All language subtitles for Masterchef.Au.S16E46.720p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-WH

VOICEOVER: Previously
on MasterChef Australia...

NAT: What? Oh, my God.

POH: Up here
are some of the sweetest...

I don't like it.

..the spiciest...

Oh-ho-ho!

That is wrong on so many levels.

..the most bitter, sour
and pungent ingredients

on the planet...

(ALL LAUGH)

What the hell is that?

VOICEOVER: They took
those fearsome flavours...

Smells like a dirty pair of socks.

I don't think people truly realise
it is blindingly aggressive.

..and made them MasterChef worthy.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Ooh-la-la.

SOFIA: It's very seductive.

I think he has tamed the beast.

He's balanced that very well.

But we had to say farewell to Mimi.

MIMI: This won't be the last of me.

I'm going to continue to make sure
that people across the globe

understand the magic
of food and eating.

Tonight, a mystery box

gets them one step closer
to the semifinal.

Oh!
Oh-ho-ho!

Let's do it.

(LAUGHS) Can you believe it?

Oh, mate. I can't believe
how small this is getting.

Just look at it.
I know. This is wild.

Yeah, it's so wild.

I'm so grateful to be here
in finals week.

And I've got so much energy in me.

I can't wait to just, like,
run to the finish line.

Do you remember
the first walk up here?

Being on this journey

has been
an absolute roller-coaster for me.

I was eliminated and I had to fight
to come back,

but here I am in finals week,

so I'm ready to tackle

whatever today is going to throw us.

(JUDGES APPLAUD)

Here they are, the final four.

Bring it on, brother.
Let's go for this.

Welcome to finals week.

(ALL CHEER)

Well, this is it.

Everything you've been working
towards

is about to come to a head.

The semifinal
is only a few cooks away.

If you want to be one of the three
competing in it,

you have to start
pulling out all of the stops.

Alright,
let's get this challenge started.

You can head to your benches.

Walking into the kitchen today,

I did not expect to see
these mystery boxes.

Like, it's finals week,
there's got to be a twist here.

POH: These are not your average
mystery boxes.

Wait until you see the inside.

(LAUGHS) Oh, my God.

You can lift your lids...

..now.

Oh! (CHUCKLES)

(GASPS)

Oh...

(ALL LAUGH)

Oh, my God!

That right there is your ticket
straight through

to the MasterChef Australia
2024 semifinal.

Wow.
Oh!

(SCATTERED APPLAUSE)

Wow.

PEZZA: A golden ticket!

It reminds me of Willy Wonka

and I'm going
to the chocolate factory.

If I win this golden ticket
straight to semifinals,

wouldn't that be nice?

That's everybody's dream here today.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Right, guys.

You're here
because you've worked so hard.

You have improved so much
since day one.

So now today
is for you to reconsolidate

everything you've achieved,
everything you know

and use it to make the dish.

You're gonna have 90 minutes.

You can cook whatever
you think entitles you

to the first spot
in the semifinals.

Our expectations
are through the roof.

Pantry and garden are fully open.

But it's not all good news today

because there is nowhere else
to be today but top.

If you're not first, you are last.

That means everyone else

will be headed into
tomorrow's pressure test

where someone will be going home.

(EXHALES)

So, go for gold, gang.

This is your time to shine.

Your time starts now.

(JUDGES CHEER)

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Good luck.
Bonne chance!

PEZZA: Oh, yeah.

I've had some ups and downs,
but really feeling good today.

Back on track.

And I've really got to put out
a really cracking dish today.

ANDY: Come on, mate!

Ooh. Good choice.

My dish is going to be
a nice lamb cutlet.

I'm going to cook it as a rack,

but then slice it so you can see
that beautiful meat in it.

I'm going to do
a cauliflower cheese croquette.

We're going to put
some prosciutto and that in it.

And then I'm going to do
pea two ways

and bring it all together

with a really luscious
and beautiful jus.

Yeah. I've just, um,
frenched the lamb racks,

so I've just frenched them up.

I'm going to give the bones
a bit more of a tidy up,

but I wanted that little bit of meat
to go in for my stock

that I can reduce down
and get into a jus.

Today I want to take my jus
to the next level.

So I just want to deglaze it
with some cognac

and I'm just caramelising it
and getting that beautiful colour

before I add the stock
and just let it reduce right down.

Today, it's the big day.

It's like grand final.

It's time to go out
and kick some goals.

So I'm really excited.

What a golden opportunity

and you can feel
the electricity in here.

Everybody wants that ticket.

Everybody wants to skip
the pressure test tomorrow

and go straight through
to the semifinals.

POH: Of course.

And can you imagine
if that was you as well?

Because you'd just start
mentally preparing.

I can imagine, actually.

Yeah. (LAUGHS) I'm sorry.
That wasn't meant to be...

It hurts.

But seriously, it is game on.

We are 90 minutes away
from deciding

who's going into the semifinals.

And that dish today
should be the best dish ever

so far in the competition.
Yeah.

That's what it's going to take
for the golden ticket.

Today, I'm going to be cooking
a crayfish tail.

It's going to be done
with a choo chee bisque.

Choo chee curry
is one of my favourite Thai curries.

It's punchy, it's spicy
from the dried red chillies.

It's full of aromats
and coconut cream,

but it's also bright
'cause of the makrut lime in it.

It's going to be like
a South-East Asian inspired dish,

so I just want to make sure

I get the balance right
with this dish.

And everything from flavour
to presentation to textures,

it all needs to be spot-on.

I'm working on the crayfish

and the shell's
coming off beautifully.

It's all intact.
All the colours are still there

and it looks fantastic.

Oh, she's fresh!

And my crayfish meat is ready
to go into the vacuum sealer bag

and then into the water bath.

I want this ticket
more than anything, you know.

The stakes are extremely high today.

Like, you know, a ticket
straight into the semifinal

and not have to battle it out
in a pressure test,

like, that's absolutely huge.

And, you know, I know these guys
are going to pull out all stops,

so I'm going to do the same.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Sav.
SAV: Chef?

Be careful with that oil.
Yeah.

Watch out
'cause this is very hot, yeah?

And this is a beautiful face.
Yes.

Do you know what I'm saying?
I know.

This dish is something
that my mum used to make.

It's one of those dishes
where knowledge is passed

word of mouth
from mother to daughter

in Sri Lanka.

So I'm making something
called lamprais.

So it's literally said
as like, "lump rice,"

which I consider to be
the crown jewel of Sri Lankan food.

In a traditional lamprais,

there's a lot of different elements

wrapped up in banana leaves.

(HUMS)

It's really important
that I nail this dish

because this dish is very special
to the Sri Lankan community.

So it's actually
a massive point of pride for me.

I'm feeling the pressure.

Come on, Sav.

Where's my salt?

I'm starting the base of my stock,

which my rice
is going to get cooked in.

I'm frying my eggplant for my pickle

and I'm doing
my caramelised onion sambol.

I have 100% been waiting
for the chance

to be able to do this dish,

and I think if there was ever a day
to do something like this,

today is the day.

I want the golden ticket so bad.

Eggs. Eggs. Eggs.

Eggs. Cream. Sugar.

ANDY: What...? What is she doing?

I don't know.

I want to take a risk today
to get top dish.

Nat.
Hey, Nat.

What are you making?

I'm making a
hung lay lamb shank curry,

which is a Northern Thai curry,

with some rice.

And I'm also making
a faktong sangkaya,

which is a, um, coconut custard

baked in a pumpkin,

and I'm going to serve that
with some ice-cream.

Is that a dessert?

Yeah, a dessert.

Hey. What?!

Hey... You're making two dishes?

You're making a savoury and a sweet?

Yep, I am.

Hang on.

Hey, uh, heads up, everybody.

Is anyone else making
a savoury and a sweet?

Two dishes?
No.

Sav?
No.

Pezza?
Nope.

Nat.

You've heard the room.

You are the only person
to be doing this.

Yeah.

This could either be genius
or foolishness.

This could either be genius
or foolishness.

I'm just worried that
having two things to focus on

means that both are compromised.
Yeah.

It's something
you have to think about.

Yeah.
So is there a plan B?

No plan B right now.

Um, I'm just gonna try
as hard as I can to execute the two.

I...I don't know.
Andy's not into it.

I don't know.
Andy's like, "You're bonkers."

I don't know.

Oh, it's just I really want
to showcase this dish.

Just don't let your stubbornness
get in the way

of you winning the golden ticket.

Yeah, I won't.
I'm gonna work so hard.

OK. Let's go, pumpkin!

Lamb shanks and pumpkin,
they both take a long time to cook.

So the obvious challenge
is definitely the timing.

Um, if I get the timing incorrect
for this,

both those dishes
could be executed terribly.

But there's one thing that I know
I can do to get these dishes done

and that's just work
super fast, work super hard.

And if I pull this off,
it could seriously pay off.

We're looking for one top dish
and you have one hour to go.

Come on, everybody!
Good luck.

Hey, Sav, what sort of curry
are you doing?

Sri Lankan.
Hey! Mine's a Thai curry.

It's on.

(LAUGHS)

The crayfish is ticking away.
That's in the bath.

I don't have to worry about that.

I know it's going to come out
absolutely perfect.

And now I'm working
on my choo chee sauce,

so I'm doing it kind of like
a choo chee bisque in a way.

So for my bisque,

I'm cooking down
the crayfish shells.

That's going to bring out
the beautiful colours,

the beautiful salty flavour
from the crayfish.

But I want to fuse my bisque

with some of those spicy, punchy
and bright flavours

from a choo chee curry

because I think
the flavour combinations

pairs perfectly with seafood.

Ooh, that's good!

You smell that, Sav?
It smells like a golden ticket.

Dream on, babe.

(LAUGHS)

Wow, look at that.

You're doing well.

Take your time.

Yeah, I've frenched the lamb racks.

Stock's just reduced.

I got the cauliflower on.

The key component
on this dish today to me

is going to be
that cauliflower croquette.

I want them
to be creamy in the inside,

then the outside

I want it to be super crisp
and crunchy.

This could be tricky
because it's something

that I've never done before.

Cauliflower has been roasting,

but it's got to go in with some cream
and just simmer away

so it's a little bit more tender,

and then I can mix it in
with the bechamel.

It's going to be yummy.
It's going to be yummy.

This is going to be so good.

We've given them
absolutely everything they need

to make killer dishes.

They've got open garden,
open pantry, 90 minutes.

They can make sweet.
They can make savoury.

In Nat's case, she's doing both.

Two dishes.

Andy, you look devo,
to use your terminology.

I've seen it so many times
in this kitchen,

so I'm just so worried about that.

But if she can pull it off,

we did say we want to see
technique and personality

and nothing more than a double dish
during a single dish challenge

to speak to Nat's personality.
Sure.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: She's doing
two dishes, every second counts,

and she's not actually, uh,

monopolising her time correctly.

I'm pumped for Harry's dish.

He's going down
this South-East Asian path

with, um, a Thai style curry sauce,

but then leaning on his strengths
in butter-poaching a lobster.

Sav, she's a woman
on a mission today.

I'm just watching her cook.

She's just tipping stuff in,
you know?

No measuring.

Just...it's in her veins.

And just calm and...
Yeah.

She's got that steadiness
about her now.

It's completely opposite
of who I am.

It's just... I feel confused.
Yeah.

Pezza.
Pezza.

Oh, Pezza.
What do you think?

I feel a bit French now.

So Pezza has done,
very Frenchly,

a French trim on a rack of lamb.
Look how happy you are.

I am! So he's done that very well,
of course.

No doubt.

Who dares? He does.

Daring to make a croquette
with cauliflower.

So, a good balance
with flavours, ingredients.

So far, I like it.

He's got a solid concept,
but can he execute

under immense pressure

to where we need it to be
for this to be dish of the day?

And the plating for Pezza
is such a huge thing

and we don't see that
until the very end.

Pezza.
Hey, Chefs.

Perfectly butchered as per usual.

Looks beautiful.

Mate, I'm standing here
smelling this.

It smells epic.

What I'm smelling is refinement.
Mm.

It's all very subtle, beautiful,
round flavours.

Talk to me about the croquette,
because I think that is something

that, you know, will probably
make or break this dish.

Yeah, I agree.

We're going to make our bechamel,
which I'm making now,

and I'm going
to put some prosciutto in it

just to give it
that little bit of saltiness,

which is a bit different.

Just got to balance it right.

Got to add the cheese

and all the salt and pepper
and everything,

so the flavour is really nice
in there.

I just really need to do
my deep-frying

for my cauliflower croquettes.

Is that your croquette mix?

Yep.

I'm just a little bit worried
that it's very loose.

Do you know what I mean?

Think it'll hold together?

I've got no idea.

I'm hoping it's going to.

She just sort of
put the fear of God in me.

Now I'm worried
about this croquette.

Is it going to fall apart
in the oil?

So I want to get straight on to this
and do a test run.

POH: I'm just interested to see

how he does
the cauliflower croquette,

because how is he going to...?

How is he binding that?

Oh, I'm shaking, brother.

POH: I'm just interested to see

how he does
the cauliflower croquette.

It's scary. I'm scared.

You guys are scaring me.

It seems to be going alright.

I'm just going to give it
a couple of minutes

to get a nice colour on it
and see how it looks.

She's worried
it's going to work now, aren't you?

Mate, if it works, it's...

Going to be so pleased
if it does.

..bloody brilliant if it does.

It's going really, really well.

And it's got a beautiful
golden exterior on it.

And I think it's...
I think it's going to be fine.

I haven't tasted my croquette yet.

I tasted the inner

and I haven't tasted it
since it's been cooked.

Oh, my God.

That'd give a horn to a jellyfish,
that would, mate.

They are to die for.

They're really, really luscious.

Now it's time
to get this lamb rack into the pan.

I'm just going to, um,
like, fry it off

and get some nice render all around,

then I'm going to finish it
in the oven.

Going to cook it medium rare.

Mate, look at that.

Cooking beautifully.

NAT: I am taking a little bit of time

trying to get all my elements
on the go for my main and dessert.

So for the faktong sangkaya here,
the pumpkin custard,

I've made
a very simple custard mixture.

Oh, God.

And I put my custard base
into the pumpkin

and into the oven to set.

And also I finally
put my ice-cream mix

into the churner.

That's going to be served up
with my dessert.

There's a lot going on, Nat.

How is your custard, by the way?

Uh... It's good, it's good.

Yeah. It should take 30 minutes.

30 minutes to go.

Oh, my God.

Sure.

Hmm. That's pushing it.

Uh, my lamb shank,
according to this,

says I've got 34 minutes to go,
so that's very pushing it.

That is not OK. That's not good.

Um, how's this going to work?

I'm really worried because,
like Andy was saying,

I could be in trouble.

I've just spent way too long
on my elements.

I could have nothing on the plate,
which would be horrible.

(SCREAMS QUIETLY) Ah!

Let's go.

There's so much going on right now,
but we're gonna get there.

My crayfish is still
in the water bath,

but it's looking perfect.

I'm really happy with the smell
and the taste of the sauce.

It's punchy, it's spicy,
but it's also bright and fragrant,

so it's just a matter of
straining it and letting it reduce.

Just need to do this emulsion,
and then we should be right.

But, to be honest, the emulsion's
a bit of an experiment,

because sea urchin - it's a pretty
powerful umami flavour.

What I want that uni emulsion to do
is just to wash the dish

with that rich,
beautiful ocean-ness,

and also be
a really good support act

to this crayfish
and that beautiful choo chee sauce.

So I'm just going to blend it
with some olive oil

and, um, hopefully it tastes good.

Oh, it tastes like uni.

That's what it tastes like.
(CHUCKLES) That's so bloody good!

(CHUCKLES) Wow!

That's insane.

I'm really happy with the emulsion.

Oh, holy dooley!

That is punchy.

The balance of the emulsion
is great -

it's packed full of uni flavour
but it's not too overpowering.

And I think it's going to complement
and elevate my other elements.

So, everything's coming together.

It's so exciting.

SAVINDRI: Under 30 to go.

Pretty much all the elements are
on their way for the lamprais.

It smells lovely, by the way.
Thank you, Chef.

My plantain is done,

and I'm finishing off my, um...

Ooh, mouth's on fire!

..eggplant pickle.

It's almost done.

I've got my rice on the go.

I am cooking the rice

in the meat stock,

and lots of butter.

Perfect.

Perfect.

Hey, Sav.
Hello.

You're making one of my favourite
Sri Lankan dishes.

Well, that's no pressure at all,
right?

It's also one of my favourites
as well.

It's a buffet in a parcel.

There's nothing better.
And it smells great.

I consider it the crown jewel
of Sri Lankan cooking.

So, how do you want your rice
to be cooked?

It needs to be oily
and coated but separate grains.

OK. Separate grains?
Yeah.

Good luck.
Thank you.

I have not started
on my meatballs at all,

which I'm going to do right now.

15 minutes left!

Come on!

(TUTS) Oh!

Oh, my God.

I'm checking my lamb shanks.

They're definitely probably
not going to be ready.

With 15 minutes left,

I've got 20 minutes left
on the pressure cooker

of my lamb shanks.

I have to find a way
to...to fix this.

Am I going to do it?
Am I gonna do it?

Am I gonna do it? Am I gonna do it?

I'm gonna do it.

I don't have time to wait
for the lamb shanks

to slowly simmer away.

So I'm opening that pressure cooker

and I'm going to transfer it
into a pan, reduce it right now.

I'm not sure
if I can get this done in time.

SOFIA: It smells good.

I hope that's so tender
and bone-sliding.

I am in so much trouble,

but I'm hopeful
that the lamb shank's

gonna fall off the bone.

Come on, work your magic, curry.

Need you to reduce so fast.

The second thing is
that my custard isn't done yet,

so my custard is
currently very liquidy.

Um, it's getting there.

It's...
The sides are starting to form.

I'm definitely very concerned.

PEZZA: Less than 15 minutes to go.

Pressure is really building.

Check on that lamb.
One more check on that lamb.

I still want to get that lamb rack

out of the oven
and give it some time to rest.

(WHISPERS)
Just another couple of minutes.

I just hope I've left myself
enough time

to get this lamb done to perfection.

Fingers crossed it comes together.

So, I just want
to finish this sauce off.

The colour, the smell of this jus
is unbelievable.

Yum, yum, yum, yum.

That's just bubbled away
and bubbled away

and taken
all them beautiful flavours,

all the vegetables and the cognac.

It's just going
to tantalise their tastebuds,

there's no doubt about that.

But the main hero's
that rack of lamb!

10 minutes to go!

I can't leave it any longer.
I'm running out of time.

I want it to rest,
so I'm taking it out.

Look, the lamb's cooked
to about 48 in the middle,

which I wanted about 52 or 53,

but on the outsides,
it's up to that 52 or 53.

I only need a couple
to finish that thing,

so I wanted a bit of resting time,

so I'll give it five minutes
to rest.

I'll slice through and I'll pick
the best couple of bits

just to plate up.

Let's bring this home.

How are you travelling?
Travelling OK.

The meatballs are the only thing
I'm not started on.

You haven't started the meatballs?

I can knock out a meatball, Andy,
it's fine.

(CHUCKLES)

This piece is definitely not done.

Right now, I'm very nervous,

because nothing's working
at the moment.

Took my lamb shank out really early
and it's definitely not done.

I just want it to fall apart -
not falling apart yet.

Um, yeah.

Maybe I've taken...taken it out
too early. We'll see.

My ice-cream is not ready yet.

It's more of a sorbet, um,
consistency right now,

so I'm just waiting.

I also am just waiting
for my custard,

and it needs
to be pretty much set now.

Ooh.

Come on, custard.

Still got a bit.

Custard's pretty much not done.

Hmm, not looking good.

My choo chee sauce is done.

It's creamy, it's rich, it's punchy.

I've nailed the cook
on that crayfish.

It's really buttery and tender.

I've cut these crunchy nashi pears
into beautiful little circles,

because I'm going to arrange them
to look like a sort of scale pattern

onto the crayfish.

I actually think the sweetness
of this pear will balance out

the curry, but also tie in
with the sweetness of the uni.

I'm really happy with the dish.

I just hope this will be enough
to get that golden ticket.

This could be a chance
of a lifetime.

Five minutes to go!

(JUDGES CLAP AND CHEER)

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Keep going!

SAVINDRI: Getting close
to crunch time.

I'm nearing the finish line
of this insane marathon

that I decided
I needed to run today.

My little meatballs are perfect.

This is my eggplant pickle,

this is the toasted coconut
and shrimp belacan,

this is my caramelised onion,

and that's my twice-cooked eggplant.

I taste all of those elements.

Yum!

Oh, my God. Yum!

So, I've got my rice here.

I'm happy with my rice.

It just needs a little bit of salt.

It has the right texture,

it has the right kind of flavour.

I am getting it done.

I'm really happy.

I know the flavours are there,
but to walk away

with the golden ticket
would be perfect.

Two minutes left!

(JUDGES CHEER AND APPLAUD)

Hey!

Got the lamb resting.

I'm really happy with the pea puree.

The flavour is so pea-forward.

It's pungent,

and you can taste that mint.

That cauliflower croquette,

it's really, really yum.

I think the prosciutto lifts it
another element,

gives it
that salty texture and flavour.

And I've got the tweezers.

I'm just putting some little peas
with some nice little micro herbs.

And I think

them little finer touches
just bring a dish to life.

Little sucker.

Oh, the hands! The hands, Pez!

Come on.

Time that I need
to get into this lamb rack.

I want to see that beautiful,
beautiful, medium rare lamb

so it's just blushing.

These cutlets are
just a little bit under.

Just got to go with it.

Show us what you've got.

One minute to go!

(JUDGES CHEER AND APPLAUD)

Push!

NAT: My curry sauce is beautiful.

I just hope the lamb shank is
gonna semi-fall off the bone.

Oh, my God, this is hectic.

I can't wait any longer,

so I am taking
the custard out of the oven.

Ooh.

(INHALES SHARPLY)

No, it's not set at all.

So, yeah, it's not set.

I'm not doing it.

Hmm...

The custard can't get on that plate.

It isn't set at all.

I'm not... I'm not going to have it.

Oh, man.

(US ACCENT) Oh, man!

Someone here is going
straight to the semifinals!

10...

JUDGES: Nine, eight,

seven, six,

five, four,

three, two,

one.

Well done, everybody! That was heavy.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Well done.

SAVINDRI: I can't believe
I did that.

That was sheer ridiculousness,
wasn't it?

I think I'm in with a shot
to get that golden ticket.

Like, I love the dish,
it's so close to my heart,

and I'm happy
that I got it all done.

NAT: Uh, yeah.

That was probably the worst cook
I've ever done.

The dessert doesn't even exist
anymore,

so I'm not serving that.

I'm very disappointed.

The first dish we'd like to taste
belongs to...

..Pezza.

HARRY: Yeah, Pezza.

PEZZA: I'm really stoked
with these croquettes.

And it looks really good,

but I'm a little bit worried
about the cook on the lamb.

So I just hope I'm in with a shot.

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So, Pezza, what have you cooked?

Today, I've cooked for you
lamb chops,

cauliflower cheese croquette,

I've done a pea puree

and just a nice, really rich jus.

Well, mate, real with me,

the cook on the lamb -
are you happy with it?

Honest with you,
I wasn't overly happy

with the cook on the lamb.

Alright.

What are you thinking, mate?

I was just dreading that lamb.

But watching youse cut it,

it didn't look as bad
as what I thought it was.

It's... It looks nearly perfect!

The nous of you taking
the two end pieces...

..has got you out of jail,

because it has rested through
to a perfect medium rare.

That lamb is like butter.

Like, you can just sink your teeth
through that.

It's so perfectly cooked.

And that jus?

Amazing. Like, seamless.

And that little bit of booze
at the end just gives it

that beautiful sweetness.

When I walked over
to your bench today,

it smelled like a French kitchen.

Classy, you know? (CHUCKLES)

And it completely translates
to the plate.

This croquette is not just generous,

it is crispy, tasty,

right textures,
and the right amount of seasoning.

And it's beautifully fried.

I think the reason I like this plate
so much, Pezza, is because,

yes, it shows your journey,

but it also hasn't really
compromised on who you are.

And that's so nice to see,
because it feels real.

And it means that we just know
where it's come from.

Pezza, well done.
Thanks, Chef.

Pezza!
(APPLAUSE)

It's brilliant, Pezza!

It is.

That blew me away.

Next up, Harry.

(APPLAUSE)

Sauce up, mate.

Harry, what'd you make?

I've made you a crayfish choo chee.

My choo chee,

it's like halfway between a bisque
and a curry sauce.

There's a uni emulsion,

compressed nashi pear

and a makrut lime salt.

Ooh.

Pretty fancy.

I reckon we should dive in.

Harry...

..did you nail it?

You absolutely nailed it, mate.

I felt every bit of growth in you
in that plate.

Like, it's just done so differently
in such a good way

than what you would have done
when you walked through those doors

on day one.

You've got
this amazingly cooked cray.

It's like on the edge
of being translucent

with that pearly sheen on it still.

I love the uni emulsion.

It's just a really clever pairing
of two things from the sea.

Ooh!

I'm excited!

That bisque sauce is brilliant.

You've got that introduction
of the spice, which is very clever,

and then you've got that core
of the shellfish coming in.

That is not just a plate
of confidence

but it is very well done.

Your crayfish, it's really meaty,
it's really sweet.

For me, that sweetness
is mirrored by the nashi.

I think that was a really lovely,
delicate use of that fruit.

But everything on the plate
is quite strong in flavour.

For me, that choo chee is
really strong.

It's way spicier than
I was expecting.

Yeah. (CHUCKLES)
It's got quite a bit of punch to it.

So I think your sauce is
a little bit overpowering.

Thanks, mate. Well done.

Thank you.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Oh, lo-lo-lo-lo!

Next dish we'd like to taste is Sav.

SAV: I am very apprehensive
taking this dish up to the judges

because I know I did a good job,

but it's a dish
that just means so much to me.

It's my baby.

Open it, open it, open it.

Should we do it?
Let's do it!

POH: We are so excited to see
what's in your little prezzie.

Oh, look! Look at that!

(ALL GASP)

Alright, talk us through this,
because this needs a map.

The meat stock is
what the rice is cooked in.

There's another meatball
hidden in there somewhere...

I'll find it.
I was just about to say that!

This is a caramelised onion sambol.

It's sweeter, spicier.

I've got an eggplant pickle.

And then we've got
twice-cooked plantain.

And this was usually
a package that was sent off

to people that were working.

So it's supposed to be rich
and hearty and full of carbs and fat

because you need it
to last through the day.

Sav, how do I eat it right?

Hands?

We traditionally eat with our hands,
but you can eat it however you like.

Oh, yeah.

Sav...

Around 10 years ago,
when I was in Colombo,

I ate this dish,

and I've been trying to find one
that comes close to it ever since,

but nothing has quite come close.

Sav, this is far beyond
what I had that day in Colombo

and...

It's actually making me emotional.

It's so good.

Like, it's truly amazing.

Oh... You're making me emotional.

Um...

Everything in that banana leaf

doesn't just have purpose
and flavour,

it's got feeling,

and it is...
It is a total privilege.

I think it's my favourite thing
I've eaten this competition to date.

Oh, my God.

The dish itself is bloody
mind blowing.

The rice cooked in the meat stock
is just...

It is so perfectly perfumed
with a little bit of aromatic spice.

The eggplant!

Holy... My God, the eggplant.

Like, that... That is just insane.

The amount of heat
that it's got is beautiful

and the texture of it
versus the plantain - like, what?

The plantain!

Who goes on about plantain?

But I'm going on about plantain

because it was surprisingly
my favourite part...

It's one of my favourites, too.

..on that whole cacophony of flavour.

It's executed flawlessly, Sav.

Well done.

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

What you've achieved today,
I hope you realise, is mind blowing.

And I absolutely believe you are
now holding up-front...flag.

You are the threat now.

It's already been said, but...

..this is my favourite dish
of the season.

Uh...

I feel like this is a love letter
to your mum.

And I just know she would be
so, so proud of you.

You absolutely smashed it. Well done.

Thank you. Thank you.

Oh, what a dish.

PEZZA: Good work, Savi.
Thank you.

Next dish we'd like to taste
belongs to Nat.

Dishes.
Dishes!

Dish.
Dish.

Not having the custard set
in my pumpkin means

I only have one dish.

That's half
of what I said I would plate up.

Yeah, I feel devastated.

SOFIA: Promised two, delivered one.
Yeah.

So instead we have...

We have a hung lay lamb shank curry.

Right now, when you're in
the top four of MasterChef

and you can see the finish line,

would you rather be a risk-taker

or win 250 K
and be crowned MasterChef Australia?

I definitely would rather win,
for sure.

So you need to find that sweet spot.
Yeah.

Because you being a risk-taker
is what makes you great.

Yeah.

But if you take the wrong risk
at this time of the competition,

like today, there ain't
no more competition for you.

You've got to straddle that line.
That's good advice.

SOFIA: Alright...

That's tough.

Nat, Nat, Nat...

I can taste the potential in this,

it's a really lovely curry base,

but clearly the lamb shank needed
that extra 20 minutes

in the pressure cooker.

We came around,

we asked you whether you thought
you should do the two dishes

and you were sure...

And I get it, I really get it,
more than anyone else,

because that feeling of
pulling a rabbit out of a hat
can be quite addictive,

but you need to rein it in, lady.

The lamb shank,

it doesn't have that beautiful
gelatinous, silky smooth finish

on the palate
that lamb shank is all about.

It's still so tight
and hasn't given way.

I just see the potential in you
so hard.

You can achieve so much.

But now I'm just starting to go,

"Am I right about Nat?"

Today makes me question that
because it was the wrong decision

and this plate of food has
totally suffered.

I don't know.

What I see there
doesn't belong to Nat.

Definitely clear -
no relation between you two.

Please go back to square one, yeah?
Please.

SOFIA: You alright, Nat?
Mm.

Sinking in?

Alright.

Go back to your bench,
and, tonight, think about it.

Are you OK?

What a way to kick off finals week.

From the four of us,

thank you so much
for sharing your food with us today.

In the end, it was a battle
between Sav and Pezza.

Pezza.

The cook on that lamb
was immaculate,

the croquette was dynamite,

and that verdant pea puree
and glossy sauce -

all together,

that's one of the best dishes
you've ever delivered.

Sav.

You produced my favourite dish
of the competition so far.

The whole thing was rich
in flavour and feeling.

It was flawless.

Sav...

..you're in the semifinals
of MasterChef 2024!

I got a little something-something
for ya.

Yes!
It's the golden ticket!

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Oh, yeah.

There you go.
Thank you.

Any time.

Today, it was a lot of work,
but it was done with so much love,

and I'm just honoured
that I get to go to the semifinals

of MasterChef Australia,

having cooked the absolute jewel
of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Sav, congratulations! You are safe
up on the gantry tomorrow.

Pezza, Nat, Harry, you've got
a pressure test to prepare for,

and this one, man, it is going
to push you further than ever before.

Let's go!

OK, guys, goodnight
and good luck tomorrow.

POH: Well done, guys.

Great cooking today, everybody.
Well done.

VOICEOVER: Tomorrow night
on MasterChef Australia:

The fish king himself,

Josh Niland!

(CHEERING)

His pressure test...

You'll be making
my Flounder Kandinsky.

..and his fish butchery...

No way.

..is next level.

The devil is in the detail.

Who will impress this shark
in chef's clothing?

HARRY: My reputation is on the line
a little bit.

You know, like, I'm the fish guy
in this competition.

I'm really worried.

How much do you want it?

Captions by Red Bee Media