(WHISPERS) Far out!

Everyone else, tomorrow
is a brand-new day.

And another chance to prove

that you deserve a place

in the top six.

Goodnight, salut.
Goodnight, everyone!

Well done, Casper!

PETRO: Yeah, Cas!

ANNABEL: Well done.

Today was not my day.

But silver lining is
I've got another day

in this kitchen regardless.

So I'm really grateful
that I can come back tomorrow

and it's a brand-new day.

I really want to leave today
behind.

ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow night...

(CHEERING)

..when life hands you
chillies...

VINNIE: It's probably enough,
but let's get a bit more.

ANNABEL: He's gone rogue, guys.

..you harness the heat...

Whoa! Far out!

..and make a dish that wins
immunity.

PETRO: There's not many of us
left.

You have to do whatever you can

to stand out from the pack.

I'm doing dessert.

In a chilli challenge!

Yes.
That is bold. It's a bold move.