- 20 hours ago
2026.Season 18 Episode 52 - Mystery Box Challenge: One Ingredient
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Previously on MasterChef Australia...
00:03It's Mary and Grace!
00:06Heat Week was a battle to keep their flame alive in the competition.
00:13That is banging.
00:15Are we bringing it? I feel you!
00:18They all had a burning desire to reach the top six.
00:23That is bold. It's a bold move.
00:24You have to do whatever you can to stand out from the pack
00:27because everyone is such a good call.
00:29And show their passion to progress.
00:33It makes your tongue dance.
00:36There is a spicy discotheque in my bush.
00:39It is so, so, so perfect.
00:42We said hibachi challenge and you said dessert.
00:46I love it. But I was going to try something new.
00:49Uh-oh.
00:50Yay!
00:51But we had to say farewell to Pat.
00:55My MasterChef journey has been one of the best things
00:58I think I've ever done in my life.
00:59I came way further than I thought I ever would.
01:02So there's no regrets and I've had a blast.
01:04Tonight, the judges up the ante.
01:08This is hard.
01:10As simple must become extraordinary.
01:14It's a good test, really, to see how far we've come.
01:26Get on in there.
01:27Oh!
01:28Oh!
01:35This is eerie.
01:36This is weird.
01:38Walking into the MasterChef kitchen, I don't see much at the moment.
01:42Why is this so dark?
01:44It's very eerie, I would say.
01:47I'm a little unsettled.
01:50Oh!
01:53Oh!
01:54Oh!
01:54Oh!
01:54I've never seen this before.
01:58And I don't know what it means.
02:00Tonight on MasterChef Australia.
02:04What?
02:05The judges will drive you harder than ever before.
02:10Is it an auction?
02:13Every challenge is designed to push you to new heights.
02:18It's time to rise to the occasion.
02:22Hearing the voice of a man has got me, it's got me pumped up.
02:25It's reminded me that this is game on.
02:27No looking back, no looking 45 either side.
02:30Just straight at the finish line.
02:35That's right, MasterChef voiceover man.
02:38Each challenge this week has been individually tailored by one of us
02:42to prepare you for the business end of the competition.
02:48Starting with today's mystery box.
02:51Which has been set by me.
02:54I'm very intrigued actually.
02:56Sophia has such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to food.
03:00There could be a plethora of ingredients under there.
03:03I've created four mystery boxes for you to choose from.
03:08However, there is only one ingredient in each.
03:13This is kind of the complete opposite of what I thought Sophia's mystery box would be like.
03:17This is going to be really tough.
03:20Here's what I've chosen.
03:29Onion.
03:34Yuzu.
03:36Yuzu.
03:46Beetroot.
03:57Almond.
03:58Oh.
03:58Oh.
03:59Oh.
04:02Usually in a mystery box there is just like a plethora of options.
04:06Like this is hard.
04:09There is literally one ingredient in this mystery box.
04:12That's all we can use.
04:13They're like fairly one dimensional as an ingredient on their own.
04:17So like we're going to have to get really creative.
04:19To do well in this challenge, you'll need to harness what you've learnt throughout the competition.
04:25Think about ways of extracting flavour using texture and applying technique to get the most out of your ingredient.
04:33And use your underbench staples wisely to make that ingredient shine.
04:40This is a really difficult challenge, but when there's not too much to work with, it forces me to think
04:48strategically about what dish I'm making.
04:52Righto.
04:53You'll have 75 minutes to create a dish using one of Sophia's chosen ingredients.
04:59You can use as much or as little of that ingredient as you like.
05:05Of course, the pantry and the garden, they are closed.
05:09But you will have access to your underbench staples today.
05:12They are very important.
05:14Top Dish will win its maker, Immunity, from tomorrow's elimination.
05:21And you become the first person into our top five.
05:25You just need to shoot for the stars.
05:30This is your moment, guys.
05:31You've been training for this for months now.
05:34So just use everything that's gotten you to top six,
05:37and it might just get you to top five.
05:42Good luck.
05:44Your time starts now!
05:45Hello, everybody!
05:48Woo!
05:53I like Be Truth.
05:54I think there's a lot of things you can do to be true.
05:57That's what's appealing to me the most.
06:00My left.
06:01Wow!
06:08I've got no idea what to do.
06:12I'm looking at the four ingredients, and none of them are screaming out to me that they'd be great on
06:16their own.
06:19A one-ingredient mystery box is really tough.
06:22Balance, flavour, technique, texture, and just a cohesive dish with only one ingredient and your staples.
06:29It just feels like there's a lot more you can do with sweet in terms of the underbench staples.
06:34Oh, this one's nice.
06:36So I'm going with the yuzu.
06:42I'm feeling pretty good about this mystery box.
06:45Yuzu's one of the OG citrus favourite ingredients of mine.
06:48I don't, like, get them too often, too, so I actually have them today.
06:50I really want to make the most of that.
06:52Single-ingredient cooks are, like, really hard.
06:58I really need to break this yuzu down.
07:00Almost like yuzu butchery.
07:02So I'm going to juice up a whole bunch of yuzus, get that juice, and then the leftover frames,
07:07just take off a bit of the rind from salmon, then I've dust the first layer of skin with no
07:11pith,
07:11and all of a sudden one ingredient becomes, like, five ingredients.
07:15The annoying thing with yuzu is because they are, like, that ancient fruit.
07:17They haven't really been, like, cultivated like lemons are these days,
07:20so you don't get a huge amount of juice out of them.
07:22They're full of seeds.
07:24Today I'm going to be making a yuzu cruller, which is sort of like a doughnut,
07:27and I'm going to try to use the yuzu, like, in every single way possible.
07:31So I'm going to do a salted yuzu glaze,
07:34then we're going to candy some of the peels,
07:35make a jam with some of the peel as well,
07:37and then do, like, a charred milk and pepper anglaise to go with it as well.
07:43My greatest strength in this kitchen...
07:45I would probably say it's pulling out stuff that they haven't really seen before.
07:49I hear only...
07:50Oh, actually, that's an insult to me.
07:51I was going to say only losers do crullers.
07:52Only losers do crullers, so it makes sense.
07:55Checks out.
07:56I am going to do a cruller,
07:57and my friend Casper here, I believe, is also doing a cruller.
08:01But that's OK.
08:02I am using beetroot.
08:04A cruller is just shoe pastry that you treat like a doughnut.
08:09So you make your shoe dough and then fry it up.
08:12I've never thought beetroot dessert.
08:15Yeah, great idea.
08:17But I really want to stand out today,
08:18and I think in order to get top dish, that's what it's going to take.
08:21I'm going to do a beetroot caramel.
08:23I'm going to hibachi some beetroot and make it into a jam
08:26and, like, ripple that through a buttermilk ice cream.
08:28I'm going to try and dehydrate some of the leaves, beetroot leaves.
08:32I'm going to pickle some of the stems.
08:34And I think that should do me.
08:36First things first, I need to get onto my anglaise
08:38for my buttermilk ice cream.
08:40Egg yolks.
08:41Sugar.
08:42I've made some buttermilk using the vinegar and the milk
08:46from the underbent staples and then some thickened cream.
08:49I want to use the hibachi today because I think that it can add,
08:52like, a smoky element, which is just another way to get a bit more
08:55of a multiple dimensions into this beetroot doughnut.
09:00Did you hear that, Casper?
09:01Next door?
09:02Mm-hmm.
09:02So doughnut against doughnut.
09:04So I'm not calling you doughnuts, by the way.
09:06I'm just saying...
09:07Casper is a doughnut.
09:07Doughnuts using a beetroot.
09:09Yeah.
09:09Oh, I love it.
09:10Good luck.
09:11Thank you, Chef.
09:12If I'm going to be in the semi-final,
09:14I can imagine Casper will probably also be in the semi-final
09:17because he's just been so consistently good the entire time.
09:21Casper, you're good with numbers.
09:22What's 300 divided by 4?
09:24Is it 75?
09:2575.
09:26That's the last bit of advice I'll be giving you.
09:30If I don't win Top Dish, I at least want to beat Casper today.
09:36I was about to grab your bowls.
09:38Yeah, you would.
09:40Do you want my eggs while you're at it?
09:47I'm really excited about this challenge.
09:49It's not just because I set it,
09:50it's because it kind of feels like the culmination
09:53of everything our contestants have learnt today.
09:55Spotting the top fives on the line,
09:57like it is all to play for.
09:58And when you give them one ingredient,
10:00that's when you need to really peel the layers back,
10:03no pun intended, of the ingredient
10:05and manipulate that to be a balanced dish.
10:09I think for me, all of them are capable of using
10:11any of these ingredients and producing a decent dish.
10:14It's about how industriously you use those staples
10:17to highlight your ingredient.
10:19Big Aaron, what are you cooking, mate?
10:22Pasta!
10:23Hey!
10:23I like it.
10:25Make sure once you're almost done,
10:26you give me a bite, please.
10:28You bet.
10:29Yeah, I'm feeling really good today.
10:30Pretty hectic week last week,
10:32getting so close, being eliminated,
10:33but somehow sticking around,
10:35a bit like a cockroach,
10:36you just can't get rid of me.
10:37It does just feel like this dream might actually come true.
10:42Honestly, I can't really believe I'm still here.
10:45I've taken a few risks where it's paid off,
10:47especially in eliminations,
10:49but I've also taken a fair few risks where it hasn't paid off
10:52and it's kind of ended pretty badly.
10:55What's going on here?
10:57I forgot the flower like an idiot.
11:00Oh, Luke.
11:03Oh, no, they're really burnt, man.
11:05They are so burnt.
11:09Noose, it just went...
11:10Okay, melted.
11:12It feels like I've been in every elimination so far.
11:15Unfortunately, that means Luke.
11:18Luke.
11:19Luke, tomorrow you will be fighting to stay in a competition.
11:24I've still got something to prove.
11:26I'm gunning for top dish more than ever.
11:28Today I'm going to be cooking a yuzu meringue crepe cake.
11:32The vision for the cake is that
11:34you're going to stack quite a few of the crepes up,
11:36a yuzu curd in between, like, a decent height
11:39and then a really nice big pipe of the meringue on top.
11:41And so you get kind of this grand design,
11:44but it also has a lot of sophistication
11:46and a lot of technique and flavour in it.
11:48I've never used yuzu before,
11:50but I do feel like it's yellow
11:52and it looks a lot like a lemon,
11:54so it can't be that different.
11:56The first thing I get started on is my crepe mixture.
11:59I want to make sure this mixture is in the fridge
12:02as soon as possible so I can chill
12:03and make sure it's right.
12:05Keep pushing, eh?
12:06To get that immunity today and a challenge like today,
12:09I need to cook a dish that's pretty much perfect at this stage.
12:12I've got no idea what a user is, so we'll just punt.
12:16Just punt, mate. Just punt.
12:26Small ones for that.
12:31I've gone for beetroot.
12:33I feel like it can be used quite a few different ways.
12:36Taking Andy's words and shooting for the stars today.
12:40The basic dish of one ingredient is so hard.
12:44To be able to do that, you've got to think creatively.
12:46No mucking around.
12:48I'm a chartered accountant,
12:50so not too much creativity going on there.
12:53Look at that. I'm drenching it, mate.
12:55I'm drenching it. How can this go wrong?
12:57If you put enough olive oil in anything, it'll taste good.
13:00But I'm a creative person,
13:02so definitely outside of work,
13:04I need to fill the rest of my life with creativity
13:06and that's mostly with food and my music.
13:23I've always said that there's a really strong connection
13:25between trying to balance out a meal
13:27and trying to write a song.
13:29It's all about balance, textures.
13:33Alright, let's get this in the oven for snacks.
13:35It's made me want to show that I am able to balance out a dish
13:39and think creatively as I would writing a song.
13:43Petro?
13:43Sophia?
13:44You've gone for beetroot?
13:45Yes.
13:46What are you doing?
13:47I'm making beetroot a few ways.
13:50Okay.
13:50I'm going to roast until it nice and tender.
13:52I'm really showcased the beetroot
13:53and I'm going to make a vinaigrette out of the juices
13:56that come out of that
13:57and dress a salad out of the leaves.
13:59I'm not sure what sort of creamy element
14:01I'm going to have on the bottom.
14:02I'm going to make a beetroot cream
14:03but I'm also going to make a beetroot and ricotta base.
14:06I'm going to do some spiralised beetroot
14:07which are going to be cooked on the hibachi and glaze.
14:09And then I'm going to do a rough puff shards.
14:17Um, you're making a lot.
14:19I think that was seven elements.
14:21I'm going to see how it all works together.
14:22Okay.
14:23There may be elements I leave off the plate
14:24because it might be over beetroot.
14:26Alright.
14:27Have you thought about any that you like the least?
14:30I think the spiralised beetroot will probably be the one I maybe leave off.
14:36The one you're doing right now?
14:37Yeah.
14:38Um...
14:40Yeah, I'm not sure yet.
14:41If you're making this many elements
14:44you're going to have to decide how it all goes together.
14:47Yes, I agree.
14:48Okay, I'll leave you to it then.
14:49Thanks.
14:54As I'm saying them out loud to Sophia
14:57I realise how confusing this idea is
15:00and it's kind of concerning me a bit.
15:03Alright.
15:04Oh boy.
15:07What are you making, Petro?
15:09I've actually...
15:11I actually couldn't even tell you.
15:21What are you making, Petro?
15:23I've actually...
15:24I actually couldn't even tell you.
15:27Sounds good.
15:29Um...
15:30Yeah, I'm working it out.
15:32I'm working it out.
15:33Usually I love having a limited amount of ingredients
15:36and being able to create something from those.
15:39But today I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.
15:42I'm making my rough puff.
15:45My ricotta's turned out nicely.
15:47But everything else I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
15:51I don't know.
15:54I've just strained my ricotta
15:55and I'm about to throw away my whey liquid.
15:58And then an idea comes to me.
16:01Oh, maybe I can use that.
16:04I think it'll go really nicely with the beetroot.
16:08How about I make a sauce out of the whey?
16:11Maybe I can use the whey.
16:15Look at that.
16:18Alright, come on.
16:21I have never made this sauce before
16:23but I'm thinking of mixing the whey
16:26with some of my reduced beetroot juice.
16:29I don't need all these.
16:31So it's really sweet
16:32and it's got that acidity.
16:34I've got no idea what this beetroot dish is going to be.
16:38Ooh!
16:39But we're going to find out here.
16:41Andy said shoot for the stars
16:42so I decided to shoot for the stars.
16:46Yes, I did, Petra.
16:47At the moment it looks like I'm going for the sun.
16:53One ingredient, one dish and just one winner.
16:5725 minutes to go!
16:58Hopefully 11!
17:02Aaron, mate, it's time to go to the arm farm.
17:11Have you noticed that Aaron has got really amazing knife skills?
17:15Feeling pretty good.
17:16Positive, always good when it's a white apron day.
17:18And yeah, I like how we're kind of using one ingredient
17:22and really like trying to be creative with it.
17:25It's a good test really to see how far we've come.
17:27In this competition I've learned so much.
17:30I mean, I made an entremé in a pressure test.
17:33I've never made an entremé before.
17:35Tempered chocolate.
17:36I've made ice cubes.
17:37Never made ice creams before.
17:39Even handmade pasta.
17:40At this point of the competition,
17:42I want to be able to utilize everything I've learned
17:46in terms of knowledge,
17:48in terms of really understand technique and flavour now
17:52and make a dish.
17:54I'm planning on making like a play on a filled tortellini type situation.
17:59But I don't want to do it with like a creamy onion filling.
18:02Make like a caramelised onion broth.
18:05We'll see what else I add to it in the time that I'm given.
18:24Aaron, are we making the same dish?
18:26I think I'm doing tortellini.
18:28And then I want to do like a broth as well.
18:30Yeah, I'm doing broth.
18:32You're doing broth?
18:32Yeah.
18:33Sick.
18:34It's a good dish, mate.
18:36Sounds like a good dish.
18:40An onion really, especially a brown onion,
18:43has a lot going for it.
18:44If you treat it right,
18:45you can really get a wide range of flavour profiles
18:48from sweet to bitter to raw and acidic.
18:52And then pasta, I think,
18:54is just the perfect vessel to encapsulate that.
18:57So I'm going to make a filled pasta,
18:59either agnolochi or tortellini today,
19:00and I'm going to do some caramelised onion
19:03and some ricotta in the filling,
19:04so it's got like that sweet creaminess.
19:06And then I'm also thinking about making
19:07a charred onion rhodo.
19:10I definitely have a clear idea
19:11of how I want this dish to look at the end.
19:14But in the MasterChef kitchen,
19:16when the judges are presented with two very similar dishes,
19:20it's very difficult
19:21because now they have a comparison.
19:24It's definitely a bit intimidating
19:25going up against Aaron.
19:27Aaron is much more refined, much more chef-y.
19:31I've tried a few different strategies
19:33to make myself stand out in this competition,
19:36many of which haven't really worked.
19:39Flavours and layering flavours is what I am good at,
19:42so I feel like I need to focus on that.
19:44I've got my pasta that I'm about to work on.
19:46I'll caramelise my onions down,
19:47and then I just need to make my ricotta.
19:51Oops.
19:53And then get my filling actually done.
19:55Once the filling's done,
19:56I can really start everything else in motion.
20:02I've got to give it to these guys.
20:03We've put them through the absolute ringer, right?
20:06They've still got so much energy about them.
20:08They've still got so much will to win.
20:10I feel like we are just about to see these guys launch.
20:14How's Luke going over there with his yuzu?
20:17He's going to do crepe cake,
20:18and he's going to have a yuzu curd and a Swiss meringue.
20:21Flavours-wise, I think it's great.
20:23I think lovely, you know, lovely silken crepes,
20:26and then, you know, nice sharp yuzu
20:27with lots of that yuzu perfume.
20:30So let's see...
20:30How about the height?
20:31Mate, that's what I'm worried about.
20:33Crepe cakes are really hard.
20:35They're hard to assemble.
20:36They take so much time.
20:38So, yeah, I hope he's thinking about all of that now.
20:41It's the same for Petro.
20:43So he's going beetroot many ways.
20:46I counted about seven ways.
20:47By focusing on so many different elements,
20:50I just wonder if he's going to have enough time at the end
20:53to be able to assemble it all in a way that is balanced.
20:56There is absolutely no doubt that that guy is an amazing cook,
20:59has an amazing palate.
21:00Let's just hope he keeps an eye on the butt.
21:02Guys, you won't believe what's happening on the backbench.
21:05What is happening on the backbench?
21:06It's the battle of the donuts.
21:09Nice.
21:09So one is with yuzu, which is Casper.
21:12I love that.
21:13And one is with beetroot, which is Annabelle.
21:16And they are both going to take the whole lot.
21:20They're going to trim the yuzu to pieces
21:22and use every element, and the same with Annabelle,
21:25with the beetroot, even to the leaves.
21:28Wow.
21:28It's amazing.
21:30Interesting.
21:37Make sure it's the best donut ever.
21:40Yes, chef.
21:41Yeah, no, I'm feeling good.
21:43Right now, I'm making my shoe paste,
21:44and I've got some yuzu peels candying.
21:47Then the next thing is this glaze.
21:49I want it to be, like, all tart, really thin,
21:51but then, like, a good hit of salt there, too.
21:53When you have, like, a good crella, it's, like, life-changing.
21:55So, like, it's going to be interesting to see what Annabelle can do
21:57to, you know, turn the screws a little bit.
21:59If we can both put up a crella, we'll be at the top.
22:02Who's going to come out on the top top?
22:07Everyone here is a strong cook,
22:09but Annabelle is definitely, in my mind,
22:11one of the strongest cooks still in the competition to date.
22:14What have you got for me to taste, mate?
22:16Nothing for you.
22:17Not yet.
22:18Nothing yummy.
22:19Not yet.
22:20We will be pulling no punches for Annabelle today
22:22because I know that she can take it.
22:26Ooh.
22:27So, I was trying to dehydrate some leaves in the microwave,
22:31but it caught a light.
22:33Did you say you set something on fire in the microwave?
22:36Oh, my God.
22:39My leaves!
22:40I'm, like, really concerned that I have had zero idea
22:43what's gone on inside this microwave
22:45while I've had my back turned.
22:47Did everyone else see that?
22:55However, my ice cream tastes really good.
22:57I think it'll go really, really nicely
22:59with the flavour of the beetroot.
23:01I'm in a good spot.
23:02I think.
23:03My ice cream's churning.
23:04I'm just getting onto my jam.
23:05I've got my pickle going.
23:07And I'm just going onto my, um, choux dough.
23:10And then...
23:12my caramel.
23:13And then...
23:14I want to do something with the leaves.
23:15I just don't know what yet.
23:17Ooh!
23:17Ooh!
23:17Ooh!
23:18Ooh!
23:22Are you charring your choux dough as well?
23:25Yeah.
23:27Ooh!
23:28Oh, jeez.
23:31Plenty of seeds.
23:32I've got about 30 minutes left.
23:34I've got my meringue done.
23:35My crepe is still in the fridge.
23:37I'm just hanging out these pans.
23:39I'm just currently working on my curd still.
23:41This curd's going to go throughout each layer of the crepe cake.
23:44And I'm hoping that it'll have a lot of yuzu flavour, but it'll also be quite tart.
23:49But I'm realising that the yuzu, it's not exactly like a lemon like I thought.
23:53Whoa!
23:55I'm using so many yuzus into this curd, and it's only given me like an eighth of a cup of
24:00juice.
24:02It's not quite what I expected.
24:03It's not as lemony as I thought.
24:05It's a lot sweeter.
24:07There's like no juice in it.
24:10I haven't started cooking my crepes.
24:12My curd is nowhere near where it needs to be.
24:14And I still need 10 to 15 minutes to construct this thing.
24:19Why is she using this?
24:20I have my curd on the stove top, and I take my eyes off it for a minute.
24:27I look back and...
24:30That is not right.
24:31It looks like scrambled eggs.
24:34If I'd ruined the only yuzu elemental dish, this yuzu curd, my whole dish would be in shambles.
24:52Oh, good starter pack.
24:56Aaron!
24:57Hey, Andy.
24:58How are we?
24:59Good, how are you?
24:59Good, are we sending it?
25:00I'm trying.
25:01Yes!
25:02What are we going to do?
25:03I'm planning on making kind of like a soubise-filled tortellini with a caramelised onion broth.
25:10Thoughts?
25:11Hope?
25:13I want to know the flavour of the filling.
25:16Like what are you doing to that?
25:18So this is just going to be swept down until it's translucent almost, not caramelised.
25:22Just basically just really sweet onion filling.
25:25That's what I want.
25:26Seasoned really well.
25:26So if that's sweet, then what's the broth going to be?
25:29So the broth's going to have a bit of that caramelised sweetness but also a bit of brightness from
25:32the vinegar.
25:33Okay.
25:33And then that's where you've got the chard, so a bit of bitterness is in it as well.
25:36Yeah.
25:36So I think that's going to be your challenge is to really make an obvious difference between
25:42the filling and the broth.
25:44Yeah.
25:44I'm looking forward to seeing this one come together.
25:47Good luck.
25:48Good luck, Aaron.
25:50After that bench visit from Poe and Andy, I feel quite concerned about being able to
25:55distinguish between the filling of my tortellini and the broth.
26:00But also, beanies in front of me, doing an onion pasta.
26:06Just going to love onions.
26:07He's such a strong cook.
26:09Knows flavours so well and, you know, he's Italian.
26:13It could very well come down to the battle of the pastas and onions here with the top
26:17dish.
26:18I need to think of a way to incorporate something in the filling or maybe the broth that can
26:24really make it stand apart.
26:28I mean, winning immunity would be huge.
26:30So I'm making sure that I'm adding a lot of different elements to the broth.
26:35So I've got white pepper, I've got charred onion, caramelised onion.
26:38I'm using the skins as well to give a bit of a colour difference and make sure that that's
26:41highlighted.
26:44And I'm thinking of doing some sort of pickled onion petal and charred onion petal just on
26:49the top, just to add a little differential and different flavour of the onion.
26:56I haven't tasted it all.
26:58I've tasted the individual parts, but I will try and see if all of it works together.
27:06Coming along.
27:07Just need to let it reduce as long as possible, I think.
27:11I've got my pasta done, my ricotta has just finished.
27:15The broth, now I think I'm getting to the point where I need to actually start seasoning
27:20it up and tasting it and balancing.
27:23There is a lot to do here all at the same time.
27:26I'm putting together all the elements of my caramelised onion agnolotti with my charred
27:30onion brodo.
27:31I have a clear vision of what I want to do and I'm actually taking the time to think about
27:35each individual element and how they're going to taste.
27:39The broth has a nice charred bitterness to it.
27:41So I'm just going to balance that with a little bit of brightness.
27:45A little bit of sugar.
27:52Mmm.
27:53OK.
27:54The flavours of the onion really come out and the charredness is really, really cool.
27:59That is banging.
28:00I'm really, really happy.
28:01But I feel like it needs a little bit more.
28:04Something that's going to give it that wow factor.
28:07I'm going to do some burnt onion petals.
28:09The charred petals are kind of the bridging element between my broth and my pasta.
28:14They're going to be sweet from a sweet and sour glaze but also have a little edge of char,
28:19which is going to bridge together the charred broth with the sweet filling.
28:22Yum.
28:24I definitely feel like I'm onto a good dish here today.
28:26I hope that I've done enough in terms of flavours here to make the better onion pasta.
28:31So now, I'll roll out my pasta, get it filled.
28:35I've got my onions, which are cooked perfectly and plate up.
28:44Yuzu every second, 15 minutes to go!
28:48Yes!
28:57Oh, yeah.
28:59OK, that's better.
29:01This challenge is definitely proving a lot harder than I originally thought.
29:05I'm just looking at my yuzu curd.
29:07It's going to go in the crepe cake.
29:09And because I couldn't get much juice out of the yuzu,
29:11I was trying to just use the zest,
29:13but I really needed the juice to make sure that eggs don't curdle in my curd.
29:17So it's a lot kind of thicker and a bit scrambled eggy.
29:20I don't have any more eggs in the mystery box
29:21and I've used the juice of like 10 yuzus.
29:24I can't start this thing again.
29:25I just have to make do with what I've got.
29:28All right, let's do this.
29:30I've just sieved it, got it to the right texture.
29:32And in terms of flavour, I'm going to adjust with fresh yuzu zest
29:35once it's cooled down so that I get as much of the kind of zesty fragrance
29:39because I just can't seem to get much flavour out of them.
29:41To be honest, I've had a gun full of aluminum ashes.
29:44I'm going to pick myself back up and think about the dish in front of me.
29:48And I'm hoping that today's the day where it can all just come together
29:52at the right time onto the plate and I can get my spot up in the gantry.
29:56Keep pushing, eh?
30:05I've spiralised the beetroot, but I'm thinking there's no point
30:08having roasted beetroot and spiralised beetroot on the plate.
30:11It doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
30:12All right, come on.
30:13So I heat up some oil and put spiralised beetroot in the oil to fry it.
30:19Um, I don't have a whole lot of time.
30:22I'm pretty nervous.
30:25Oh, boy.
30:26My rough puff isn't done.
30:28I don't know how this plate's going to come together yet
30:31because I'm still testing all my elements.
30:34I'm not sure how they're all going to taste.
30:37Tell me you've got a plan.
30:39Don't make that face.
30:39Tell me you've got a plan.
30:41I still don't fully have a plan.
30:44I'll be honest.
30:45Um, I've got a dressing, um, from the roasted beetroot juices.
30:51For what?
30:52Um, that's, that's going to go on top.
30:54Of what?
30:59That's going to go, um, well, I'm, I'm going to dress the plate with it.
31:04I think you've got to, you've got to focus on the things you know are definitely going to be there.
31:10Yes.
31:10Because you need to allow time to plate and balance.
31:12Yeah.
31:13Yeah.
31:13This is true.
31:15I know there's going to be ricotta.
31:16I know there's going to be beets.
31:18All right.
31:18You got this.
31:19You're good, Pedro.
31:19You're good.
31:20You can do it.
31:21Alrighty.
31:22Let's go.
31:23Remember the stars that you're shooting for?
31:26Yes.
31:26Yeah.
31:27The stars are feeling far, far away at the moment, but I'm experimenting until the bitter end.
31:34Don't leave it all to the last minute.
31:36Five minutes to go.
31:46Five minutes and I'm just about to start frying my krullers.
31:50It's going to get a little tight, I think.
31:51We'll be glazing to the last second.
31:54It is hectic right now.
31:57I love a kruller, but I think I like learning that they're really hard to make.
32:02Yeah, I'm feeling stressed for sure.
32:04Finally, I've got my piping bag set up properly and the dough is coming out really nicely.
32:09But time is ticking away and I'm starting to feel a bit stressed.
32:14I still have to fry my doughnuts.
32:18Yes, you're concerned.
32:20I'm concerned.
32:21What are the chances that neither of them have cooked their doughnuts?
32:24Yeah.
32:24With five minutes to go.
32:26Crazy.
32:28They are at the exact same point in their cook.
32:34Where did all that time go?
32:36I'm trying to jump between kruller making and caramel making.
32:42My caramel is like in the process, so it does need a little bit of TLC.
32:45Annabelle is just not even, she hasn't even piped yet.
32:48Oh no.
32:53She has.
32:54Has she?
32:55Yeah.
32:55But I don't know what she's doing.
32:56She's just sitting there.
32:57He's firing ahead.
33:07Get the doughnut in the oil.
33:10Yes.
33:12Four minutes to go.
33:13In my experience, krullers need a low temperature at about 150 degrees for a couple of minutes.
33:19Crank the oil up and then fry them at about 180.
33:22And I'm like, I don't have time for this.
33:25Let's push out of L.
33:27Nay.
33:35Oh my god.
33:37This is a kruller catastrophe.
33:46I'm freaking out.
33:47Nay.
33:48Less than five minutes to go.
33:51My krullers are still in the fryer and I will not be taking them out until there are two seconds
33:56to go.
33:57But my ice cream tastes really good.
33:59My jam is ready to be rippled through.
34:01My beetroot caramel is like this beautiful sort of maroon colour.
34:06I've got my pickled beetroot.
34:08Alright.
34:10The one thing that makes me feel better about the fact that I don't have my krullers fried is that
34:14neither does Casper.
34:17At this point, I've just got to cross my fingers and hope that one of the krullers is cooked enough
34:22for me to serve today.
34:23It's going to get a little tight, I think.
34:24Uh, yeah.
34:25I'm feeling stressed for sure.
34:26Yeah.
34:27Oh my god.
34:31My broth's turning out beautifully.
34:34Every other element is in its place.
34:35At this point, I'm feeling pretty good.
34:37What I need to do now is hone in and focus on the tortellini.
34:41It's very fiddly work actually.
34:43Working with, you know, pasta and then a wet filling and making sure that everything's sealed.
34:48I'm being really careful to pinch everything to make sure it's all sealed.
34:52Have it all not leak out and burst.
34:57God, he didn't.
34:59Looks really good.
35:03Hot, hot, hot.
35:05There's two minutes to go.
35:06I'm putting together all the elements of my caramelised onion agnolotti with my charred onion golden.
35:11I'm feeling really, really good about this dish.
35:14I love the clarity of the broth.
35:15I love the shape of the pasta.
35:17I test my pasta.
35:19They're starting to float and I'm happy with how they look.
35:22Next, I check on my onion petals and they are looking pretty perfect.
35:27They'll give a little pop of sweetness and sourness to my dish.
35:31Let's get this done.
35:33Last push.
35:34Two minutes to go.
35:45I haven't had time to decide which are my best elements.
35:50So I've just got to throw what I have on the plate.
35:53I've got ricotta.
35:54I've got some crispy beetroot.
35:56I've got my sauce.
35:58Put my roasted beetroots around and then my dressed beetroot leaves.
36:05I think it looks good.
36:06But the reality is this whole cook, I have had no clear idea.
36:14And when I have no clear idea, I don't cook well.
36:19Ling is home.
36:20One minute to go.
36:30All right, let's do this.
36:32The biggest issue at the moment is definitely time.
36:35I'm just starting to construct this cake.
36:38I want it to be nice and tall and fluffy and you get the texture of the crepe and the
36:43beautiful
36:43meringue on top.
36:47I'm piping on this curd and it's nowhere near as thick as it needs to be.
36:52And as I'm trying to hold it together, it's just getting squished and smooshed either side like a leaning tower
36:56of pizza.
36:59All right, this is just a lot apart.
37:00Good job, Luke.
37:04I'm so disappointed because it's not going to win me immunity.
37:07It's not even going to win me over in the eyes of the judges.
37:09It's just going to remind them why I've been in every elimination so far.
37:15Ten, five, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
37:26That's it, everybody.
37:30How did you go?
37:31I forgot to put my pickle on.
37:33Where'd it go?
37:36Terrence is there.
37:52You all right?
37:53What happened?
37:54Yeah, I saw it.
37:55What happened?
37:56What's wrong?
38:00What's wrong?
38:03What's wrong?
38:04What happened?
38:06Did I embarrass myself?
38:08Nah, man.
38:09You didn't embarrass anyone.
38:10You're top six.
38:12Always.
38:20Today, I gave you four single-ingredient mystery boxes.
38:24And all you had to do was cook the top dish.
38:27The first dish we'd love to taste is yours, Aaron.
38:34I'm feeling pretty good.
38:35I think I've done pretty well with the onion today.
38:39I hope I've done enough to get me to that top spot.
38:43Ooh.
38:47That looks stunning, Aaron.
38:49It does?
38:51What is it?
38:54An onion tortellini with a charred onion broth.
38:57I've got some lightly pickled onion petals.
39:00I've also got some lightly charred onion petals.
39:03And I've made like a tiny tuile with the onion water.
39:07Wow.
39:08Okay.
39:11You're not the only onion pasta out there, are you?
39:13No.
39:14To your right shoulder.
39:15Stare him down.
39:16The Italian or the Chinese.
39:19Do you want to finish it off, mate?
39:20Sure.
39:28It's okay.
39:29You can just go on with it now.
39:30It's a whole new play.
39:31It's okay.
39:32It's okay.
39:32Let's do that.
39:35You just even it out.
39:36Wow.
39:36How did you manage that?
39:57Aaron, I can feel you're hitting your stride.
40:02I think the big question today was whether you could get that contrast
40:06between the sweetness of the filling with your broth, which you wanted to be sort of deep
40:11and rich, and you absolutely have done that.
40:14That broth, you've definitely nursed that really carefully and you can taste it.
40:19And I love that little hint of bitterness as well in there.
40:22You're thinking like a chef now, and I really love seeing that.
40:26Aaron, I thought your pasta work was great.
40:28Mine was cooked perfectly.
40:30The texture of your sous-bisse-esque filling, it was really light and fluffy and creamy.
40:36It's so clear the progression from even just two to four weeks ago through to the technique in this dish.
40:45It's really beautiful to watch.
40:47You've done an amazing job, mate.
40:49Thank you, sir.
40:50Your broth is very concentrated.
40:51I love the colors.
40:52I like the fact that you kept the skin.
40:54That's very smart.
40:56Your pasta work, impeccable.
41:07It's such a validating thing for them to say that I'm thinking like a chef.
41:11I'm getting closer to the ideal chef I want to be.
41:13You're up next, Vinny!
41:18Hearing the feedback from the judges and Aaron's dish, it's definitely a bit intimidating.
41:23I've also made onion pasta with a broth.
41:26Now they have a comparison.
41:28If my dish doesn't deliver on flavour, I don't think I'll be in with a chance at Top Dish.
41:51Vinny, you had four ingredients to choose from and you went with the humble onion.
41:55Yep.
41:56Every time we have a mystery box challenge, I'm always like, where's onion?
41:59And I feel like it was there today, so we've got to go for it.
42:03And what did you do with them?
42:04I did a caramelised onion agnolotti with a charred onion brodo.
42:10I'm loving these, like, kind of really caramelised, glazed up petals on top.
42:16They're not so uniform, but my gosh, if that doesn't taste good, I'd be very surprised.
42:19Looks really like a very comforting bowl of food.
42:23Looks really like a very comforting bowl of food.
42:40So Vinny, you've actually opened up the different personality of what onion can offer.
42:48It's translucent.
42:50It's very tasty.
42:52It's concentrated.
42:53It's sweet.
42:54I am very pleased.
42:55I love it.
42:57Well done.
42:59The filling was lovely and I think the thinness of the parcel was really lovely.
43:05Your brodo has this really deep onion flavour and you've really played with that agnolotti and kind of pushed it
43:11right to the edge, which is really lovely.
43:12You've gotten a lot of flavour into that dish.
43:16There is a beautiful sweetness across all of your elements.
43:20Lovely umami and brownness in that broth and those little bits that Andy was looking forward to, definitely the highlight.
43:27Nearly all bloody gone.
43:30We'll lift you on, don't complain.
43:33Love the little char on there.
43:35I actually, I like the smoothness of the filling as well.
43:38I really feel like this bowl of food displays how far you've come in the competition, right?
43:42But for you to do that with one ingredient, I just don't feel like that's something that you could have
43:48done at the start of the competition.
43:49Not even close.
43:50It would have been hard and fast, caramelised, like really rough around the edges.
43:54But that's just got a real smoothness, like in terms of flavour, about that puree inside.
44:00Um, and then I love the addition of those charred and glazed with the, uh, onions with the, with the
44:05brown butter.
44:06Pretty epic, mate.
44:07Well done.
44:11I feel really proud of the dish that I've made today.
44:15It's just a reflection of everything I've learnt and how far I've actually come in this competition.
44:20I do feel like I'm in with a chance at top dish.
44:23Petro!
44:27Today I've just experimented with everything.
44:30It's looking a little more rustic than refined, as I would have liked.
44:33But sometimes you do have to do something maybe more basic.
44:38But with amazing flavour.
44:41I just hope that it tastes good.
44:49You've got a beautiful colour out of that sauce.
44:55I chose beetroot and this dish is called beetroot and whey.
45:01So I've got some roasted beetroots, some ricotta, fried beetroot chips, some of the beetroot leaves that are dressed in
45:09a beetroot vinaigrette.
45:10And I've got a beetroot and whey sauce.
45:36I think you've done a pretty good job, mate.
45:40Well done.
45:41You've made your own cheese.
45:44The colour of your reduction is just perfect.
45:47It's not bitter.
45:48And what you've done with tact is to retain the balance between the earthiness and the sweetness of the beetroot.
46:00Your best element is the sauce.
46:04That's beautiful.
46:04That's amazing that you've got that purity of the beetroot sweetness in that sauce.
46:09But I don't feel like you've got the best out of all the ingredients on the plate.
46:12It does taste a little bit lacklustre.
46:15The flavour overall is just very mellow.
46:18You're not getting the full earthiness or sweetness out of the beetroot in any of your elements.
46:23Had you started off the cook with a really clear idea, I think you would have got there because we
46:29know how good you are.
46:30But definitely wasn't your best day.
46:37I went to shoot for the stars today, but missed the mark.
46:41I think I'm going to take all my learnings into the next cook and really try to knock that one
46:46out of the park.
46:48Next up please, Annabelle.
46:53I am pretty stressed.
46:57I don't know if my crulla is cooked.
46:59I know I cranked that oil temp up.
47:05Regardless, I'm very determined to beat Casper today.
47:24Camel looks stunning.
47:26Yeah.
47:26It's intense.
47:35You don't want to put the two little bits of pickle on top anyway?
47:42Oh, not too much.
47:45Nailed it.
47:46Fingernailed it.
47:47Oh my God.
47:51Annabelle, you've chosen beetroot.
47:53What did you make?
47:54I made a beetroot crulla.
47:57So I've done a choux pastry that I fried.
48:01A buttermilk ice cream with some roasted beetroot jam swelled through it.
48:07And then I've made a beetroot caramel.
48:09And then I think there's two pieces of pickled beetroot stem that made it all right.
48:15And then one of the beetroot leaves that I fried.
48:20Fabulous.
48:35I think that this had potential for top dish.
48:40I bloody loved the ice cream.
48:43The texture was so delicious.
48:45But then I feel like the biggest mistake was what the dish was based around.
48:50And that's the crulla.
48:52It's just that oily flavour.
48:55It just really got in the road of the genius that you had in the bowl.
48:59And that for me was sourness, earthiness, sweetness and bitterness.
49:02All kind of doing their thing at the same time.
49:05Your colour, I'm very satisfied.
49:07It's sliced, crispy, coloured.
49:10Your creme anglaise is cooked perfectly.
49:12The caramel to start, perfect.
49:15The sweetness, the rawness, the earthiness of the beetroot
49:18and to convert it to a dessert is a big job.
49:22And what you've reproduced is just an harmony of beetroot.
49:29Well done.
49:30Well done.
49:34Okay, next one please.
49:36Casper.
49:38Go Cas.
49:39Go Casper.
49:41Today, I think maybe Annabelle and I were having a little bit too much fun.
49:45I'm just a bit worried that my crulles still roar inside.
49:56Nice.
50:00So, can I ask you Casper, can you give us all the elements on your dish please?
50:05So, crulles just like a plain one.
50:07And then we've got candied yuzu peel, then a yuzu jam.
50:11And then I did like a salted yuzu glaze on the cruller too.
50:14And then on the side, the anglaise is a like really heavy toasted white pepper.
50:20White pepper.
50:21Interesting.
50:38Roar.
50:40Casper, that yuzu jam, like dynamite, such a clever idea.
50:46And it fits so well with yuzu, that technique, that you learnt the pressure test.
50:50The texture of the anglaise is like, dialed.
50:53The cruller is...
50:55Raw.
50:58Which I didn't expect.
51:01Is, yeah.
51:01Did you know that?
51:03Uh, I had.
51:05So, I think where Annabelle and I might have differed,
51:08is I think I got mine in just a bit earlier, but I did mine at a lower temp.
51:13Ah.
51:13Yeah.
51:14So I was like, I wanted to give it a bit more time to like hopefully dry out and not
51:17puff up.
51:17Yeah, just to get that.
51:18Yeah.
51:19Yeah.
51:20So then it ends up being a bit more.
51:23Casper, when I closed my eyes and I tasted that dish, flavour-wise I found it really delicious.
51:29But I did love that, yeah, beautiful floral perfume that you get from white pepper.
51:34But texturally there were some strange things happening.
51:37I was like, what does this make me think of?
51:38And it's a bread and butter pudding.
51:40Yeah.
51:40That too.
51:41Yeah.
51:42Um, which is not what you want.
51:44Everything but acrola.
51:50Next dish we'd love to taste is Luke's.
51:54Go Luke.
51:55Come on mate.
51:56Oh.
51:57Cheer up brother, cheer up.
51:58I just had a shocker today.
52:00Everything went wrong from the start.
52:04Every single cook, I'm trying to prove to the judges why I should still be here.
52:09And putting up a dish like that today.
52:12Oh.
52:15It's just devastating.
52:30Luke.
52:32You look super upset.
52:36I just had an absolute disaster today.
52:39I feel like I worked so hard to stay wearing a white apron.
52:43Yeah.
52:43And to still be here last week.
52:45And then to prove you guys right that you made the right decision, I've just gone and put that up.
52:50Which is just disgraceful.
52:54I was definitely pretty stuck today.
52:57And the yuzu, I just treat it like a lemon.
53:00Yeah.
53:00And the more I use it, I just realize it's not really like one.
53:04Yeah.
53:05And it also has like zero juice.
53:07You couldn't get enough yuzus?
53:10Like there was plenty at the front of the room, no?
53:12I used like 10.
53:16And then everything just fell apart.
53:19It's meant to be a yuzu meringue crepe cake.
53:25Should we taste?
53:41A very good friend of mine who used to stand next to me on this panel used to say,
53:44do you want it soft and fluffy?
53:47Or do you want it hard and real?
53:49Feedback.
53:50I think you know.
53:52I was hoping you'd say that.
53:53Um, because...
53:57I know that you're really upset.
53:58And I'm just giving you some tough love.
54:03There were 50 yuzus.
54:07And I just feel to say that you used 10 and didn't get enough juice.
54:12I just feel like that's not taking the responsibility.
54:19Like, you know, when you make mistakes in this kitchen, the only thing that you can do is own up,
54:24assess what you did, and then move forward.
54:28And so I just want you to be real about this and know where you went wrong.
54:33That's why I asked you.
54:34And just take it on the chin.
54:35But then what will make me really upset is if you walk back in here tomorrow with a black apron
54:40on and you're not yourself again.
54:41Because when you're like this, you do not cook well.
54:45So, that was a tough day.
54:47I've had tough days in here.
54:49Poe's had tough days in here.
54:50You are only judged on how you return through those doors the next day.
54:55So, head up.
54:56Thanks, Andy.
54:58Luke, you won't believe this, but it actually tastes quite nice.
55:02There's a nice little chew on the crepe.
55:04You can definitely taste the yuzu.
55:06Um, not as sharp as it should be, as a curd should be.
55:10Obviously, the meringue has collapsed, so there's not much going on there.
55:12But it does add a nice sweetness that was needed because the yuzu's not punching very hard.
55:17I guess, like, the thing about a mystery box is the whole point of it is you have to make
55:22do,
55:23maximize the use of your staples.
55:25So, you do have to, like, calculate quite precisely when you only have a certain amount, like, of the eggs,
55:30to know where to put it.
55:31And I think that is an experience thing.
55:34Yeah.
55:35Yeah.
55:38Today really got me down flat, and I'm hoping that I can just pick myself up and be ready to
55:42go for tomorrow.
55:50This week, it's the sprint to the finals.
55:52And each day, us judges are taking it in turns to set the challenge.
55:57Today, I got to have a little fun.
55:59You had four ingredients to choose from.
56:02And had to bring one to life with your trusty underbench staples.
56:06Take out Top Dish.
56:08And you'll earn yourself a one-way ticket straight into the top five.
56:13Winning would be unreal.
56:15To be the first in the top five is no small feat whatsoever.
56:19It came down.
56:21The battle of the onion pastas.
56:25Vinny versus Aaron. Let's go.
56:27Vinny, you're feeling it was smooth and full of caramelised onion sweetness.
56:34While Aaron, your broth was full of depth and celebrated the complexity of onion.
56:41It all hinged on which dish each of us would eat again.
56:48Which means, Vinny, you win immunity!
57:00I couldn't keep beating the Italian, you know?
57:04I wouldn't have been able to go home then.
57:09Vinny, you are claiming the first place on the top five.
57:14Well done!
57:17This is honestly a dream come true.
57:23With an onion!
57:25Can you believe that?
57:27Now that we're in the top five, the next goal is MasterChef winner of 2026.
57:34Right.
57:35Let me remind you that tomorrow is an elimination.
57:39I can't tell you what it is.
57:41But what I can say, it's been set by a real dapper gentleman.
57:53Have a rest, and we see you tomorrow.
57:56Au revoir, salut!
57:59Don't beat you! Don't beat you!
58:01Couldn't beat you again.
58:06Pass the boys.
58:07Who's the dapper gentleman?
58:08Him?
58:09Could be either.
58:10Tomorrow night, the dapper gentleman.
58:14Oh, yes.
58:15So, are you ready?
58:17Sets a difficult challenge.
58:19My final, the final of the final touch.
58:24I knew he was good.
58:25I didn't know he was this good.
58:26Who will impress the Frenchman?
58:29I am, like, breaking a few rules here, but rules are made to be broken.
58:32Or say au revoir to the MasterChef kitchen.
58:36I love this competition, and I really don't want to be going home today.
Comments