All language subtitles for Masterchef.Au.S16E29.720p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-WH

Previously on MasterChef Australia...

Let's go. Come on.

..a team service challenge...

There's such an energy
about a commercial kitchen.

Service, please.

..took pub classics
and cranked them up.

That's an absolute pub banger
right there.

If this was at my pub,
I would order this

time and time again.
Same!

Then...
Curtis Stone!

..the Orange Team
cooked along with Curtis.

Lots of flavour, lots of balance,
lots of texture

and it's a really
sophisticated dish.

But we had to say farewell to Sue.

Yeah, Sue!

(ALL CHEER)

And...

The winner will have their sauce
sold in Coles stores

across the country until sold out.

..Sumeet proved
she truly is a sauce boss.

(ALL CHEER)

And she's first
into this year's top 10.

Tonight,

an elimination

means it's curtains
for one more home cook.

(GASPS)

Morning.

It's very...show...showesque.

Everyone's very hesitant
to come down the front.

I know! You guys are so,
like, subdued today.

You know what we're all thinking.
What's behind the freaking curtain?

You know, that's what's happening.

There's something
up their sleeve today.

There always is.

Morning, all.

ALL: Morning.

Firstly, welcome back, Pezza.

Because you missed
the last elimination cook,

you're straight into this one.

Thanks for that.

(ALL LAUGH)

This may be the most important cook
of the competition so far.

Make it through today,

and you're in the top 10
of MasterChef 2024.

Well, whether or not you make it
to top 10

is going to come down
to what you choose to do

with whatever's behind here.

Sumeet is already in,

which means there's only
nine spots left

in top 10.

Sumeet, how does it feel
to be up there today?

Oh, my gosh, it's a great feeling.

(LAUGHS) She's basking.

(LAUGHS)

Top 10 for me was when everything
started to click.

This is the big milestone.

It's a point where you should be
starting to hit your stride

and really find your spot
and your style.

You're like, "Wow,
I am proving things to myself

"that I never thought
could be possible."

Being so close to the top 10,
I can just envision it.

Sumeet, my girl, I need to...

I need to join
that Punjabi princess in top 10.

Righto. Be warned.

This challenge is going to be
a meaty one.

Nothing beats a solid, succulent
plate packed with protein, right?

Going down the pub, big parmy fan,

it comes out crispy,
the size of your head,

and you are just ready
to dive in, right?

As a Frenchman, out of everything,
I think I would go for a nice steak.

Yes, there it is.

A bit of black pepper,
flash on the grill.

Oh! Oh, my God, I fancy a steak!

I just liked
the black pepper dance.

(ALL LAUGH)
That was nice!

Yeah.

(ALL LAUGH)

Are we cooking steaks?

Right, who's keen to cook
a meaty dish today?

Pezza, are you ever not keen?

(ALL LAUGH)

Well, not so fast.

We've got a juicy twist for y'all.

(GROANING)
WOMAN: Of course!

Ready to find out what it is?

Yes.
Give it to us.

Oh!

(GASPS)

POH: There's no meat or fish.

Starting to work it out?

Notice anything missing?

Protein.
Protein.

You got it.

MAN: The good stuff.

That is right, there is no meat.

This pantry is entirely plant-based.

Oh.
Oh!

SAVINDRI: There's no fish,
there's no beef, there's no pork

and there's no butter,

which is not a world
I want to live in, honestly,

but it's fine.

So the challenge is -

choose a dish that is renowned
for its meatiness

and recreate it minus the meat.

(GROANS)

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Pezza.
(ALL LAUGH)

How do you feel?

Yeah, no, a bit,
uh, different to me.

I don't think I've ever cooked
a vegetarian dish or...

ANDY: Not one?

No, I don't think so.

(ALL LAUGH)

You will have 75 minutes.

Everything you need
is either up here or in the garden.

The MasterChef pantry is off limits.

The cook to bring us

the least impressive
plant-based dish

will be going home.

Your time...

..starts now.

MAN: Does anyone see maple syrup
anywhere?

Garlic.

I need so much stuff.

Can anyone see any vinegar anywhere?

ANDY: We all love meat.

You know, I love meat.
We all love meat.

But we're not getting it today.

I just realised, no eggs,
no butter, no cream...

Yeah.
..never mind no meat.

I know.
What are you supposed to do?

So now I just realise,
all the time,

that I never thought of -
how do you do without?

For these guys to succeed,
we don't want to miss the meat.

You know?
Yeah.

I think for me,
the word for me is 'satisfying'.

I want to feel satisfied

because the thing that is
often missing with plant-based

is mouthfeel and umami.

So if you can find those
in a dish, you're good.

Well, I think that that's
where your choice of vegetable,

if you are, if that's the route
you're going to go,

is very important.

You know, things like celeriac,
really meaty when it's cooked down.

Things like cabbage,
things like eggplant, you know,

they do give off both texture

and the depth of flavour

when you cook it right
that meat does.

I think we've come a long way

from just having a cauliflower steak
in restaurants.

That just doesn't fly anymore.

I want to see people sort of take
the vegetables and transform them

into something that is meaty.

So, I think in terms of finding
a bottom dish,

it's going to come down to that.

Oh, jackfruit, where are you?

I am feeling OK, actually,

'cause I do cook
with a lot of vegies

and if I play to my strengths
and go Sri Lankan,

which is what I'm doing,

most of the cuisine is plant-based.

Hey, Sav.

Hello, judges. How's it going?

Very, very good.

What are you gonna cook?

I'm making you
a Sri Lankan shepherd's pie

with jackfruit.

A Sri Lankan shepherd's pie?
Yeah.

OK, I like it.

So the jackfruit
will obviously be...

The meaty bit.
The "meaty" bit.

Yeah.
Um, are we gonna get,

like, mashed potatoes?
Yes.

You are getting mashed potatoes.
I'm going coconut today.

A coconut mash?

Yeah.

Right,
I'm looking forward to trying that.

How is the jackfruit meaty?

This is actually one of my favourite
things to eat in Sri Lanka,

'cause it's actually got
a super meaty texture

'cause it's got the threads
kind of like.

Can I taste?
Yeah.
Teach me.

So it's got these
like little fibres in it.

Texture of it.
Wow.

I'm actually, like, not going
to chop it too finely either

'cause I want, like,
that chunk to it.

We've all had shepherd's pie
so there's a reference there.

Your job is to make it better
than that reference.

Yeah, no pressure. Right?

Good luck.
Thank you.

Good luck.
Thank you.

It is very strategic for me
to go with jackfruit.

It's got these natural fibres
that mimics the texture of meat.

And I am going to cook it

with some really deeply roasted
spices

to create that same
kind of depth of flavour

that you'd get naturally from meat.

Flavour is my game and my name,

so that's what's going to
keep me here.

SUMEET: Ah. Smells good.

Good one, Meems.

Is there a way to turn this on?

Oh, I think it just goes on
when it plugs in.

Is it switched on at the switch?
Yeah. It is.

Ah, there's an on button.
(LAUGHS)

Makes sense.

Checks out.
Checks out.

I dated a vegan for three years,

so plant-based came out
every now and then.

Um, it wasn't my cup of tea,

but, um, it does taste delicious
when you get it right, for sure.

I feel like my really good cooks
have been

kind of that sweet/savoury vibe,

and that's what I'm going for today.

I am taking inspiration

from fried chicken
and waffles today.

Yeah.

I love chicken and waffles

and I've cooked oyster mushrooms
before as fried chicken.

Honestly, oyster mushrooms
as fried chicken tastes incredible,

if not better than

the original fried chicken
and waffles.

And let me tell you why.

Because those oyster mushrooms

have so many natural little crags
on them

that that's where
all the batter sticks to.

And everyone knows the best part
of fried chicken is the batter.

It's not the actual chicken itself.

So that's why I think
this is going to be

better than the original.

This morning, I'm making waffles.

Waffles.

Go, Pezza.
Go on, mate.

Come on, Big P.

Oh, look,
I'm under...under the pump today.

Uh, this is not up my element.

As the butcher boy,

plants don't work for me.

Plants are for gardens, you know?

Plants are to make
your house look pretty,

not for eating.

I've never made a dish
that's just plant-based.

Today's going to be the day,
by the look of it.

I'm going to try and make a burger.

So I'm going to try
and make a beet burger.

Instead of a beef burger,

it's going to be a beet burger.

So beetroot, onion,
bring it together in a burger,

lettuce, tomato.

I'm gonna make my own bread roll
if I can get it together.

Oh, look, I love beetroot,

but I know that's going to be
the hardest job of the day

to try and make it taste like beef.

I'm just going to grate
the beetroot.

Going to slowly fry it off
with some onion.

I'm going to do some mashed potato,
bring it together

and then I'll just shallow fry them
in a little bit of oil.

I'm not foreign to a beetroot.

It's really hearty and earthy,
so I hope it's enough.

Stick with it. Stick with it.

We'll get there.

Oh, my goodness.

Calm your farm, Nat.

This is the first time
on the black apron day

that don't have an immunity pin

and it is totally like jumping
out of plane without a parachute.

Hello, Nat.

Hello.
Is this your chicken not chicken?

Yeah. It is!

This looks familiar.
I know, it does.

I'm doing a remake

of basically what I tried to make
the other day.

But I used my immunity pin.
I'm making a som tam,

basically a papaya salad,

and also fried chicken
that isn't chicken,

it's made out of oyster mushrooms.

Basically doing a veg-o version,

which is kind of terrifying!

'Cause you don't have
your fish sauce?

Old mate fish sauce.
No, 'cause she doesn't have a pin.

(LAUGHS)
Wow, wow!

Hey, guys, that's mean!

I totally forgot about that.

Are you feeling the pressure
without the pin?

Oh, 100%.

Not only am I feeling the pressure,

but it's definitely not an easy thing
to be cooking today.

No safety net with a pin.
Yeah.

So today there's no room for error.
No room for error at all.

Good luck.
Good luck, Nat.
Thank you so much.

So I attempted to make this dish
last time at the elimination cook.

This is so not working.

Alright, I'm playing my pin.

And I've decided to do it again
because it's so good.

And I'm so sad that the judges
didn't get to taste my dish.

So I'm gonna recreate this dish.

I'm just kicking the garfish out

and replacing it
with oyster mushrooms.

I'm feeling a lot of pressure,

because if this doesn't work,
I'm going home.

Your spot in the top 10
is at stake.

You have one hour to go.

SUMEET: Go, guys.

Come on.

We got this, bro. We got this.

Yeah.
Let's do it, mate.

Yeah, this is quite the challenge,
you know.

I wouldn't say I'm super confident
about preparing a plant-based dish.

Hello.
Hi, Josh.

Josh Clarke. How is he?

I'm good. How are you?
Oh, you're very, very...

What's going on?
You guys make me nervous.

Why? We're here to help.
Yeah, OK. Fair enough.

What's your dish?

Um, I'm doing, obviously
a plant-based version of, like,

a steak in jus.

So I'm gonna make a steak
from carrots.

Wow.
Yeah.

And mandolin and wrap them up
like the shape of a steak.

I'm gonna make the jus
with carrot juice.

Right.

And then I'm going to add
some candied walnuts

and some pea chips
and gel if we can get to it.

OK.

That is going to be extremely sweet.

Um, have you done anything
like this before?

Uh...
Please say yes.

..no.
Oh.

You never did!

Look, it's a black apron day.

Hopefully high risk, high reward.

Um, I'm not ready to go home yet,
but...

High risk, big fall too.
That's the thing.

100%.

So how are you going to convert
your jus to a meat jus?

So I'm gonna juice the carrots.
Yeah.

Um, and then just add the tiniest
bit of xantham gum

to help thicken it,
and then that'll be my jus.

Nothing else in there?

Just carrot juice jus?

Yeah.

If it falls flat, which it has a lot
of potential to fall flat...

Yep.

..mate, I don't want you to leave
at this time of the competition.

Me neither.
Good luck.

Thank you, guys.
Good luck.

I'm definitely feeling
a little bit more nervous.

This is ambitious to do,
a carrot steak in jus.

I'm hoping
that I could replicate the meat,

but also make sure
it's not too sweet.

OK...

I don't make
a lot of plant-based recipes

or cooks at home,

but I'm such a meatasaurus.

I do love meat.

Um, but I am taking inspiration
from a beautiful barbecue pork bun.

Everyone loves it at yum cha,

so I'm going to make it
with mushrooms today

and replace the meat

and hopefully it tastes
just as good.

I want you to be able
to not miss the meat at all.

That's the aim of the day.

SUMEET: Yes, Gillian.

Oh, my goodness.
I'm a little in shock.

Like, I cook a lot with vegies,

but there's often
cheese or butter involved,

so I'm a little thrown,
I'm a little spun,

but I think I've got
a pretty solid plan today.

I'm going to be doing, like,

a Middle Eastern-inspired
eggplant kebab,

so a play on like a shish kebab
kind of thing.

Um, and hopefully my version
of a labneh,

but plant-based.

So we'll see how that gets me.

I'm going to do a take
on carne asada,

which is a traditional
steak taco dish,

but I'm going to be doing
a mushroom asada.

Mushrooms
are my daughter's favourite food,

so I've learned to cook them
so many different ways.

Usually not with spice
like I'm going to do today.

But I know that she loves mushrooms

and this cook's going to be for her,

'cause I do miss her a lot.

I never really cook
plant-based food,

but today I'm doing
a plant-based spicy tuna roll.

So I'm cracking out

some plant-based seafood,
essentially.

So I'm substituting tuna
for tomatoes.

Tomatoes, I believe,

have one of the highest
umami contents

among all Western
fruit and vegetables, so...

Matches the colour.

I think I can match the texture
of tuna,

so hopefully this is alright.

First time for everything.

And we'll see how we go.

Ooh.

Ooh!

That's got punch to it.

I'm feeling positive, actually.

The elements are ticking along
for my Sri Lankan shepherd's pie.

I've got my jackfruit filling on,
so that's underway.

I'm now doing the potatoes
for my shepherd's pie.

And because
it's a plant-based challenge,

the potatoes cannot
have any butter in them,

which is where the creaminess
comes from.

So I'm attempting
to achieve that creaminess today

by using coconut milk
and coconut cream

to create that fatty feel
in your mouth.

SUMEET: What's that, Sav?

The mashed potato topping.

I'm also smoking my potatoes

to really amp up
that depth of flavour

that you get from meat.

When you smell smoke, you always
think of bacon and brisket

and things like that.

So I need to get a move on that.

And making
my dark roasted blend of spices

to add to my jackfruit filling.

Can't drop the ball now.

ALEX: What kind of waffles
are you making?

Like chicken and waffles?
DARRSH: Yeah.

Oh, nice.

Just need this really, really hot.

Today's a plant-based challenge,
but there's a lot at stake.

(LAUGHS)

I had to.

Things are going pretty good so far.

I wanted to get the waffles
on straightaway

'cause they are vegan batter and
I want to just see how it reacts.

My hot maple's done.

Um, chicken,
that's going to go on next.

Darrsh.

We're on the waffle iron.
Waffle iron, yes.

What's the dish?
Chicken and waffles.

No way.
Yes!

I've made fried chicken before
with oyster mushrooms.

Yep.
So, sorry...

..because I might sound like
I'm out from a different planet...

Yeah.
..I know I'm from France,

but you made waffle without eggs?

Without eggs.
Without butter, too?

Um, so I've substituted
with vegan butter.

OK.
I've also... To make the buttermilk,

I've used apple cider vinegar
with the oat milk.

Yeah. OK.
Yeah.

I dated a vegan for three years
so...

Oh, are you not together anymore?
Not together.

Had nothing to do with it?
Yeah.

Oh, this is a tough one

because it's not just about
the "meat element".

Yeah.
It's also about the waffle.

Yeah.
Good luck.

Good luck to you. Oh, lo-lo-lo-lo.

(LAUGHS)

I'm most nervous about the waffles.

I've done the fried chicken before
100 times.

The waffles will need
to have a crunchy exterior,

but they also need to be soft
and fluffy on the inside.

Big ideas,
but just 45 minutes to go.

WOMAN: Yes!

Come on, guys.

It's going alright
with the bread rolls.

I want to prove these
for about another 15 minutes,

and then they'll need to be cooked
for about 15.

I think the hardest thing
is going to get the firmness

in the middle of the burger,
but with mashed potato,

but we'll see what we can do.

Pezza, it looks like
you've been butchering.

Are you just trying to create
the sensation

just to make yourself feel better?
POH: You need some more blood.

I've got the blood on the burger.

So you're making a burger?

I'm going to try and make
a beet burger.

That's the hardiest vegetable
that I like to eat,

to be honest with you.

Alright. Questions for you.

What do you love
about the perfect meat patty?

I think juicy in the inside,
but also crunchy on the outside.

If I can get that balance right,

hopefully that's the biggest worry,
I think, so...

No, the biggest worry

is how you make beetroot
taste like beef in a patty.

I mean, that's the whole thing
with meat caramelising

when it's introduced to heat
and to fire

is that whole Maillard effect,
right?

Which is the actual
physical changing of meat cells

to get that umami

which a beetroot just doesn't have.

So it's all on you
and your technique.

That's the biggest worry.

So I think concentrate on umami.

Yeah. How do you insert that
in...into beetroot?

Good luck, Josh.

Thanks, girls. See ya.

(SIGHS)

Sofia and Poh told me to concentrate
on bringing some flavour

to these beetroot patties.

This jan... Una...
Unami or something.

Is it namnami?

Anami?

Umami.
Umami!

Well, it's... Look, I don't even know
what umami is.

"Umami is the savoury
or meaty taste of foods."

So I do know what it is.

I just didn't know the word.

(LAUGHS)

Yeah, I think I need to add
this umami.

So my flavours are going to be
a bit of horseradish for the spice

and the bit of taste.

I want a little bit of vinegar,

so I've got some red wine vinegar

to give it that little bit
of acidity

and a bit of sourness.

It's all about taste.

You've just got to get it
all to come together

for that perfect first bite,
you know?

Got to go on your instincts,
I guess,

and Pezza might pull this one off,
guys.

Oh, so far,

I've basically prepped the mushrooms
on my deep-fried chicken.

I need to finish this papaya salad,

need to finish the sauce
to dip the mushrooms in as well.

Last time I did this dish,
I played my immunity pin,

so I've got a lot of PTSD
going on right now.

Hi, Nat.
Hello.

How are we doing?
Very good.

Now, the other day
when you played your pin,

you're basically doing
a very similar dish.

Yeah. So I'm making a som tam,
a papaya salad.

Um, and then instead
of using the garfish,

I'm going to do
a deep-fried chicken.

I'm gonna do it
with oyster mushrooms. So...

What about the flavours?

What is the rawness of the meat?

Oyster mushrooms
have a very natural, meaty texture

and flavour anyway.
I just don't want to dry it out.

I want it to be, like, moist inside

and it looks like chicken.

Fingers crossed.
Good luck.

Thank you.
Wow.
Good luck.

This last time I used garfish
and it didn't really work,

hence why I used my pin.

RIP pin.

So this time
I'm going to use a deep fryer,

get it so hot

so that my oyster mushrooms
are perfectly crispy.

There's a lot of pressure
for me to nail the mushrooms.

Not freaking out at all.

SUMEET: Good stuff. Go, Josh.

So I've started my pea puree.

The carrot jus,

I'm starting to feel
like it's coming together.

So now all focus is being applied
to the carrot steak,

which is the main part of the dish.

The carrots, I'm going to slice them
thinly on the mandolin

and kind of roll it around
each other,

almost like a roulade in a way,

but tie it together so that it holds
its shape,

and then fry it
like I would a steak,

and then finish it in the oven.

Theoretically, I should still
have enough time

to get the tenderness
I'm looking for

to bring out
some of that caramelisation

with this carrot steak.

I'm just... I'm just focused.

I got a lot to accomplish
in the time I have left.

Today is all about

everything we love so much
about meat

without the meat.

There are a few cooks out there
who are freaking me out.

I'm super worried about the obvious,
which is Pezza,

because he's picked
a classic meat dish, a burger,

that everyone knows and loves.

ANDY: Had one on the weekend.

But he's using a very odd vegetable.

He's using beetroot.

I'm just worried
about the meatiness.

It sounds like a vegie burger.

It sounds like a vegie burger
and that's not the challenge today.

Darrsh is going on for a waffle.

Yeah, well, he's doing
a fried chicken and waffle.

Ah...
I like it.

Yeah, I do like it, but...
No eggs, obviously.

No butter, no milk.
Uh...

I keep forgetting that.

Personally, I am worried
about Josh Clarke.

So he's doing a carrot steak.

He's mandolined the carrots.

He's going to tie it together

like that little
croissant-style thing

and then fry it and roast it.

Ah... Not meaty.

Yeah. I think it's going to come down
to editing,

both flavour and texture,

because if not,
they're not going to make the top 10.

Yeah.
Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo.

POH: Plant one on us.

You have 20 minutes to go.

SUMEET: Come on, guys!

Sorry.

DARRSH: You're the best
to cook next to, Gill.

(LAUGHS)

Love it.

My waffles are done.

I take 'em out.

The waffles are holding up,
they're crisp.

I tried a bit if the edge
and it's really fluffy

on the inside as well,
so I'm really happy.

My hot maple
is going to go over the dish.

That's just chilli flakes,
maple and cayenne pepper.

And then right now
I'm onto my fried chicken,

which is the main event.

For my plant-based fried chicken,

the most important thing
is recreating that batter.

I've got my wet batter,
which is a buttermilk,

got my dry batter,

which is essentially
a Southern seasoning.

Every single inch of that mushroom
needs to be coated.

POH: Darrsh!

Hello!
How are you going?

I'm going really good today. Yeah.

That looks a lot like fried chicken.

That's what I was hoping for. Yeah.

Is it gonna taste
as good as it looks?

Oh, I think it tastes better
than fried chicken.

Really?

Yeah. The texture is like...
It's amazing.

It's almost like an in-between
of a chicken breast

and a chicken thigh.

What kind of mushrooms did you use?

I used the oyster mushrooms.
Yeah.

Alright. Let's hope it tastes
as good as it looks.

Awesome.
Thanks, Darrsh.
Thanks, guys.

I'm hoping that when the judges
taste this dish,

if they close their eyes...

You know what?
Even if they leave their eyes open,

I'm hoping that the judges just
think it's amazing fried chicken.

They won't even tell the difference
that there's a mushroom in there.

GILLIAN: Oh, that looks so good.
Yeah!

Hopefully it tastes good, dude.

Just waiting for this oil to heat up
so I can make the chilli oil

to go on my side dish.

And these bun babies
are in here cooking.

Beautiful barbecue pork buns,

and I'll be taking them out
pretty much as the timer ends.

I've got to really focus
on this eggplant kebab

and that these things are meaty.

I'm busy working on my muhammara.

So my capsicums.

Um, I've got the oven
still proving the bread,

which I need to check on
any moment now.

There's just a lot
to get done still.

Um, right now I've just got
my mushrooms marinating

for that mushroom taco.

And then I've just got to make
my pistachio salsa.

My daughter would really enjoy
those mushrooms.

But I'm here to impress
the judges today, not my daughter.

I wanted to do something
seafood-related today,

so even though
it's a vegie challenge, uh,

this is my compromise.

They look like tuna.

They taste like tuna.

Like, they're just,
for all intents and purposes,

is tuna.

So maybe tun-mato we can call it.

Roll some soosh.

I'm keen. Just, uh...

Yeah, gonna take my time,
make sure it looks pretty.

The ratios are right with, like,
the filling and the rice

and, um, all my garnishes are done.

I've got fresh grated wasabi,

which is just such a privilege
to have.

So, yeah, I'm really excited.

Oh, whatever you're cooking, Sav,
smells so good.

Oh, thanks, hon.
Oh, my God, it's making me hungry.

Yum.

My little coconut
mashed potato topping

for my shepherd's pie is good.

My jackfruit filling
is doing its thing now.

I'm making
a toasted coconut spice powder

to put through the jackfruit,

just to add, like,
another little dimension of, like...

..richness.

How I'm going to achieve
not missing the meat

in my version of the shepherd's pie
is about being very smart

with my use of the jackfruit,

and adding in spices very carefully

to create that same kind of body

and depth of flavour
that you'd get naturally from meat.

Where the hell is...?

Sav, where are you?

Sav, your stuff is burning!

That's me!

Coming!

Ooh.

It's definitely burnt.

Oh, I'm so dumb.

I don't have the time
to remake the spice mix.

I'm so stupid.

I'm in trouble.

Sav, your stuff is burning!

SAV: Coming!

Oh, I'm so dumb.

I cannot be the Sri Lankan

that goes home
because she burnt her spices.

I would die.

You've got 10 minutes to get
yourselves into the top 10. Come on!

Looking at my burnt spice mix,

I think maybe I can actually use
that burnt-ness to my favour.

I'm going to get more smokiness
in there.

I add my spice mix to the jackfruit.

I think it is good,

but there's literally no time
to redo things anyway.

I am placing the jackfruit

in a ring mould
on the centre of my plate.

And I'm piping the potatoes on top.

God, I hope that the judges like
the burnt spice mix.

You never know in this kitchen.

DARRSH: My waffles are done.

These are so crispy.

GILLIAN: Oh, it looks so good.

Time to plate my dish.

And firstly, I taste everything...

..and it tastes...

Mmm.

..epic.

My plant-based fried chicken,
it tastes better than the original.

Happy?
Happy.

My hot maple syrup,

it's a perfect balance of sweet,

but also a little bit of the kick
from the chilli flakes.

That waffle, Darr.
It's yummy, right?

Six minutes to go, guys!

Come on! (CLAPS ENCOURAGEMENT)

PEZZA: The last few minutes
is hectic,

bringing the burger together.

Got the lettuce,
I got the bread rolls.

Let's have a look.

Mate, they're light,
they're fluffy, they're cooked.

Can you put a smile on your face?
Oh, mate, this is not me today.

You know that.

The burger patty is
also a worry for us. How are they?

Oh, look, mate, it's that...

I don't know.

I'm still a little bit worried

that I haven't got enough
of this umami flavour.

So I've got
the little blowtorch out,

and I'm giving it a bit of a burn

to try and get
that little bit of umami.

I just don't know
whether it's going to be enough.

Three minutes to go! Come on!

(JUDGES CLAP ENCOURAGEMENT)

Come on, guys!

I'm finishing
my som tam papaya salad.

Oh, my God, so spicy.

It's a really, really punchy
Thai salad.

That is heat.

It's so spicy. And I love it.

Chicken.

Last time, I left the garfish
way too last-minute.

So I need to focus
on the oyster mushrooms

so that I don't ruin it
like the garfish.

(BEEPING)

I take my deep-fried oyster
mushrooms out of the deep fryer...

..and they're looking good.

I'm so relieved.

Mmm!

Whoa! Alright.

This is my second chance
cooking this dish.

And I really hope
the judges love it.

Oh, yeah. That's it.

JOSH: My carrot steak has had
a few minutes in the oven.

And plating up now,
I've got my carrot steak on there,

I've got the pea puree,
the orange gel,

my candy walnuts
and my carrot jus ready to go.

You were going toe to toe
with a steak. Um...

Is that cooked?
Um...

No time left for mistakes.
You have one minute to go!

I run straight over
to grab that blowtorch,

to add some caramelisation
on the outside of the carrots.

30 seconds left.

Come on!
(JUDGES CLAP ENCOURAGEMENT)

And hopefully it's meaty enough
to keep me from going home today.

Here we go. You have 10...

JUDGES: Nine,

eight,

seven,

six,

five,

four,

three,

two,

one.

NAT: That's beautiful!

Well done, Nat.
Oh!

Oh, my...

How'd you go?
Yeah, yeah.

DARRSH: That was a really fun cook.

Honestly, I know that there was
a lot of pressure on it,

like elimination, top 10,

but I think it looks
like a restaurant dish.

Oh, I don't know today.
This is not a cook for me.

I'd much prefer to go home
on this one

than go home
cooking a nice big steak.

It was one change.

I mean, we asked them
to cook a plant-based dish,

which would normally use protein

and really make us not miss the meat.

Shall we see how they did?
Yeah.

Go on, Savi.
Go, Savi P.

On you, Sav.

Get it, Sav.

I am definitely nervous.

I really hope the burnt spice mix
has worked in my favour.

Hello, Sav.

Hello, Sav.

Hello.
Savindri.

What have you got?

I'm calling this
my Sri Lankan "Shepherd-less" Pie.

Cute!

Always got a good little name,
don't you? Huh?

The pun game has to be strong,
you know.

Is it good enough to get you
into the top 10, though?

I really hope it's good enough
to get into the top 10.

I've put all my love and spice work
into that jackfruit,

because it's one
of my favourite things,

and when I ate it...

Personally, I would have put it
in a toasty with a bit of cheese,

and I would have been so happy.

Um, but that's just me.

Did I forget to say
that was a yes or no question?

Well, yes.

Let's go with yes!
Yes. OK. Bye-bye.

It's up to you. Let's go with yes.
We'll taste.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Thanks, Sav.
Thank you.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Thank you.

Well...

..I loved it.

(THEY CHUCKLE)

She smashed it.

The jackfruit really,
really worked well

in term of getting the texture
of what's supposed to be meat.

You could tell that she's comfortable
using jackfruit.

The thing with jackfruit is
it just takes on

whatever you braise it in.

As soon as you combine that
with Sav's Sri Lankan flavours,

it's money, like, it's perfect.

The spice work in that
is just seamless. Beautiful.

I really like the mash.

I thought it'd be really strange
with all that coconut in it,

but she's used it very sparingly,

and the texture is perfect
and creamy.

I think it's a great dish.

I think, if you fed Sav's dish
to 10 people,

nine of them would think
it was meat.
Yeah.

Texture is near identical
to that pulled pork, pulled chicken.

So, really, really clever choice
of ingredients.

Good luck, Pez.

This challenge got me cooking
well out of my comfort zone.

I tried to get this umami flavour
into these beetroot patties.

But I don't know
if I've done enough.

Oh, they look awesome!

(CHUCKLES)

Pezza, what have you cooked?

This is my beetburger,
a nice crunchy slider bread roll,

some horseradish mayo

and my beetroot patties
with some salad.

You can take the boy
out of the butcher,

but you can't take the butcher
out of the boy.

How did you go without meat today?

Oh, look, guys,
it was a tough one for me today.

I really struggled
to comprehend that.

That just didn't sit in with me.

I haven't tasted the burger before.
I've never done it before.

I've made a vegie burger once
in the shop before,

because a lady asked for it

and they loved 'em.

But never again.
Because that's not what I do, so...

Yeah, I'm really scared today,
I'll be honest with you.

Thanks, Pezza.
We're going to dig in.

Thanks for your time.
Cheers, mate.

See yous.

For the first time
making a plant-based roll...

..that thing is dynamite.

It's light, it's fluffy, it's airy.

It looks great.

It's really soft.

But I'm really worried
about that patty.

I think he was close,
but then so far away.

There's one edge
that is quite caramelised,

and it has
that kind of near chewiness

that a beefburger patty has.

But the patties are so big,
and it's really mushy.

I enjoyed eating the burger,

but it was slightly
more vegie burger

than meat-imitating vegie burger
for me.

It really doesn't have the depth,
the umami -

all that joyful, delicious stuff
that meat brings.

I don't think he's inserted

enough of that flavour profile
into that patty.

The patty,

or the burger - supposed to be -
is watery,

there's nothing exciting
with the texture.

In fact, I wonder -
why just beetroot?

Um, it's sweet.
I'm a little bit concerned now.

I'm going to go in and bat for him
a little bit on the patty.

I have had a burger in France

that had a rare patty,

and the sensation was
actually quite similar.

But what it's missing is
that depth and umami.

I really admire that,

even though his head was
having trouble getting around it,

he's tried to make up for it

by bringing up
that charred smokiness,

but it hasn't really gotten there,
has it?

Go, Joshy.

Thanks, guys.

I'm not sure if the carrot steak

replicates almost having
a red meat steak in jus.

I'm just hoping
that it's just enough

to keep me out of the bottom...

..and from going home today.

Get inspired
by our fabulous home cooks.

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How are we going, guys?
Good.

What's the dish?

Plant-based steak and jus.

I've made a carrot steak
with a carrot jus,

as well as candied walnuts,
my pea puree, and an orange gel.

I think we'll taste now.
Thanks, Josh.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Good luck.
Thanks, guys.

Thanks, mate.

I just don't think it's
the right dish for this challenge.

I wish he'd executed it perfectly
to give himself a chance,

but, unfortunately, he hasn't.

It definitely doesn't give off
the texture of a steak,

it definitely doesn't give off
the look of a steak,

and it definitely doesn't give off
the flavour of a steak.

It hasn't cooked
for nearly long enough at all.

I'm worried for Josh, like,
this is not his best work.

He has missed the brief by so much.

It looks like a fine-dining dish,

but I don't think
that's relevant right now.

As pretty as that dish was,

there's nothing about it that says
the wholesome generosity of meat.

By torching the top
to try and get that, I don't know,

caramelisation of steak,

he's just made it taste burnt.

The jus is nothing like jus.
It just tastes like carrot.

Because it is. It's just carrot.

I feel he hasn't hit the mark
on several levels.

To start off with, all the sauces -

the orange gel, the pea puree,
the carrot jus -

have sort of got this sweetness
to it.

So I'm really worried for Josh.

Good luck, Darrsh.
Go, Darrsh.

I'm feeling fantastic.
I've smashed this challenge.

I don't want to sound arrogant.

Honestly, I don't, I don't.

Um... But, like, I felt so good
about that cook.

Hey, Darrsh.
Darrsh.

Can you reveal your dish, please?
What have you made?

I've brought you fried chicken
and waffles

with not chicken, obviously!
(CHUCKLES)

And a hot maple syrup.

Would you please finish your dish?
Of course.
Thank you so much.

Wow. Look at that.

Whoa!
Oh-ho-ho-ho!

Thank you.

Darrsh, how have you changed
as a cook

since the beginning
of this competition?

I mean, looking at your shoulders,
you're getting bigger and bigger.

What's happening to you?

I'm actually getting bigger
down here.

That's what I meant!

Um, I've changed so much.

I'm really proud of this dish
in particular today,

because I think there's actually
not that many elements on the plate,

realistically.

At the start of the competition,

I just would have tried
to throw 100 elements on the plate

and just see which one stuck.

Thank you so much.
Thank you, guys.

Thanks, Darrsh.
Cheers, Darrsh.

I cannot handle
how much I love that dish.

The thought of meat
didn't even enter my mind.

That crispy, chunky dredging,

and the seasoning on that chicken,

is just visually, texturally
and flavour-wise...

It just hits all the marks
of fried chicken.

I mean, you can see clearly,
it looked like bits of chicken legs.

Yeah!
It's just unbelievable.

The same colour,
the same separations.

I mean, it's spot-on.

This golden, plant-based waffle,

it's just crisp
in all the right places.

It's sweet,
it's fluffy in the middle.

It just soaked up
all of the goodness

that's going on
in his chilli maple mix in there.

I am so impressed with Darrsh.

Gill, what have you made us?

Barbe-shroom buns.

So, it's a take
on barbecue pork buns.

I think the filling is lovely.

Instead of the pork,
you have these lovely mushrooms.

I think it's a tasty dish.

Crispy...
ALEX: This is my take on, like,

a lamb mezze plate,

with charred eggplant muhammara

and a whipped cashew.

I actually adore the eggplants

because all this lovely spice,
the sweetness,

you know, the right seasoning.

Mimi, what have you made?

Mushroom frites aux pois.

So, steak and chips?
Steak and chips.

That sauce,
the kind of mushroom sauce,

that is dynamite, I love it.

The greens are nice.
The mushroom...

..it is extremely salty.

Lochy?

LOCHY: Carne asada,
but with mushroom.

And there's carrot tequila
and habanero hot sauce as well.

Is it near to a beef taco?

I don't think so.

It's just a mushroom texture.

They don't have the bite
that a steak has.

I feel like he missed the mark a bit.

Harry.
Hey, guys.

What have you cooked, mate?

Obviously made sushi,

it's my plant-based take
on a spicy tuna roll.

Instead of tuna,
I've used a marinated tomato.

Let's have a taste. Thanks, Harry.
Awesome. Thanks, guys.

Thanks, Harry.
Thanks.

It's a one-biter, isn't it?
Mm-hm.

Can tomato be a substitute for tuna?

Nearly, not quite.

He's cooked the rice really well.

He's wrapped it nice and tightly
with the seaweed.

He's got the right balance
in his sauces.

But when I think
about what I love when I eat sushi,

it is that rich fattiness
of the seafood that's in there.

And while I think
that's a really good tuna roll

and there's a meatiness to it,
there's...

I just want something
a little bit more.

He's done a reasonable job.
Yeah.

I feel like this is
a bit of a cheeky cook,

like, there's not enough of that
tomato in there to criticise.

And it is... It's very rice-heavy.

The persistence to serve seafood.

Yeah, yeah. Even when it's not!
Got to give him points for that.

Go, Nati!

NAT: This dish is
definitely a bit of a risk.

I've made it before,
but it went wrong,

so I'm really worried right now.

POH: Hey, Nat.
Hello.

Mm-hm.

SOFIA: Tell us what you've made.

I've made
deep-fried oyster mushrooms.

And papaya salad, sticky rice
and a jeow dipping sauce.

Yay!

Som tam made it back on the plate.

I know, I had to do it again.
Yeah.

Last time, you had to abandon it
because you played your pin.

What does it feel like
to be cooking without your pin?

Uh, honestly,
it feels pretty nerve-racking

cooking without the immunity pin.

I didn't think I was going to cook
any different, but I think I am.

I just have to be smarter

about how I do the cooks.
Yeah.

Alright. Thank you, Nat.
We're going to taste.

Thank you.
Thanks.

Thanks, Nat.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Thank you.

I'm absolutely...

..lost.

I've never had the pleasure

to enjoy oyster mushrooms
cooked so well,

tasting so well.

It's just unbelievable.

The taste and resemblance -

very much like fried chicken.

It's just unbelievable.

The whole combination is superb.

I think this is a brilliant dish.

There is no question,
I'm not missing meat at all.

And the fried mushrooms,

you've got that beautiful
crunchy outer coating,

and then the inside is really meaty.

I love it, I love the whole thing.

The som tam salad is
the spiciest thing I've ever eaten.

Like, it's really tasty,
don't get me wrong.

But it's just, yeah,

my emotions start to really come out
when I have chilli like that.

Do you want to talk about it?

I don't want to talk about it.
No, no.

She was so frantic in that,

in the cook where she gave up
her pin,

whereas she was so much more relaxed
and calm.

She probably achieved more
in this plate of food as well.

The chilli heat in that is
just so intense,

but it's still got the depth
from the way

that she's treated the entire salad
holistically

and all of those ingredients.

Overall, I mean, we know Nat knows
how to balance these Thai flavours.

But she's completed the brief.

She's nailed the brief
in creating something

that makes us not miss meat
because it tastes meaty.

Oh, yeah. It's even better. Yeah.
Hmm.

That cook was the only thing
standing between you...

..and the top 10.

Some of you proved
that plant-based can pack a punch.

One dish in particular deserves
a special mention.

Darrsh.

It was the best not chicken
and waffles we've ever had.

Well done.
(CONTESTANTS CHEER AND APPLAUD)

And now for the part
we're not looking forward to.

If I say your name,
please step forward.

Josh Clarke.

Your dish looked refined,
but it didn't resemble a steak.

Lochy.

The mushrooms didn't have
the meatiness we were after

in terms of both taste and texture.

And Josh Perry.

The patties were
more beet than beef.

All three dishes had
executional errors,

but one of your dishes

left us missing the meat
more than the others.

I'm sorry to say...

..Josh Clarke...

..you're going home.

Josh, you wanted
to make your family proud

more than anything
in this competition.

Be in no doubt, the moment
you set foot in this kitchen,

mate, you succeeded.

Even more so
now that you made it this far.

Yeah.

How are you feeling?

Yeah. Look, I'm bummed, but...

..I've learned so much
from beginning till now.

I've made friends for life.

Even just being here was
a dream come true.

And the fact
that I made it this far,

I'm just... I'm stoked.

And I think,
if you've learned one thing,

whatever you do after this
competition, cook from here.

Yeah, 100%.

But, unfortunately, mate,
it's time to say goodbye.

Sure.
Bring it in.

I will forever be grateful...

..for the time that I spent here
on MasterChef.

This experience, I think it's going
to make me not only a better cook,

but a better man overall.

(CHEERING)

ANNOUNCER: This week
on MasterChef Australia,

we're on cloud nine...

Oh, my...
(ALL EXCLAIM)

..because it's Sweet Week.

Please welcome Adriano Zumbo!

Plus...

Every time you cook this week,

you'll be cooking for immunity.

What?!

Life is short,

so let's eat dessert first!

POH: That is unbelievably good.

It's textbook.

You've done such a great job.

That's bangin'.
You know, hit it out of the park.

Captions by Red Bee Media