All language subtitles for MasterChef.The.Professionals.S16E06.1080p.HDTV.H264-DARKFLiX

It's the professional MasterChef
quarterfinal.

These five skilful
chefs triumphed in their heats.

Tonight, they'll be judged on two
tough challenges designed to push

them even further.

The judges said I've set the bar

high for myself, so I need to now,

like, take it to the next step.

It's not just food you're cooking,

it's your love, it's your hate,
it's your anger,

it's your emotion.

You're here, you're in it.

Do not, do not, do not let

your head get the better of you.

First, they must devise and cook
a delicious dish starring some

of Britain's most-wasted
ingredients.

It's a clever move. That's
not half bad.

Those who succeed will go on to cook
for three of the country's

most-discerning food critics.

Inspiring, thrilling,
it makes life worth living.

Only the very best will earn
a place in knockout week.

Five fantastic chefs.

They're good enough to get here,
are they good enough to stay here?

I want them to push.

A good cook excels when
they're under the pressure

of the MasterChef kitchen.

Welcome back. We have got a great
challenge for you now.

We don't want you to waste
this opportunity.

You each have a box on your bench,
and underneath those boxes is a clue

to this challenge.

Please, take away the box.

We have four ingredients
that are wasted more than any other.

Bread, milk, potatoes and banana.

Your challenge is to create a dish,

but one or more of those four wasted

ingredients needs to be at
the forefront of your dish.

Behind us, there is an array
of other ingredients

for you to choose from.

You've got ten minutes to come
and choose your ingredients,

70 minutes to cook and serve.
Come up and choose.

The chefs can choose additional
ingredients from a larder

which includes smoked haddock,
sea bass and chicken, as well

as a selection of fruit,
vegetables and herbs.

They can use whatever they want,
but they must include either milk,

bread, potatoes or bananas.

Show us what you can do with that
that makes it stunning.

A little bit nervous.

Definitely a tough challenge.

I'm just trying to get my
creative juices flowing.

Something down a pastry route.

I'm very confident in using things
that I know.

I'm very confident using, well,
bananas.

I think all chefs are aware
of food waste.

It's what you do with that
food waste is what counts.

But they have to raise the bar
and they've got to show us

that they deserve that next step
in the MasterChef kitchen.

Hopefully, I'm doing something
which will let

the produce shine through no matter
how slightly off it might be.

HE LAUGHS

OK, chefs, 70 minutes.

At the end of this,

one of you, unfortunately,
will be leaving the competition.

Off you go.

26-year-old Molly from Leeds left
school at 16 to pursue her dream

of being a chef.

She now runs a catering business
with her partner, Charlotte.

She impressed the judges
with her modern take

on some classic dishes.

I believe a good chef can think
on their feet. You have to.

My main thing today is just
don't panic.

I'm smiling, but it's, like,
a nervous smile,

and, you know, my stomach's
like a washing machine.

What items have you chosen?

I've chosen milk, bread and potato.

What's your dish, please?

My dish is a take on champ mash,

but I'm going to make it
into a potato cake

with spring onion, chives,

and I'm going to do poached haddock.

What does waste mean to you?

It means a lot cos I've got
my own business. We're only small,

it's just me and Charlotte. So we
can't chuck stuff away because

we're essentially chucking our own
money away and our profits,

and it's just not an option.

We know that you work
with your girlfriend. Yeah.

How did she react when you told
her you got through?

She were right happy. We got
engaged at the weekend.

Say that again. We got engaged.

We went to Dublin for the week
and she got me a Celtic ring.

And I've now got a fiancee.

SHE LAUGHS

Be a cracking week if you go
through as well as getting

engaged, wouldn't it?

Oh, I know. If I can keep going,
I'd be buzzing.

Thank you.

SHE LAUGHS

Molly's taken the milk and the
potatoes as the key ingredient.

She's going to poach some
smoked fish in the milk.

Can't stop shaking!

She's also got the potato,
which she's making into a cake.

She's going to put some of the milk
from the cooking of the smoked

haddock into the potato.

Woo!

To me, as a working-class Londoner,
it sounds like a bubble

and squeak cake.

Woo! In Ireland, champ.

Come on, Molly.

It absolutely sounds delicious,

and I think Molly's been really
clever with her use of ingredients.

29-year-old chef James manages
a hash brown street food business.

After an impressive Skills Test...

This tasted really good.

...he further stood out with
a combination of French classics

and Asian flavours.

I love taking what people
might say is a bland ingredient

and funking it up.

I find the idea of the
Invention Test exciting.

It's something I feel like I can
show a bit of flair on.

James, you had a good couple
of opening rounds.

How are you feeling about it now?
These things are always kind of

tougher than you initially
imagine but, yeah,

I'm settling into it now, I think,

so I'd love to cook more dishes
for you guys.

What waste ingredient have you
chosen, and what is your dish?

I've gone for potato, predominantly,

with some bread going through it
as well.

So I'm doing a hash brown,

croutons, soy-cured egg yolk
in the middle.

Hash brown, you're playing to your
strengths here.

It's what you do every day.
You've got a hash brown wagon?

We have, we do have a hash brown
wagon.

And on a good day,
how many hash browns might you make?

Oh, sometimes we do 1,000 covers.

Well, in some sense, there should be
no problem making just two.

You say that now.

well...

James is using potato,

he's using milk
and he's using bread.

Fantastic. Really, really
impressive.

The main element of his dish
is a hash brown.

The potato is at the centre
point of this dish.

His hash browns should be perfect.

Not a drop of grease, cooked
all the way through, nicely browned.

I've just thrown some red peppercorn
through the butter, and then that is

going to be poured into the hash
browns throughout

the cooking process to make
it delicious.

I like the idea of the croutons as
well with some of the stale bread.

He's putting the egg yolk
into soy sauce.

The soy's rich in salt
and seasoning, and that will

just gently cure that egg yolk.

He's got to get the timing
just right.

Simples.

Sous-chef Lauren works for a
private catering company in London.

She secured her place

in the quarterfinal by impressing
the judges

with her passion and Caribbean
touches.

If I go into my fridge, and there's
something that is on its last legs,

I'm like, this is going to work and
this is going in my dish tonight.

So I try to do that, especially
with the current climate.

SHE LAUGHS

Lauren, what are the key
ingredients you've chosen?

Somehow I've used all of them.

Have you? Yeah, a risky, risky
business, but I think there's

a plan behind it. All right, tell me

what the plan is and tell me what
your dish is.

So, essentially, you've got a
refined fried chicken and chips.

We use the milk to marinate
my chicken.

The whole potatoes are kind
of julienne to make potato chips.

I've used the banana to make
a banana ketchup,

so rather than using sugar,

I've used a banana to sweeten the
ketchup.

Wow! Get you, Lauren! Yeah.

Lauren, she's featuring four of
the ingredients, and she's even

using the banana in a banana
ketchup.

I've not made one before, but today
will be the day.

SHE LAUGHS

To use a banana
as the sweetener for a ketchup

is very clever.

I've still got the tomato in there,
but the banana's the main flavour.

Chefs, you have 20 minutes left.

20 should be plenty.

Welsh sous-chef leuan got
off to a strong start in the Skills

Test but received mixed feedback
for his elevated pub favourites,

doing just enough to make
it to the quarterfinal.

I can certainly feel a little bit
more pressure.

Obviously, the challenges
get a little bit harder.

Even if it comes crumbling down,

enjoy the tumble, I guess,
and move forward from it.

Ieuan, you've a smile on your face?
Trying, yeah, it's good.

And what waste products
have you chosen?

As soon as I saw bananas, I was,
like, straight for the bananas.

Obviously use milk, cos you can make
custards, ice creams,

the sky's the limit.
What are you making?

A sticky toffee banana sponge

with a white chocolate
whipped ganache.

Banana ice cream, candied peanuts.

Did I see you put skins
as well in the blitzer? Yeah.

The banana skin went in the cake
so it doesn't go dry in the oven.

Wow!

I don't think I've ever, ever
had a banana skin in a cake

in my life.

He wants to feature the banana
and, wow, is he featuring it.

God, it's hot in here.

He's even using the banana skin.

Ieuan has blitzed

up all the banana,

and he's put that into his cake mix.

I've never eaten a banana skin.

Well, I have, but it was
an accident, and it was hideous.

Now, if that works, I think
that's brilliant.

It does sound good, though.

Banana, toffee, banana ice cream,
whipped ganache with white chocolate

running through. These ingredients
that are all created

to work together.

Ice cream on, cakes are done.

If they all come together,

we're in for a treat.

A little longer.

You have got ten minutes!

28-year-old Lithuanian-born
chef de partie

Evelina got off to a shaky
start in the Skills Test...

You're kind of over time now.

I'm sorry. ..but she won the judges
over with punchy flavours

in both her signature dishes.

The Invention Test, when you don't
know what you're going to get,

it's exciting, but also
it's a bit scary.

I've got my running shoes on today.
SHE CHUCKLES

What are you making, please, Chef?

So I'm making a sea bass
and potato mash

inside the little potatoes.

I'm making a red wine sauce
and then green parsley

crumb as well.

Well, you're using our key
ingredients, but you're not making

them the main part of it,

they're used quite sparingly
throughout your dish.

At the end of the day, I do
have to make a tasty plate

of food, so hopefully...

And what's your thoughts
on waste in life, in kitchens?

It plays a big part, I think,
in my life, and it should play a big

part in every chef's life.

Through the years I've worked
in kitchens, I've seen quite

a lot of waste. I personally like
to use everything.

How do you say goodbye in Lithuania?

Viso gero. Viso gero?

Viso gero. Viso gero.

SHE LAUGHS
Thank you.

Evelina, she's got the potato,
which she's cut into halves.

She's scooped the potato out.

She's mixed that with a little bit
of leek,

and then she's putting that back

into the potato skin, which I think
is really clever.

But sea bass is the main element.

She's going to flavour breadcrumbs
with herbs.

Parsley through my crumb. I just
want it to be as vibrant a green

colour as possible.

Right.

We've got a red wine sauce.

So far, so good.

LAUGHS: We'll see.

Little bit of breadcrumb,
little bit of potato,

that is a contentious point
right now.

Right, chefs, you've got two minutes
to finish your dish.

I reckon I'll be ready...just.

Let's go, come on.

OK. Happy?

Only after you've tried it.

SHE LAUGHS

Chefs, you have 60 seconds.

Time's up!

Brilliant.

SHE GROANS

Private chef Molly has used milk
to poach her haddock and topped

it with crispy leeks.

She used the potato to make a champ
potato cake with spring onions

and Savoy cabbage.

It's served with braised leeks

topped with a parsley and lemon
breadcrumb

crust and a white wine, cream
and mustard sauce.

Your haddock, beautifully cooked.

Your sauce is delicious, full
of chives, full of flavour.

And of course, you've got
the little julienne sitting

on top there, too, so that's great.

You've really got to hone
in on the execution

because this is rustic,
but it's tasty.

I love your champ cake because it's
much lighter than it looks.

It's perfectly smooth.

Really nice bite of spring
onion through it as well.

And I like the fact that
you have thought about where

you were going to use the potato
and the bread and the milk.

Well done, Molly.

Nice one, thank you.

I think it went really good, yeah.

I'm really proud of myself
and I know that everyone back home

in Leeds and Ireland will be
proud of me, too,

for that champ mash.
SHE LAUGHS

Freelance chef James has used
potato to make a hash brown.

It's topped with soy
maitake mushrooms,

hung buttermilk,

chimichurri emulsion, thyme,
roasted croutons

from leftover bread

and a soy-cured egg yolk.

You've used three of the key things,
and they're pushing right

there at the front. The potato's big
and bold and full of flavour,

the croutons are crunchy,
they bring texture

and, of course, the buttermilk
is sitting there, too.

But there's so many flavours
clashing with the soy, the egg

yolk, the potato.

I just feel very confused
in what I'm eating.

It's a really lovely hash brown.

It has got crispy bits to it,

it's not greasy, the eqgg is great.

All the textures are fantastic,
but it's very salty.

I don't think I covered myself
in glory, but we got something

up and it wasn't a disgrace.
They didn't hate it,

so let's really just pray
that that's enough.

Sous-chef Lauren has used
all the main waste ingredients

for her chicken and chips.
Milk-marinated chicken thigh coated

with chilli and ginger breadcrumb,

crispy chicken skin, chips,
miso mayo and banana ketchup.

Nice chips, crispy chips,
really lovely chicken thigh

with the coating of bread
around it as well.

And there's a serious flavour
of ginger, a little hint of chilli.

Absolutely love that.

Crispy chicken skin, salt
across that, really, really good.

Nice miso mayo, it's a good idea,

gives it a bit of saltiness,
almost a little bit of meatiness.

I think you are what we used
to call in the old days "clever".

Thank you, Chef.

I've been dipping my chips
into your mayonnaise,

and I've been putting the chicken
into the banana ketchup.

It's a clever move using the banana
as the sweetener to the ketchup.

That's not half bad.

Well done, you.

Those comments have shocked me
so much because I was scared,

I was very, very scared,

because I took a risk,
completely out

there with the banana, especially.

I was very scared.
SHE LAUGHS

Just some risks are, I guess,
worth taking.

Sous-chef leuan has used the whole
banana, including the skin, to make

a banana sponge with vanilla white
chocolate Chantilly, candied

peanuts, banana ice cream and a
sticky peanut butter toffee sauce.

The sponge is quite dense,
but then if it's got the banana

plus the skin as well,
I should imagine it would be.

I was worried that this
would be too sweet,

it isn't. You've also got these
really crunchy

breadcrumbs underneath your ice
cream as well, which is delicious.

I like how clever you've got
with a banana.

Thank you very much.

You've got a beautiful banana cake
with a lovely caramel sauce

with peanut butter running
through it. Delicious.

Your ice cream does taste of banana.

You have used the banana
and its skin as well,

which is brilliant and brave
at the same time.

Well done, it's a very good dish.

Thank you very much.

Well done, you! You were brilliant.

Amazing! That was, like, literally,
a sigh of relief.

LAUGHS: I'm so happy right now!

When Marcus called it brilliant
and brave,

my whole body sort of, like, shook,
cos it was

a really great feeling.

Finally, it's chef de partie
Evelina.

She's serving pan-fried sea bass
with potato skins filled with leek

and parsley puree, courgettes
and a red wine sauce.

You've got a piece of fish that's
standing very proud in the centre,

beautifully cooked, but a sauce
could have been maybe a little bit

smoother, more intensity
in the red wine.

You've used a couple of
the ingredients that we wanted

you to but in such a very small
way.

With that potato puree, I mean,

you must have just literally put
a spoonful of milk in there,

literally, there's hardly anything
in it.

Key things sit so far in the back,
you hardly notice them.

It is a really lovely-looking
dish, a well-cooked dish,

but I wonder if with a bit
more imagination we could

have featured
those ingredients more.

I think I played a bit safe.

I could have maybe pushed
a little bit more.

But I hope I've done enough.

I've got a lot more to show
for the next rounds.

That's a tough challenge.

It's a great challenge,

it really made them think.

Usually, it takes quite
a while to create something amazing.

We had very little time for it.

It could have definitely
gone better, I think,

but what shall be shall be.

It tested our chefs and they
showcased their skill.

It was brilliant. Great,
great cook-off today.

If I was going to pick a chef
of the day, I think

it would have to be Lauren.

It was never about who could use
all four ingredients.

The key was whatever you chose,
make sure it's standing out.

Lauren did that in abundance.

Loved the chicken, loved the chips.

And the banana in it as well

with the ketchup, that's clever
cookery.

Lauren should definitely
cook for our critics.

Somebody else, I think, cooked
really intelligently with an element

of fun and actually completely

nailed the brief, and that was
leuan.

He pushed the ingredients
to the forefront and we got banana

in more ways than one.

And he also used the skins,
which I think

was absolutely fantastic.

I really enjoyed Molly's dish.

She hit really good notes
with all of the key ingredients

that she'd chosen.
Rustic, but beautiful in flavour.

So Molly is in there with Lauren
and leuan.

That means we now have to discuss
Evelina or James, and one

of those is going home.

James absolutely nailed the brief.
He made really good use of

the potato, of course,
in the hash brown.

He made use of the bread
with the flat crouton.

But I've got to be honest,
Marcus, I didn't love it,

I thought it was a little too salty.

He used three of the ingredients,
and he used them well.

The flavours were all working,
but they weren't working together.

Evelina gave me a beautifully
cooked piece of sea bass.

Looked smart, but the key
ingredients just kind of found

themselves on the dish -

not a big part of the dish -
which was disappointing.

The question is, did she do enough?

In the next stages,

I just need to show that I can push
myself a little bit more, play a bit

riskier, too. I think I can do
it, hopefully.

Fingers crossed.

I'm on the edge of it now.

I'm going to be standing there
with a little bit of apprehension.

It would be sod's law going home
on a hash brown as well.

That would be really stupid.

HE LAUGHS

We can only take four chefs
through to cook for our critics.

The chef leaving the competition
is...

...Evelina.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

Thank you, guys. Thanks.

Yeah, feeling gutted.

Playing safe, erm, let me down
today.

I'm going to take all the good stuff
out,

and I'll maybe take a little bit

more risks next time.

Congratulations.

Oh, man!

I'm well buzzing, me.

Critics are coming next.

That's when the competition
really does begin to hot up.

This is scary.
SHE CHUCKLES

We have three of the leading food
critics in the country coming

here to try your food,

Jimi Famurewa, Jay Rayner
and Tom Parker-Bowles.

Make sure you've got your A-game
on today.

One of you will be leaving
the competition.

Put a smile on their face,

secure yourself a place
in the final 12.

1 hour and 15 minutes,

two of the best courses you've ever
delivered, chefs. Off you go.

I feel like I've got a few things
to prove.

The last round didn't quite go

as I wanted it to in my head.

I think the critics should
just be another customer.

Yeah, I think you've just got
to go and do what you know

you're capable of.

James, how excited are you cooking
for our critics?

Scary if you think about it,
but I like to think

my food will be the same
whoever I'm cooking for.

What are you going to be
feeding them? Cured mackerel.

You've got a salsa of preserved
lemon, apples, cucumber, jalapenos.

And main course?

A sirloin of beef with a crispy
cavolo nero,

seasoned with nori powder,
and then miso and celeriac puree

with a sweet soy shimeji mushroom.

Tell me about this combination
of Asian and European style.

It's food I like to cook with
flavours I like to eat.

I think you are heading
in a very interesting direction,

and I like the combinations
of your ingredients.

We're looking forward to this.
Thank you, Chef.

James's first course
is going to be a mackerel

which has been cured.
50% salt, 50% brown sugar,

a little bit of dill in there.

Rinse it off and torch it.

Curing has to be timed
to perfection.

It's got to be just right
between the saltiness

and the sweetness.

I want to be able to taste the key
ingredients on the plate.

There is a salsa, jalapeño
peppers and preserved lemons.

Sounds absolutely delicious.

We've got our buttermilk and dill
oil sauce just to finish the plate.

There is a lot to do for a starter.

Getting it all done is a push,
but we like a push.

Main course, James has got European
cookery technique with lots of Asian

flavours. Beautiful-looking sirloin
of beef.

We want it pink inside,

that doesn't mean raw.

We've got some shimeji mushrooms,
and then he's dropped them

into the sweet soy glaze
to enhance that flavour.

The one I'm looking forward
to the most is celeriac with miso.

Whee! I think that could be
absolutely lovely.

On top of that, sake - Japanese
whiskey - in the sauce.

Got to be careful with the sake,
it's a very strong drink.

He needs to make sure that it
complements the beef sauce.

Aw!

He is playing around here.

In the right pair of hands,
it can be magical.

Hopefully, if it all comes together,

it'll be a winner.

IEUAN: Today, I am worried about
the time,

I'm not going to lie.

I have to push and have to bring
every single element of energy

that I have and go in there with
foot on the gas straight away

and just pump as hard as I can.

Ieuan, you have got your head
down and you are motoring!

LAUGHS: Yep. Have you given yourself
a tonne to do?

I've given myself potentially
a little bit too much to do.

What are you cooking
for our critics?

I'm doing a main and a dessert.

Ooh! I'm doing a roasted breast
of pigeon, which I'm going to glaze

in a teriyaki sauce.

It's a recipe that I learned
working with this Japanese chef,

and I love it, I really do love
this sauce.

I'm doing con fit pigeon leg,
so I'm making a rhubarb

and beetroot ketchup.
What's dessert, please, leuan?

I'm just doing a classic, like,

sort of lemon tart, doing it
with hazelnut,

Italian meringue.

Pastry is my strong point,

I like to try and prove pastry

as best as I can,
play to my strength.

Two very different dishes
you've got going on here.

Yes, Chef. Looking forward to this,

and I think you're the only dessert
being cooked today,

so he likes a pud.
So you've won!

THEY LAUGH

I love a pigeon breast.

It's always something I order
if I see it on the menu.

You've got to make sure
that it's pink

and moist inside,

that it doesn't dry out at all.

Teriyaki glaze, we've got soy,
we've got mirin, we've got sake.

Very, very strong flavour
with the delicate pigeon breast.

I'm going to con fit the leg.

It's like a little pigeon
lollypop. I want to make sure

the pigeon leg is actually
con fit-ed,

but these things always throw up

something you haven't seen
before, or the one thing

you don't want to go wrong
will go wrong.

Little turnip fondants. If you're
going to have the word "fondant"

on a menu, it's got to be cooked
all of the way through.

Come on! We've got rhubarb
and beetroot ketchup.

There's a lot of different flavours
all working against each other,

possibly, if this dish isn't
balanced.

I love a lemon pie, but he's not
doing your usual standard lemon pie.

He's got a little twist. Right.

He's doing a sable biscuit base.

It's nearly all butter.

I mean, it's about as rich
as you can get.

That's got to be bang-on.

If that even slightly crumbles,
he's got nowhere to go.

The lemon curd has to be absolutely
spot-on.

Nice and sweet, nice and sharp,

and set beautifully well.

Italian meringue is about cooking
the sugar to perfection, pouring

it onto the egg whites as it starts
to whip up.

It's got to be nice and firm,
and hopefully, he's going to finish

it with a little glaze with
the blowtorch.

The thought of hearing positive
things from the critics,

it'd just be amazing.

You can only imagine the places
that they've gone to eat

and the food they've eaten.

It's an honour and it's
a privilege,

and I really hope that I do well
cos it'd mean so much to me.

Molly, how big a day is today
for you? Yeah, it's massive,

I'm pushing myself.

I don't want to go home.

There's only one thing that'll
allow you to stay here, and that's

just good cookery.

The starter is for Charlotte.

I'm doing pan-fried scallops
with an onion bhaji, curried

cauliflower and coconut milk puree,
pickled raisins, coriander oil.

I did this as a one-off one time
and she absolutely loved it

and she asks me for it every
week now,

so I wanted to do it for her.

The main course is a take on a

proper Northern Sunday roast.

It means a lot to me. Growing up,

it used to bring our family
together.

Every dish that I've done on here

means something to me. I want to be
able to tell a story about it,

I want you to remember me
and hopefully my dishes as well,

most importantly.

Bit of an Indian takeaway at the
start, Sunday roast to finish.

Sounds like the perfect day!

I'm happy. LAUGHS: Cook on!
Cheers.

Molly's first course,

the scallop needs to be just
beautifully caramelised

on the outside and has to be cooked
perfectly well.

Come on, man.

The cauliflower puree nice
and smooth.

If you want the curry flavour
running through that,

it has to be just right.

Lovely.

One of the favourites from an Indian
takeaway, an onion bhaji.

Yeah, I like them, I think they'll
complement the scallop well.

Just make sure the onions
are cooked and don't burn them.

More crispy.

A proper Northern Sunday roast.

Peeler.

It means so much.

I hope that I'm making everyone back
home proud.

She's got all of the flavours
of a roast.

You've got the beef tenderloin.

Beautiful sear on the outside,

needs to be perfectly cooked.

Roasted potatoes.

That didn't look very pretty, so...
SHE LAUGHS

Please make sure
they're cooked all the way through.

We've also got a red wine jus.

Remember, she's only
got just over an hour.

She's got to get those bones
roasted,

she's got to reduce the wine.

That will make or break this dinner.

Fingers crossed it all comes
together today.

Lauren. Thank you.

LAUREN: I get a lot of inspiration
from watching food videos online.

It may not necessarily be

a Michelin-star chef, but it could
be someone's

grandma in the kitchen making
dumplings from scratch...

...just putting their love
and heart into these dishes,

and that just really inspires me
a lot in the kitchen.

Ooh! Lauren... LAUGHS: Yes, Chef?
..It's food critic day.

What are you cooking for
our critics?

For starters, prawn and chilli
dumpling in a lemongrass, lime,

ginger broth with a lotus crisp
topped with a spicy red pepper puree

and a coriander pearl.

Wow! And then main course,

I've got a five spice roasted duck
with a blood orange sauce, a sesame

quail Scotch egg, asparagus
and a scorched onion.

How do you feel about cooking
for critics?

So funnily enough, I went
to the butcher's, walked in, turned

to the right and saw Jay Rayner,
and I thought, let me not risk

it and tempt fate, and I turned
around,

bought my meat and ran out, so...

SHE LAUGHS

Well, if he dislikes your dish
today, you know

where to track him down. Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

There is an incredible amount
of work going into Lauren' starter.

Tiger prawn and chilli dumplings.

Tiger prawns blitzed

up with a little bit of chilli
running through those.

She's got Scotch bonnet chillies,

one of the hottest chillies
available.

We've got a broth of onion, a little
bit of lime, heat of the chilli,

lemongrass coming through.

There's a Thai influence
going on there.

And on top of that, we've got
a puree of sorts made of red pepper,

and a coriander pearl as well.

I blend coriander with water,

bring it to a simmer with agar,

and then drop it into cold
oil, which then creates

these little caviar pearls.

So these will pop in the mouth
and be, like, a burst of flavour.

The main course from Lauren
sounds absolutely delicious.

She's got a duck breast
and a blood orange sauce.

With that duck, you've got to make
sure that the flesh is cooked

all the way through
and the skin crisps up.

She's also got a little bit
of duck breast.

She's blitzed it up in the machine
and she's going to wrap

that around the quail's egg.

As you cut through it, you want
that beautiful

quail's egg to ooze out
onto the plate.

That is not easy in any way at all.

She's a confident cook who doesn't
shy away from taking a risk.

My biggest concern is definitely
timings.

I have put quite a few complex
elements into my dishes.

The nerves are there, but I just
need to stay focused and stick

to my time plan.

I come every single series filled
with anticipation and delight

and the hope that I might try
something quite magnificent.

It's quite a daunting occasion,
you know, the three of us looking

down at you dress like hit men,
with our blazers on, so they've got

to be able to handle that pressure.

Minimum qualifying standard
is to get the basics right.

That means you can't overcook
your beef, you can't undercooked

your vegetables and your sauces
can't split.

Well, that's basic stuff,

you have to get that right.

If you haven't got that right,
it's goodnight, Vienna.

Ten minutes till the first courses
go.

Are you going to be ready, James?

Yeah. Confident? I think so.

Dishes are nice.
HE CHUCKLES

James's starter is cured mackerel
with a preserved lemon, apple,

jalapeno salsa, served
with a jalapeno, buttermilk

and dill oil sauce.

Sounds impressive,
it sounds bright, it sounds fresh.

Blanched wild garlic over the top.

You know, if you'd have done street
food today they'd have loved it.

They love street food.

It's about getting a balance right
between those sharp flavours -

the apple, the lemon, the buttermilk
and also the jalapeno.

Wow. Absolutely beautiful.

You ready to meet the critics?

Yeah, I think so.

JAMES: Gentlemen. Hi, James. How are
we doing? We're good.

Thank you. You're very welcome.

I've cooked you a cured mackerel
in a sugar, salt and a dill cure.

You've got a salsa of preserved
lemon, apple, cucumber and jalapeno

with a buttermilk and jalapeno sauce
split with a dill oil,

and then just a lovely piece
of wild garlic.

Thank you very much, gentlemen,
enjoy. Thank you.

I'm often asked by people who've
watched this,

"How do you eat so many courses?"

And then this arrived,
and I thought, well, that's how.

The fish does hold up,

actually. You can't really taste
the cure, but it's got sharpness,

it's got acidity, it's got balance.

That jalapeno is perfectly judged.

The buttermilk is really
impressive - sour, rich, buttery.

And then you get the garlicky hits
from the leaf and the crunch

of the apple. I think it's really,
really clever.

That sort of wisp of smokiness
that came from the charring

really helped to anchor it all.

It's bold and it's kind
of surprising.

LAUGHS: Like, I'm sort of really

impressed and encouraged
for his next dish.

That mackerel just lightly torched,
oily, strong, it's great.

That's very dainty, but it's got

a flavour punch that's well above
its weight.

And of course, that little salad
of apple, capers,

jalapenos, it's delicious.

That's a great start for James.

Right, your main course is up next,
how is that looking?

Yes, it's looking good.

You've got four minutes to go and
quite a bit of plating to do.

James's main - sirloin of beef,
shimeji mushrooms in a sweet soy

glaze. Mm!

Roasted beef fat shallot
topped with a panko crumb.

You happy with that, James?

Yeah, very happy.

Charred mirin baby gem heart

with crispy cavolo nero, miso and
celeriac puree served

with a sake and beef sauce.

Blimey!

It's like James went to one
of those Asian supermarkets

and bought everything, and now he's
determined to put it on the plate.

How many of these do you serve
off the back of your truck?

JAMES LAUGHS
Probably not enough.

OK. Let's go, let's go.

Gentlemen.

For today, I've cooked for you
a sirloin of beef,

a mirin-compressed baby gem

with a crispy cavolo nero and a nori
seasoning on top, a beef fat con fit

shallot with beef fat panko, got a
miso and celeriac puree, brown

shimeji mushroom and a sweet soy
dressing.

And you've got aromatic beef sauce
with hints of Sichuan star anise.

All the delicious things.
Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, gents, enjoy. Well done.

Ah!

Wow.

The beef's cooked gorgeously,
the mushrooms are unbelievably good.

Beautifully seasoned panko
breadcrumbs

on that gorgeous shallot.

Everywhere your fork goes, there's
this jolting, gorgeous surprise.

It is so much fun.

The miso, that adds a smoothness.

Underneath it all is that beef
fat, which is magnificent.

This is what fusion food
is all about.

Inspiring, thrilling,
it makes life worth living.

HE CHUCKLES

He delivered to us not just
what he said he was going to,

but an awful lot more.

I have to say, the flavour
is exceptional.

This is classic cookery

with a hint of modern brilliance.

I love the nutty celeriac
with the miso giving it a little bit

of meatiness,
I think that's divine.

I think he's delivered two
dishes of real quality.

HE EXHALES

I think it's one of those moments
you think, I'm going to be following

this chef wherever they go.

With the pressure and the time
limit, I'm happy with the dishes.

They should like it.
Mad if they don't.

HE LAUGHS

leuan, you have ten minutes left.

I think everything is where I want
it to be.

Mountain of work to get through
but don't forget the quality, leuan.

No, Chef. Never. Remember who you're
cooking for. Yes, Chef.

Ieuan's main course -
teriyaki glazed pigeon breast.

Teriyaki would work with any meat.

It's a sweet glaze and cooked,
hopefully, over some form of grill.

How long have I got left?
GREGG: Two minutes left.

The one that's making me
twitch slightly is a rhubarb

and beetroot ketchup.

There's acidity, there's sweetness,
there's earthiness there.

That's going to be quite hard
to pull off,

particularly against
a red wine sauce.

Jesus, you're shaking.
It's the adrenaline.

Go on, leuan.
Give them a smile. I will.

Thank you very much.

So, I've done for you
teriyaki glazed pigeon breast.

Confit pigeon leg,

a rhubarb and beetroot ketchup,

turnip fondants,
purple sprouting broccoli,

and a nice jus sauce.

Thank you.

There's a really good looking
dish here,

on top of which have been placed
a bunch of redundant green things

which look like they've wandered
in from elsewhere.

The pigeon's cooked quite nicely.

He said that the legs
had been con fit.

It feels like scant con fit.
Yeah.

There isn't really much
going on there.

I'd had a few bites of the pigeon,

and where's the teriyaki?

He can make a sauce.
He can cook a pigeon breast.

But this doesn't quite make
for a dish.

I'm poking around going,

"Well, that morel hasn't
been seasoned at all.”

The turnip fondant may have read
like an interesting idea at the time

but it doesn't eat like one.

It's not really suited
to the fondant treatment.

I like this ketchup.

I thought it had a real sort
of sharpness.

In parts, really good,
and it almost comes together.

I liked it. I didn't love it.

Broccoli's cooked nicely.

The puree - can taste the beetroot,
can't taste the rhubarb.

But the con fit leg's
not cooked enough.

There's no colour and it's not
been trimmed up well enough.

And this bit of pigeon I've got
on my plate here is pretty rare.

I'm sorry.
I don't want to eat that pigeon.

It's too under for me.

Heeyyy!

Yeah, I'm all good, all good.

Look at them. Look at them!

Ieuan"s dessert is lemon curd,
vanilla sable.

Mate, be gentle with them, please.

Lime meringue
and a raspberry sorbet.

That meringue has been turning
very slowly for quite a long time.

Is it stiff enough?

I think he's going to have a bit
of a problem with that.

Not actually got any aeration
into it.

I don't think this is going to work.

Lime meringue, very posh.

Quite like the chewy bits
in the middle. That's important.

Oh, this is not going to work.

I make Italian meringue
20 times a day.

I've ballsed it up.

You're going to have to plate
this differently.

How are you going to plate this
differently?

That's not your Italian
meringue, is it? No, it is not.

It's a very quick French meringue.

It's not what I wanted.

Right, OK.

Ieuan, it's raw.
It's raw, it's raw.

You can't eat raw meringue.
Do you understand what you've done?

Yeah, I understand what I've done.

You can't serve that.
No.

I haven't got a dessert to plate.

I don't know what to do.

Let me figure this out.
What's the plan?

I could scrape it out.

Get as much out as you possibly can

and let's get a dessert up, OK?

This has not gone to plan at all.

Really sorry I'm late.

I was supposed to make classic lemon
tart with a raspberry sorbet,

hazelnut and fresh raspberries.

I have had a few issues.

Unfortunately, my Italian meringue
went flat, so I made a quick

Chantilly just so you had a little
bit of something just to go with it.

Well done, leuan.

It looks OK.

Hopefully it'll taste pretty good,
as well.

The pastry is really, really good.

Do not underestimate just how little
time they have in that kitchen.

Pastry work really requires time.

I think he's done a bang up job.

The lemon curd has sharpness.
It's not too sweet.

The sorbet works with it. By itself
it's fairly underwhelming, though.

Ieuan clearly had a bit of a tough
time in there, but I think there's

lovely balance about it.

Each bit speaks to the other.

I think he's done really,
really well.

MARCUS: Three minutes from serving
and it looked like you didn't have

a dessert to serve, but we've got a
beautiful lemon curd.

We've got fantastically
whipped cream.

That sable tart is delicious.

But it's not the finish
that he wanted.

It isn't. It isn't. It's rushed.

HE EXHALES

I so lost control on
the dessert. I don't know why.

Pastry's my confidant, and
it's the one thing I messed up in.

I think you take a risk doing
pastry in an hour and 15 minutes.

Molly, you've got ten minutes
before your first course is served.

Molly's starter,
pan-fried scallops, onion bhaji,

curried cauliflower puree,
pickled raisins and a coriander oil.

That's a lot of scallops.
How many are you serving?

I was going to do one, but I don't
want the portions to be too small.

Do you honestly cook these every
week for your love?

She'd be lucky!

I will be very impressed
if that onion bhaji

is beautifully crisp
and perfectly flavoured.

I like your leopard-skin plate.

I like to see onion bhajis
and curry cauliflower puree.

You're shaking like a leaf.
You're shaking, chef.

I like moving away
from French classicism.

Oh, Molly, I like this.

That should be delicious.

As long as, statement of obvious,

she doesn't muck up the cooking
of the scallops.

Happy with your scallops?

I'm happy.

All right.

Hiya. You all right?

Great stuff. Thank you.
You're welcome.

Today, I've cooked for you
pan-fried scallops, onion bhaji,

curried cauliflower puree,

pickled golden raisins,

micro coriander and a coriander oil.

Please enjoy. Thank you.
Thank you.

Thank you. Thanks, Molly.
Cheers.

Oh, wow.

Scallops, lovely, really lovely.

But that bhaji, that's a real,
you know, wake up.

It's really good.
There's lots of chilli in there.

It's really kind of eye-widening.

The cauliflower puree was rather
restrained, rather elegant.

I like the pickled raisins.

They give a little jolt of acidity.
Lovely.

My God. The flavours that Molly's
been able to conjure,

it's really full throttle,

no holds barred in the most
fantastic, compelling way.

Love the amount of spicing
in that bhaji.

Love the amount of spicing in that
really smooth cauliflower puree.

I like it. You've got sweet and sour
golden raisins,

and the natural sweetness
of the scallop is fantastic.

Who doesn't love
an onion bhaji? Mm.

It's a bit hot, but it's delicious
nonetheless.

Are you now on time for this
roast dinner?

Yeah. Molly's main course is beef
tenderloin,

beef dripping potato fondant,

celeriac puree,
baby root vegetables.

This is Sunday lunch in France.

If the beef tenderloin is perfectly
cooked,

well seasoned and rested,

fundamentally,
we'll be pretty happy.

Hey, how's that, chef?

I'm really happy with it, yeah.

How long's left, please?

A couple of minutes, my friend.
Thank you.

I'm looking at the beef
dripping potato fondant.

Actually, that sounds really good.

Have you stuck a knife or a fork in
the fondant?

Yeah, I did a tester one.
Didn't doubt you for a minute.

Molly, you're dressing this plate
via your picture, aren't you? Yeah.

Spent a lot of time and looked
at a lot of dishes

of yours as well, Marcus.

Wow. Thanks very much.

Today, I've cooked you a take
on a northern Sunday roast.

So you've got a beef tenderloin,

beef dripping potato fondant,

baby turnip, baby leek,

honey-glazed carrot,

celeriac puree,

and red wine and beef jus.

Please enjoy. Thank you.
Thank you.

Thank you.
Thank you very much.

The beef is decently cooked,

the fondant's got a nice colour
on it

and it's lovely and fluffy.

And there's that silky puree,

gravy all over the top
with a proper gravy boat.

These are all good things,

but it is what it is and that isn't
especially memorable.

The beef dripping potato fondant,

instead of butter
going into the stock,

there's lots of beef fat.

Mmm. Delicious.

Everything's beautifully cooked.

We know Molly can cook.

To have a Sunday lunch deconstructed
to this extent,

it's a bit bonkers, really,
but it tastes wonderful.

Beautiful pink beef.

That puree is as smooth
as churned butter.

It may look simple, but it
doesn't half taste good.

I'm really happy with my cookery of
everything, you know.

I do believe I've done enough, yeah.

Lauren, you've got five minutes
to go. How are you doing?

I'm good.
I can start plating.

It doesn't half smell good around
here, though,

I've got to say.
Thank you, Chef.

Lauren's starter is tiger prawn
and chilli dumplings.

The wrappers, the dough
has got to be bang-on.

Lemongrass, chilli and lime broth.

Beautifully clear.
Well done, Lauren.

It sounds warming and fragrant.

A spicy red pepper puree,
that does worry me.

I think we're moving across into
perhaps Spain.

It's beautiful, but you've got
a minute.

OK? Just a minute.

There needs to be a proper
chilli bash from this dish.

I want to go, "Ooh! Aha!"

And make noises that
are slightly peculiar.

Look at you!

Come on.

That is a very pretty dish.

Very elegant.

Thank you.

So you have a prawn
and chilli dumpling

with a lemongrass, chilli
and spring onion broth.

Lotus crisp with
a spicy red pepper puree

with coriander pearls.

Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.

Thank you. Well done. Enjoy.

This is pure and clean
and the smells of it...

And look at the beauty of
that pastry.

These are professional dumplings.

That's definitely scotch bonnet.

The heat in that pool of broth hit
like a complete freight train.

The mushrooms steamed in there
are quite nice

and I love the lotus crisp.

I've never seen this heat or tasted
this heat on MasterChef.

A killer broth.

This is pure and clean.

And the dumplings are magnificent.

The dumplings are brilliantly made

and I wanted a whole basket
of those crackers.

Oh, whoa! Whoa!

Oh! Wow!

That broth is ferocious.

It starts off citrusy,
and it just finishes with fire.

The pearls of coriander
just bursting into your mouth.

The dumplings are beautifully made.

I love the little prawn filling.

That'll have certainly woken
the critics up.

Lauren's main course,

five-spiced roast duck breast
with blood orange sauce.

It's duck a I'orange with a couple
of other things,

and there's nothing
wrong with that.

My duck is still pink,
which is great.

I can't see why you'd have
a Scotch egg with duck a I'orange.

A good Scotch egg
should have runny yolk.

That's really hard to do
with a quail egg.

Well done with that egg.

Thank you, Chef.

I wanted it slightly runny
in the centre. I'm happy.

I've got my leeks
around my asparagus.

Very nice.

Good.

Right. Ready to go.

So, you have a Chinese five-spice
roast duck with a quail Scotch egg

made with duck and sausage meat,

a scorched Roscoff onion

and a bouquet of asparagus
with a blood orange sauce.

Thanks, Lauren.

What matters here is the duck
and the sauce.

The duck breast itself
has been very well cooked.

The sauce is just a little
underpowered.

Beautifully cooked duck,
there's good technical skill,

but you can be a bit heavy
on the five-spice.

I've got a tiny, tiny whisper
and I wanted a big shout.

I loved that intense, gooey,
sticky, caramelised Roscoff onion.

The Scotch egg, perfectly lovely.

I mean, she"s onto a winner.

I think she's done a really good job
with the Scotch eqgg,

because the quail's egg is nice
and soft in the centre.

The sauce, I love
the blood orange flavour,

but it's too watery.

It was intense.

But I got my dishes out.

It's just a waiting game now.
I've done what I could.

I've done what I set out to do,
so I just wait.

Critics always bring some pressure
into the MasterChef kitchen.

We've got a lot to discuss.

One of them leaves the competition.

No two ways about it,

James delivered
two sensational plates.

Our critics loved him.
We loved him.

Without a doubt, cook of the day.

Mate, he was just on fire.

James is going through
to knockout week.

He most certainly is.

I'll tell you who else
I thought did really well today

and that was Molly.

Scallops beautifully cooked
on an onion bhaji

that the critics just loved.

Fabulous starter from Molly.

Really enjoyed eating that.

Molly, for a main course,

wanted to give us her much-loved
family Sunday roast beef.

But the critics weren't as in love
with it as we were in here.

There was no bells and whistles
on the main course,

but it didn't half taste good.

If she wants
to make her family proud,

she's just done it.

That means we have to make
a decision between leuan and Lauren.

Lauren gave us wonton wrappers
with prawn dumpling inside.

Enjoyable for the customer
that loves hot broth.

We all enjoyed it.

Lauren's main course,

I was OK with the cookery
of my duck breast.

Sauce could have had a bit more
body to it.

There were some very interesting
high notes there,

but she does
need to work on detail.

You could say that leuan's
main course was slightly confused.

I had a bit of an issue with
the cookery of my pigeon breast.

It was a little too rare for me.

Now, look, you and I were fully
aware of the chaos

that was going on
with leuan's dessert.

It was rushed and was panicked
at the end,

and it was a struggle for him.

If I was going to be
completely honest,

I'd be lucky if I got through,

because it's the small mistakes
that make the difference.

And I didn't make a small mistake,

I made a big mistake.

I'm hoping I've done enough.

A place in knockout week
would be everything.

Even just, like, thinking of it
is just making me happy.

Yeah, it would be amazing.

You all rose to the challenge.

Some great cookery and some
very, very good dishes.

We can see how much it meant to you.

But one of you is, of course,
leaving the competition.

The chef leaving...

...leuan.

Thank you very much.

You've had a good competition.

You've done really well to get
this far.

It wasn't your day today.

I'm sorry to see you go.

Have a nice day.
Good luck, guys.

I think it sucks
to have to go out at this stage.

But I didn't perform under
the pressure that was given to me

in the last ten, 15 minutes,

and there was three better chefs
in there on the day.

Well done, all three of you.

You know what this means?

You're part of the final 12.

Wahey! Well done.

Come on.

I'm super happy.

It's an amazing feeling.

It means a lot.

Getting to this point is huge.

It's a really nice bit of confidence
as well to know that people

like your food as much as you do.

This is, like, the biggest thing
that's ever happened to me.

Oh, my, my. Wow.

Wow, wow.

I can't wait to tell everyone
back home.

Leeds will be rocking!

Next time...

...four new hopefuls

battle it out for their place
in the quarterfinal.

Just calm down!

How far off is that cooked?
Not close.

Mmm!

You've got it spot-on.

I'm finding that
an absolute delight.