MasterChef Australia (2009–…): Season 14, Episode 17 - Episode #14.17 - full transcript
Fat Duck pastry chef Gareth Whitton sets this pressure test with his smoked pecan and butterscotch tart. The dish that least resembles Gareth's creation will send its maker home.
We've thrown a few curve balls
in there.
No!
(LAUGHTER)
Yes!
(LAUGHTER)
They took a gamble
and chose a letter.
I got belachan. It's definitely not
something in my comfort zone.
For some, it spelled success.
This is a dish that's gonna be
on your menu for a very long time.
But others struggled...
You haven't featured
the kale adequately.
..leaving two fans
and two favourites
to face tonight's elimination.
SONG: # 'Cause you're hot,
then you're cold
# You're yes, then you're no
# You're in, then you're out
# You're up, then you're down
# You're wrong when it's right
# It's black and it's white
# We fight, we break up
# We kiss, we make up
# You're hot, then you're cold
# You're yes, then you're no
# You're in, then you're out
# You're up, then you're down
# You're wrong when it's right
# It's black and it's white
# We fight, we break up
# We kiss, we make up
# You don't really want to stay, no
# But you don't really want to go-o
# You're hot, then you're cold
# You're yes, then you're no
# You're in, then you're out
# You're up, then you're down. #
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
DANIEL: Going into my first pressure
test, a little bit nervous.
As a fan, it's something I've always
wanted to give a crack myself.
I've sat there watching it at home
and thought I'd love
to give it a go,
so I'm keen to dive headfirst
and just see how I go at it.
But it always seems quite stressful
and, um...
..I reckon it IS gonna be
quite stressful.
As I'm sure the four of you are
aware, today is a pressure test.
Which means that you are
in the danger zone of going home.
Tommy.
Tough week for you.
How are you feeling?
It's definitely nerve-racking,
but I think I'm ready to, kind of,
enjoy and destroy, right?
Enjoy and destroy!
He's back. I love it. (CHUCKLES)
Well, we have a delectable task
for you today,
set by an incredible chef.
A viral sensation since
opening his kitchen to Melbourne,
there have been lines out the door.
A cult figure in the pastry world...
..please welcome former head
pastry chef of Dinner by Heston...
..and creator of Tarts Anon...
..Gareth Whitton!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
CHRISTINA: Gareth Whitton comes in
and I'm like...
.."He's hot!" (LAUGHS)
Damn! (LAUGHS)
I totally forget
that I'm in a pressure test!
How am I gonna concentrate now?
Hello, mate!
G'day.
MATT: I know exactly
what Tarts Anon is.
I follow them on social media.
Their tarts look perfect.
You can expect something complex.
Whatever it is, it's gonna be
at the highest level of pastry.
Gareth, Tarts Anon is just tarts.
It's just tarts.
Like, why tarts?
I think it's, why not tarts,
you know?
Anything can be a tart.
Anything can be in a tart as well.
I guess it's more a fact
of making it work.
And your work is so...exact,
and that's why you're here today.
Yeah, well...
So, there's no mystery today
to what you guys are gonna
be cooking, right?
Gareth, do you want to show 'em
what it is?
Love to.
So, today, you'll be cooking
one of my favourites...
WOMAN: Oh, nice.
(ALL EXCLAIM, GASP, LAUGH)
Smoked pecan and butterscotch tart.
Oh! Sounds incredible. Yum!
TOMMY: This tart looks like the most
textbook tart you'll ever see.
It looks like
it could be in a museum.
ANDY: It looks perfect.
So...good luck.
(CHUCKLES)
Thanks, Andy. You're really helping
with the nerves. (LAUGHS)
(LAUGHS)
God! I've made, like, three tarts
in my entire life.
And solely because
I'm not good at them.
I don't bother playing with them,
because they're just so meticulous
and my big, grubby fingers
never really work
in the tart casing too well.
Just typical
that on a pressure test,
if I'm going home today,
it's gonna be on a tart.
I suppose everyone's dying to know -
what's on the inside?
Let's do it.
Let's go.
WOMAN: Oh, wow.
Yum!
Oh, my God!
Ohh!
So good. So good.
Ohh!
So, inside the shortcrust
pastry tart shell...
..we have a salted caramel
butterscotch
and then a pecan frangipane made
with pecan puree and brown butter,
then glazed with
a smoked maple syrup glaze.
I may or may not have drooled on it
while waiting, so...
Enjoy.
Looks beautiful.
It is.
And scary. (CHUCKLES)
It is also scary.
Righto, dig in.
Oh, Tommy's going hard!
That's the go.
TOMMY: I'm looking at the tart.
I see the layers.
There's that tart layer,
there's the caramel layer
and the frangipane layer.
I think the layers' ratios is going
to make a really big difference
on how this tart is gonna taste.
I need to make sure
I get these elements perfect.
What are you tasting, mate?
The caramel at the bottom.
Really, like, dark notes of
flavours, which I really love.
Not too sweet. Lots of textures.
It's, like, perfect.
I'm really worried that if I stuff
up one of these elements too badly,
I might just be going home.
Terrifying.
The colour of that tart shell,
it's, like, golden.
Probably past golden, I would say.
I reckon that's got to be
a pressure point.
Absolutely.
The thinness as well is key.
So, that milk caramel,
that's another pressure point.
Absolutely. It's gonna require
constant stirring.
'Cause all they want to do is burn,
and that's gonna give
a quite unpleasant burnt milk taste
to the caramel,
something that we want
to try and avoid.
It seems like you could go on forever
about the pressure points.
That's something I'm getting
a bit worried about.
CHRISTINA: It seems like
every element is a pressure point.
I do not cook a lot of sweet dishes.
So this pressure test does not
play to my strengths at all.
Time for some all-important rules.
You'll have a total
of two hours and 50 minutes
to re-create Gareth's tart.
And you'll have - # Da-da da-da! #
..this entire pantry
at your disposal,
because you'll also need to create
a little side hustle for your tart.
Anything from a sauce to a cream.
We're gonna leave that
entirely up to you.
Yes, 'cause the extremely
difficult tart is not enough.
(LAUGHS)
Now, the least impressive dish of
the day, they'll send its maker home.
Good luck, guys.
Good luck, everyone.
Cheers. Good luck.
Gareth, do you want to kick 'em off?
Good luck.
Your time starts now.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
125 grams unsalted.
This is my first pressure test
this season.
My pressure tests in season five,
I think I broke down
in every single pressure test.
Oh, shake it off. Stop it.
I had a cry.
So, today, I really need
to watch my emotions
and I need to stay on top of them.
MAN: You've got this, Christina.
I've brought a photo of my family
with me today,
because in my previous season,
I always had a photo of my kids
whenever I was in an elimination...
350 plain flour.
..and I found that
that would always ground me.
So I'm hoping that my family photo
today will do the same thing.
Yes, Christina! Whoo!
The shortcrust pastry, first thing
I'll do is cut up all of the butter,
and I put it all
into the stand mixer
along with a little bit of salt,
and then I beat it
with a little bit of the flour
just so it looks like wet sand.
Once it gets to that consistency,
I pour in the cold water,
so then the dough
just comes together.
MICHAEL: Looks good, Christina.
Thanks, Michael.
Good luck, Tommy.
Go, Tommy.
TOMMY: My first element
on the recipe - shortcrust pastry.
The mixture has kind of
all combined...
MAN: Go, Tommy!
..and now I've got to
bring it together by hand
before I put it
in the fridge to rest.
My strategy today is just
get my head down, bum up -
read the recipe, continue cooking,
and then not be fazed
by anything else.
Obviously it's a pressure test,
so you're bound to make mistakes.
I just hope I don't make
a really big one.
Go, Tommy! Go, guys! Come on!
Ho-ho! Bang-on.
One-in-four chance
in leaving MasterChef today.
It's always scary when
you put it into those odds.
"Mix on low speed
until it starts to resemble..."
Especially if you start adding up
the experience
that the favourites have.
WOMAN: You're doing an amazing job.
It sort of makes the odds feel
a little bit shorter.
Uh, I would really hate
to go home today. I'm not ready.
I feel like I've just sort of...
(BOWL CLATTERS)
Hold that thought. (CHUCKLES)
So, while I'm trying
to follow this recipe,
at the same time, I am thinking
about that at the moment.
HARRY: Like a bull
in a china shop, mate!
Yeah, true, eh?
(LAUGHS)
Ooh!
Already off to a rough start,
but I'm just... (LAUGHS)
..I'm just going for it.
I'm just giving it a crack.
I'll try and get
this dough cohesive.
STEPH: Don't... Not too fast.
You're done.
That's it. Done. Stop, stop.
It gets together and I just wrap it
up and throw it into the fridge,
and she's resting now.
Go, Dan! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!
The next step is the milk caramel.
Good job, Dan.
Uh...
MAN: Quick, quick, quick!
Come on! We've got to move, mate.
Go, everybody, go!
My strategy today is
spend a good few minutes
reading through the recipe.
I just block out
everything around me.
Um... (MUMBLES)
Come on.
Matt, come on.
(SIGHS)
I'm looking ahead
and Matt, he's so calm.
He loves tarts.
He is in his element.
And I'm getting super nervous.
"Pour cream into a small saucepan
and warm..."
This recipe is so specific.
I can't even read this thing
properly.
Like, the words are moving around.
It feels like I'm re-reading
the same line
over and over and over again.
"Pour cream into a small saucepan
and warm to simmering point."
But I will get sent home
if I don't finish the dish.
I know that much.
I'm here in the MasterChef kitchen.
I'm addicted to it now,
and I want to see
what I'm gonna be able to do
in the next few weeks.
I'm not ready to go home yet,
so I've just got to keep going.
Keep moving really fast.
Yeah!
Matt, come on.
Go, Matt, go!
MATT: My strategy today
was to really take my time
and read the recipe properly.
But now I'm a little behind
in this cook,
so I need to do these things fast
in order to catch up.
Go, Matty!
Good work, Matt.
"Whisk to ensure the mixture
does not stick to the bottom.
"Cook until it starts to turn
to a medium dark caramel,
"approximately 155 degrees."
The milk caramel is
quite an important layer
on the bottom of the tart.
It kind of gives it a nice,
kind of dark caramelly flavour
that really enhances
the sweet and savoury flavours.
You've got this, Tommy.
You're doing an amazing job.
DANIEL: "Whisking to ensure
"the mixture does not stick
to the bottom of the saucepan."
If any of it burns, it's just gonna
permeate through the dish
and just throw the whole thing off.
So that's just ringing in my head
over and over and over again -
don't screw up the caramel.
Go on, Dan. You got this, buddy.
This is taking forever.
ALVIN: What temperature
does it need to go to?
155. It's sitting at 102.
I just need to start moving quicker,
but this caramel is taking forever.
Tommy's got his on the higher stove.
Cook it on that one?
Yeah.
This is definitely a worry,
because I don't want to fall behind.
That is definitely crucial
in a pressure test.
Come on, Christina. You're working
on your upper body strength!
Beautiful.
Whoo!
You should all be rolling out
your tart shell.
We need to move.
Come on, guys. Pick up the pace.
Come on, guys!
Come on, guys! Come on!
Man, how long is
this caramel taking?!
It's taking forever, right?
A lot of whisky business.
(LAUGHTER)
Go, Matty. Keep moving.
MATT: I know I'm so far behind.
There's definitely
a sinking feeling.
It's an uneasiness.
It's an anxiousness.
Good on you, Matt.
I just need to be frantic
and get this done.
My dough is resting in the fridge.
I'm gonna get onto the milk caramel.
I know I have to start
working on the other elements
while I'm still working
on this milk caramel,
but I can't, 'cause I can't leave it
on the stove or it will burn.
Go on, Matt. Come on.
You can do it.
Come on, guys!
Yes, Christina!
Come on, Tommy.
Tommy, that looks awesome.
Oh, beautiful.
Yeah!
Yeah, she's thickening up nicely.
You're almost there, Dan.
This is taking a while
to get to temperature.
Hasn't started caramelising yet.
(SIGHS) It's taking its time, eh?
Keep going.
CHRISTINA: So, when the caramel
comes to temperature,
I strain it into a baking tray.
Alright, Christina! It's tart time!
Yeah!
Now that the pastry has rested, I
need to roll it out nice and thinly
so I can line the tart shell
with it.
Use your elbow if you need to.
That's right.
Gareth's pastry was
really nice and thin.
It's very hard to get really thin
pastry with a nice, even spread.
I don't cook with pastry at all,
so it's not an easy task.
Why can't it be
a Portuguese pressure test?
(SIGHS)
Make it perfect - it's that simple!
Two hours to go!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Come on, Dan the man. Let's go.
It's getting close, Matty.
Yeah, 139. It's starting to go.
Keep going, Christina.
Go, Christina.
CHRISTINA: My pastry seems to be big
enough to put into the pastry tin.
But I just don't know
if it's thin enough.
I don't want to fall behind,
so I'm just trying to stay
on top of the time.
Come on, guys. Let's go.
Come on, Dan. It looks great.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Go, Dan!
Yeah, OK. Nerves are
kicking in here! (LAUGHS)
Yeah. Great.
Whoo!
You got it!
TOMMY: My shortcrust pastry, I'm
trying to be really finessed with it,
but I need to just make sure I get it
in the oven so it can blind-bake.
Use a knife, Tommy.
Yep. Just patching up some spots.
Get it in the oven, Tom.
If I take too long
to put this tart in the oven,
then I won't be able to finish it.
I'm filling my pastry with some rice
to hold it down
so I can blind-bake it.
The recipe says to put the tart
in the oven for 35 minutes.
Nice. Well done, Tommy.
I now need to move on
to my frangipane filling,
which is kind of the main bulk
of the tart.
Nice, Tommy.
Come on, Christina.
You've got this! Whoo!
Go, Christina!
Alright, Christina, you got this.
Beautiful!
Yes, Dan. Good job.
Go, Matty.
Good work, Matt. You've got it.
MATT: I've made a few
tart shells before,
and I made them pretty successfully.
Thankfully, this is actually
the process I follow
to make my shortcrust pastry
at home.
So, it's nice following something
you're familiar with.
ALI: Matt, if you use a bit of
the offcut of the pastry
to push it into the things,
it's better than using your fingers.
This is how I do at home,
so I'm just used to that.
But I have to be really careful
to push it carefully
into the corners of the pie tin,
making sure there's no air pockets
so that it doesn't shrink...
..and also keep it an even thickness
so it forms a perfectly even crust.
Hey, Matt.
Hello.
What do you think of
the pastry so far?
This is incredibly impressive.
I've got to say, your corners
are looking pretty spot-on.
That's leaving the gluten
absolutely nowhere to go
when it's gonna be in the oven,
so you're hopefully looking
at zero shrinkage.
I think what also is key is
getting that into the oven
as fast as you can.
Yep. Yep.
As time is ticking.
OK. We'll leave you to it.
Keep pushing, OK?
I can tell Gareth's really worried
about the fact
that I'm the only one without
my tart shell in the oven.
Oh, the unsalted.
So, knowing how important timing is
with this cook...
..I'm a bit panicked.
You've only got
an hour and a half to go!
(APPLAUSE)
Lift it, guys!
"Brown butter.
250 grams unsalted..."
Push, push, push!
You've got this!
All we need is one perfect tart.
Come on, guys. Pick up the pace!
MATT: Andy's been
putting the pressure on
because everyone is falling behind
on this cook.
Beautiful, mate.
Perfect, Matt.
And I'm behind all of them.
Everyone else has got
their tart shells
blind-baking in the oven already,
so I am motoring
to get this together.
That's it, Matt.
Good on you, Matt.
I need to do these things fast
in order to catch up.
Good work, Matt.
Go, Matt, go!
With an hour and 15 minutes
to go in the cook,
I need to get onto
the frangipane filling.
This tart's gonna have
a lot of time in the oven
where I'm not doing anything
and can't do anything to it,
so in order to have the time to get
it in, I need to be hustling now.
Come on, guys. Keep going.
CHRISTINA: Time is definitely
playing on my mind,
because I'm struggling
with the frangipane filling
and I'm getting very emotional.
I look at my family photo
and it does help,
but it also really pulls
on the heartstrings.
Breathe. Take a moment.
Alright, Christina, you got this.
But I have to stay on top of my
emotions because I have a job to do.
All good, Christina.
You can multi-task.
Thank you.
I just need to start moving faster
and not let my emotions take over.
Just a couple more minutes
until the tart shell comes out,
so what I'm doing is I'm just
trying to clean my bench down...
Oh, it's actually coming
out of the oven.
Yes! Come on!
Deep breaths. Take it easy.
(SIGHS) Yes, Jock. Yes, Chef.
Go, Christina!
(ALARM BEEPS)
Go on, Dan.
Looks good, Tommy!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
ALVIN: He's actually caught up.
Go, Matty! Whoo!
Come on, guys!
DANIEL: So, I've pulled
my tart shell out of the oven
and the next step is
getting to work with the caramel.
Outer layer. Cool.
I'm putting a nice, even layer
of caramel on the bottom
and it'll be topped
with the frangipane.
With Gareth's tart, there was a
rough line of where the caramel sat,
but it also merged
into the frangipane.
So now I have to try
and actually figure out
where that line of caramel is.
About a sixth of it, yeah.
You just have to make sure
the ratios are correct.
TOMMY: The tart recipe says it needs
50 minutes for its final cook.
I'm so flustered right now.
I'm struggling to get the caramel
nice and evenly
at the bottom of my tart,
but I need to really move on
to my frangipane layer.
I've got my wet mixture and I'm
combining it with my dry ingredients,
then I pour it into my tart shell
on top of the caramel.
I don't really know what a pecan
batter is supposed to look like,
so I hope I get this right.
Guys, I can't see any of these
tarts in the oven.
You need to push!
Yes?! Come on!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
I'm stressed for sure,
but I need to make sure
these pecans look good, right?
Come on, Daniel. Push.
Got to get it in the oven, man.
You're almost there, Dan.
Keep going.
(WHISPERS) OK.
50 minutes, Christina.
I only have 50 minutes left.
If I don't get the tart in,
it's going to be raw.
It's not going to cook
all the way through.
Go, Christina. Come on.
That's it, Christina! Stay focused!
(TEARFULLY) Yeah, trying to.
Nice, Tommy.
Very nice, mate.
I can hear other people's tarts
going back into the oven.
That's it, Matt.
Go, Matt. Almost there. Looking good.
OK.
I need to get this tart
into the oven now.
Keep going, Christina.
You've got this.
But I still have to finish off
that frangipane filling,
and it's very complicated.
(PANTS) "Combine
the warm brown butter
"with the pecan puree in a jug."
The issue with this kitchen is
that I want to stay here so badly.
Is this the brown butter?
Smell it.
Yeah.
And there's all of those
time constraints
and...you overthink things.
Christina, move faster
than you have ever moved before.
I'm trying!
I'm trying to stay on top of my
emotions, but that's not happening.
(SNIFFLES)
I'm just totally losing it
right now.
Go, Christina. You got this.
Keep going, Christina.
You're doing really well.
Go, Christina, you're fine.
Just breathe, mate. Just breathe.
Come on, Christina.
The emotional side of things
is definitely getting to me.
(SNIFFLES)
"Add dry ingredients." OK.
This tart is going to take
50 minutes to cook in the oven,
but I'm still working
on the frangipane filling.
So I just need to take a breath,
calm my nerves,
and just keep moving forward with it.
You've got this, Christina!
Is it going to rise in the oven?
Yes, a little bit.
Only a little bit.
I'm going to fight
till the very end.
I'm definitely not giving up.
Nice, Christina!
Daniel.
Yo!
You got to move, man.
It needs to be in the oven.
Yeah.
Tommy and Matt's tarts
are in the oven already.
So it's just me and Christina
who still don't have them in.
I know I need to motor.
I just chuck these pecans on top.
Ooh, jeez.
Get it in. Good work, mate.
It's going in the oven now.
I don't have any more time to waste.
Well done, mate.
Come on, Christina! Come on!
Yes, Christina!
It's beautiful!
Looks lovely.
Beautiful!
Yes, you!
CHRISTINA: I've popped the tart
into the oven with 40 minutes to go.
Well done.
Thank you.
Give us a hug.
Come on. Do your side hustle now.
Pull it together.
I don't know if that's going
to be enough time to cook it.
Has anyone seen my bag of coffee?
Behind. Behind. Yeah.
This pressure test is interesting,
because the main element, the tart,
is in the oven now.
You can't do anything else
for the tart,
and now we've got this side hustle.
For my side hustle, I'm doing,
like, a coffee anglaise.
Look at that. Hey!
Coffee would go really well
with this tart.
It's got those same dark
savoury notes to it,
and I think it might
really elevate the tart.
I'm really happy with that.
Yep.
I'm now going to work
on my maple glaze.
The maple glaze on the tart,
it's just a beautiful layer
on top of the tart.
It's sweet, but you get
that beautiful smokiness,
which makes it really, really nice.
Let's get this sorted.
I'm blitzing up my maple glaze
to get it nice and shiny.
I strain it into a copper pan
so I can use it later
on top of the tart.
I love it. I love chai. So good.
I've been practising my desserts
and I've learnt a
chai creme diplomat,
which means whipped cream
and custard, essentially.
So I'm going to make that.
I've been practising it and now
it's time to show a little bit
of my dessert skill.
MATT: For my side hustle,
I'm gonna make a simple
whisky Chantilly cream.
How's it taste, buddy?
Get some whisky there?
Yeah, it is coming through.
I don't want too much.
I want the Chantilly cream
not too sweet
to overpower the flavour of
what's not a very sweet tart.
Back in the fridge
for a little bit?
Yeah, 'cause they're gonna
eat it cold.
Good job, Matt.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Oh!
Oh, my God!
Is that too much cream?
Never.
(LAUGHS)
CHRISTINA: The tart is so perfect
on its own,
I don't actually think
it needs anything.
So I decide to whip some creme
fraiche and use some maple syrup
to slightly sweeten it
and bounce off the maple syrup
that's in the tart.
What are you thinking?
Does it need salt or anything?
A little bit of cream.
A little bit of salt.
It's almost tart time.
Two minutes to go.
ANDY: Come on!
(CHEERING)
Come on, guys.
Stunning. Yes, Matt!
Beautiful, Dan.
It's so pretty!
I've pulled my tart shell
out of the oven and I'm stoked.
It looks good. It looks cooked.
It looks a little bit uglier
than some of the others.
But I'm happy with it.
I'm proud of it.
Oh, Tommy!
TOMMY: Looking at my tart shell,
it doesn't look as beautiful
as Gareth's.
Ugh! This is so terrifying!
There's definitely little things
that I'm worried about.
Like, maybe I rushed it too much
and I missed some little details
that I'm not sure of.
But at the end of the day,
it's going to hinge on how well
everybody else did.
And I have no idea where I kind of
sit in the pack today,
so hopefully I've done enough.
Come on, get your tarts
on the plate.
You've only got one minute!
Come on!
OTHERS: One minute!
Oh, my God. It's on the edge.
It's on the edge.
MATT: My tart's looking good.
It doesn't have any cracks in it.
So I'm hopeful that the tart
has cooked through all the way.
I think I've done as much as I can
today to keep myself safe.
Come on, you've got to get it out.
Get it out, Christina.
CHRISTINA: Everyone's taken
the tarts out of the oven.
And I'm just kind of holding myself
back, not wanting to pull it out.
It is so nerve-racking
because all I want to do
is pull it out of the oven,
but I need to leave it in there
so it can cook all the way through.
Come on, Christina!
It's now or never. I've got to get
the tart out of the oven.
ANDY: She's coming out now.
Just pray to the baking tart gods
that it's going to be cooked
all the way through.
30 seconds!
30 seconds! Get it on the plate!
(CHEERING)
Oh, Tommy!
Here we go. Ten!
ALL: Nine, eight, seven...
Christina, bring the plate
closer to it!
..four, three, three, two...
..one!
JOCK: And that's it!
TOMMY: Time's up.
Tart is on the plate.
I can do no more with this tart,
it's up to fate now.
Yes, Dan!
Well done, guys! Whoo!
Well done, boys!
Looking at the other benches,
the tarts all look amazing.
But you can't really tell
until the judges dive into the tart,
and that's the most scariest part,
like, not knowing what will happen
from here on.
Well, the old worry beads
got a workout today. Holy mackerel.
That is some tart.
And of course, we don't even know
how they're going to go,
because you can't open it, right?
Yep, exactly.
They can't see what's inside
that tart until it comes
to the tasting table.
One thing's for sure -
someone's going home.
MATT: Heading into the tasting room,
I'm actually really proud
of what I've done today.
Right, Matt?
How you doing?
I'm doing good. How are YOU doing?
Hopefully good after this.
I feel like I've followed the recipe
in a hugely stressful environment,
under an immense pressure,
and I'm really happy
with how my tart's looking.
Matt. First pressure test in the bag.
How does it feel?
I guess no matter what happens
today,
I feel like I've achieved something.
Fingers crossed it looks good
when you taste it.
What's the side hustle, Matt?
I've done a maple and whisky
Chantilly cream.
Alright, mate. We'll taste it now.
Thanks, buddy.
Thanks.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
ANDY: The tart shell looks great.
I don't think it's the same as yours
in terms of caramelisation,
but it's pretty close.
Agree.
He's had enough time too to finesse
the pecans on top, which is great.
I can't handle it.
I need you to open it.
I was gonna say...
I need you to open it.
Should we see if it's cooked?
OK.
Ooh...
What are you thinking?
I think it looks pretty good.
Pastry looks thin too.
Mm.
It's lovely.
Really nice shell.
Technically we can see in the
corners of where the pastry creases
at that right angle
how even and consistent
the thickness is through there,
which is a real telltale sign
for good technique.
And we were all worried that
she might be raw, but it's not.
It's cooked perfectly.
And great flavour to back it up.
The whisky cream side hustle
is strong, but I kind of like it.
Pecan and whisky - nice.
I think he's done
a really great job.
He nailed it.
Good luck, Dan.
Cheers, guys.
I was slower than almost everyone
else getting my tart into the oven.
And the thing that's killing me is
I don't know what it looks like
on the inside, so I don't know
how cooked it is,
I don't have if the pastry's
blond at all.
Daniel.
G'day, guys.
How are you, mate?
Hey, mate.
(SIGHS)
All these little things are now
playing in my head.
The uncertainty of everything
is killing me inside.
(SIGHS)
VOICEOVER: Hungry for inspiration?
Daniel.
Andy.
First-ever MasterChef pressure test.
What did you think?
That is, um...
That is rough. That is rougher than
hessian underwear, that. It's...
(LAUGHS)
Rougher than hessian underwear?
Yeah. It's just...
(LAUGHS)
It is tough, very hard, yeah.
What about the side hustle?
So, I've done, like, a chai
tea-spiced creme diplomat.
Well, we're gonna cut the thing open,
um, but you have to leave first.
Alright, no worries, guys. Cheers.
MELISSA: Thank you.
Thanks, Daniel.
Pecan placement...
Abstract. At best.
Yeah.
Chaotic.
Yeah.
This is another one
that I'm worried about.
It went in pretty late.
His was...second-last to go in.
There's a bit of movement in the
middle there as you're cutting it,
I can see.
Nope.
Looks great. (LAUGHS)
It's alright.
It's pretty good.
Looks really good.
It looks really, really nice.
The shell's quite even and thin.
It is nice and thin.
Thank you.
It's pretty tasty.
Mm.
He's done a really good job.
I think the chai diplomat is
actually, for me, that's great.
Mm.
Look at that!
It's so thin.
The colour too, it's...
And the colour of the base is...
..is nut brown.
It looks...it looks unreal.
I think this is a great effort
by Daniel.
And first pressure test
and uncomfortable territory, I think
for him, pastry land, anyway.
The frangipane, the cook on his
is so impressive.
Bit rough and ready
with the pecan nuts.
The shell itself, the thickness...
Mm.
..is fantastic.
A tremendous effort from someone
who doesn't make any kind of pastry
on the reg.
It has probably the best
caramelisation on top.
The colour of the baked frangipane
is pretty close to what
we want it to be.
I think we might have
a secret gun pastry cook...
Maybe.
..brewing, you know, in this mix.
TOMMY: See you guys later.
CHRISTINA: You got this.
Walking back into the restaurant
room, I'm terrified.
Tommy.
What up, fam?
How are ya?
Living the dream.
That's good.
(CHUCKLES) Living the dream.
The feelings that it brings back
IS not good.
Your heart kind of drops.
But, you know,
I'm gonna try to stay composed.
Hopefully, I've done enough.
Ooh.
So what did you end up doing
for your side hustle?
Uh, a little coffee anglaise.
A little bit of spices in there.
I think it will go well
with the tart.
Yep.
Well, mate, I reckon we'll taste,
so thanks for that.
Cool. Enjoy, guys. Love ya.
Right.
What are we thinking about the look,
Gareth?
His tart shell's...
..a little on the thick side.
And it is a tiny bit pale.
Mm.
How's it look?
It's...
..surprisingly well held together.
I was expecting it to be
a little bit doughier.
Which is great.
And how's the caramel ratio looking?
Also really good.
Tommy's pastry is, um,
a little bit rough
and a few cracks and holes
and whatnot in the sides,
and a little bit thicker.
The frangipane itself is cooked,
first of all,
which is a massive tick.
The caramel, though, 10 out of 10.
I agree.
The caramel is perfect,
both in the way that it's held up
inside the cake
but also the flavour.
And the coffee custard, I think the
flavour goes well with the pastry.
Yeah, it eats really well
as a one-two combination.
But when I look at Tommy's
tart shell and then the frangipane,
the devil is in the details.
CHRISTINA: First time going into
that tasting room this season,
I am not looking forward to it
at all.
Good luck, Christina.
Good luck, mate.
Thanks, guys.
It's really nerve-racking.
Thank you.
I've...given it everything today.
I haven't left anything behind.
(IN SINGSONG VOICE) Christina.
Hey.
Today, I just wanted to curl up
in a ball.
I cried but I kept pushing through.
I'm very proud that I managed to get
all the elements on the plate...
..but when the judges cut open
that tart,
I have no idea if it's going to be
cooked all the way through.
And it just...
That is a terrible feeling.
But you pulled it together.
You finished.
I was really proud that even though
I was crying,
that I managed to kind of pull it
all together, um,
and just, like, keep pushing.
I've learned how resilient I can be
and produced such an amazing tart.
So hopefully, it tastes good.
(CHUCKLES) Fingers crossed.
What did you end up making
as your side hustle?
I went with like a creme fraiche,
just a whipped creme fraiche.
I have a little bit of maple syrup
in there,
just to echo the maple in the tart.
And I didn't want anything
to compete with the tart,
I want it to be all about that.
And then just hopefully,
that complements it.
Here's hoping you have another
opportunity to cook for us.
Yes.
But it all, I guess, rests on...
..what's happening on the inside
of that tart.
Yep.
So we'll taste and, um,
we'll let you know.
Thank you. Thank you.
ANDY: Thanks, Christina.
Thanks, Christina.
OK, so, Christina's does look
a bit different to your tart.
Look, there's a lot less pecans
on there than there should have been
but I've gotta say,
you can mess around putting
the exact amount of pecans on there
or you can get it in the oven.
(CHUCKLES)
Slice away, mate.
That looks squidgy.
(INHALES)
Oh.
Yeah.
Raw in the middle?
Yep.
Pastry's a touch...thick as well,
gotta say.
Watching Christina cook today,
I mean, she fell apart
and somehow, she managed to scoop
herself up and keep going,
and sadly, it feels a little bit
like that, you know what I mean?
The tart case isn't quite there,
presentation-wise, there isn't
quite enough pecan nuts in there.
There is a very gratifying deep,
rich intensity to her frangipane.
Mm.
The nuts have been roasted properly,
pureed very well.
Sadly, it's just undercooked.
Which is a shame.
I'm absolutely gutted for her
because the flavour is fantastic.
100%. I found myself wanting to go
back for more
because the flavour of it is...
So good.
..pretty brilliant.
It's...exactly how we want it to be.
And with the creme fraiche,
I've always really enjoyed
the acidity
that things like the souring of
yoghurts and creme fraiche can have
and the way they balance
against caramel.
And this is a really great example
of that for me.
Props to her because, honestly,
I didn't think she was gonna finish.
And the creme fraiche was perfect,
you know.
And then, the frangipane
tastes amazingly
but it's got flaws in the technique.
But flavour can do a lot for you
in this kitchen.
Yep.
Well, correct me if I'm wrong,
you won't forget about this pressure
test any time soon, will ya?
ALL: No.
Gareth, how do you reckon
they handled the pressure today?
Given the time constraints
we put on them
and all the pressure points
that we touched on
at the beginning of the cook,
I think we had four
pretty incredible tarts
so I think, yeah, they should all be
very proud of themselves.
I agree.
Yep.
Well, it's been a pleasure
having you in the kitchen.
Everyone, give it up
for Gareth Whitton, everybody!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Right, let's get down to business,
we need to send someone home.
And it comes down to how closely
your tart resembled Gareth's
and the impact of your side hustle.
Two of you really impressed us today.
And surprisingly,
it's the two with the least amount
of experience in this kitchen.
Matt, Daniel...
..your tarts were delicious.
And we... None of us wanted
to stop eating them.
You guys should be so proud of the
effort that both of you put in today.
Safe to say,
you're not going anywhere.
Well done, lads.
Best of luck.
Yes!
Oh, my God.
You just wouldn't...
would not read about it.
Good job.
Best of luck.
The fact that my tart was up there
in the best of today
is just an unbelievable feeling.
Tommy, Christina,
it was clear that the cook
overwhelmed one of you.
And there were flaws
in every part of your dish.
But the greatest problem...
..was that the tart was in the oven
too late
and as such, it didn't cook through.
Which unfortunately, is why,
Christina...
Yep.
..you're going home.
Oh, my God.
I'm gutted that I'm leaving
the competition.
I let the pressure get to me
and the trying to keep up
and I really should have just...
..cooked, um...
..better. (CHUCKLES)
I should have just cooked better.
MELISSA: Well, Christina,
it may be the end of your time here
but this is just one chapter
in the story that you are creating.
And we can't wait to see
what's on the next page.
Yep.
I've had so much fun, I really have.
So happy that I came back. I got
to meet all these cool new people
and I've made some lifelong friends.
Bring her in, bring her in.
Bring her in.
And even though there were
some really low moments,
the highs were just incredible.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
I'm going to start cooking
more Portuguese food
and getting that out there.
So I'm excited to see
what the future holds.
Give it up for Christina, everybody!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
VOICEOVER: Tomorrow night
on MasterChef Australia...
It's Clare Smyth!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
..one of the world's best chefs
brings the ultimate fine dining
service challenge.
HARRY: I'm so pumped.
There is so much
that I can learn from
this incredible woman.
Will her three
Michelin stars...
MINDY: I am just
starstruck.
..inspire a win
for the fans or
the favourites?
Captions by Red Bee Media
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
in there.
No!
(LAUGHTER)
Yes!
(LAUGHTER)
They took a gamble
and chose a letter.
I got belachan. It's definitely not
something in my comfort zone.
For some, it spelled success.
This is a dish that's gonna be
on your menu for a very long time.
But others struggled...
You haven't featured
the kale adequately.
..leaving two fans
and two favourites
to face tonight's elimination.
SONG: # 'Cause you're hot,
then you're cold
# You're yes, then you're no
# You're in, then you're out
# You're up, then you're down
# You're wrong when it's right
# It's black and it's white
# We fight, we break up
# We kiss, we make up
# You're hot, then you're cold
# You're yes, then you're no
# You're in, then you're out
# You're up, then you're down
# You're wrong when it's right
# It's black and it's white
# We fight, we break up
# We kiss, we make up
# You don't really want to stay, no
# But you don't really want to go-o
# You're hot, then you're cold
# You're yes, then you're no
# You're in, then you're out
# You're up, then you're down. #
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
DANIEL: Going into my first pressure
test, a little bit nervous.
As a fan, it's something I've always
wanted to give a crack myself.
I've sat there watching it at home
and thought I'd love
to give it a go,
so I'm keen to dive headfirst
and just see how I go at it.
But it always seems quite stressful
and, um...
..I reckon it IS gonna be
quite stressful.
As I'm sure the four of you are
aware, today is a pressure test.
Which means that you are
in the danger zone of going home.
Tommy.
Tough week for you.
How are you feeling?
It's definitely nerve-racking,
but I think I'm ready to, kind of,
enjoy and destroy, right?
Enjoy and destroy!
He's back. I love it. (CHUCKLES)
Well, we have a delectable task
for you today,
set by an incredible chef.
A viral sensation since
opening his kitchen to Melbourne,
there have been lines out the door.
A cult figure in the pastry world...
..please welcome former head
pastry chef of Dinner by Heston...
..and creator of Tarts Anon...
..Gareth Whitton!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
CHRISTINA: Gareth Whitton comes in
and I'm like...
.."He's hot!" (LAUGHS)
Damn! (LAUGHS)
I totally forget
that I'm in a pressure test!
How am I gonna concentrate now?
Hello, mate!
G'day.
MATT: I know exactly
what Tarts Anon is.
I follow them on social media.
Their tarts look perfect.
You can expect something complex.
Whatever it is, it's gonna be
at the highest level of pastry.
Gareth, Tarts Anon is just tarts.
It's just tarts.
Like, why tarts?
I think it's, why not tarts,
you know?
Anything can be a tart.
Anything can be in a tart as well.
I guess it's more a fact
of making it work.
And your work is so...exact,
and that's why you're here today.
Yeah, well...
So, there's no mystery today
to what you guys are gonna
be cooking, right?
Gareth, do you want to show 'em
what it is?
Love to.
So, today, you'll be cooking
one of my favourites...
WOMAN: Oh, nice.
(ALL EXCLAIM, GASP, LAUGH)
Smoked pecan and butterscotch tart.
Oh! Sounds incredible. Yum!
TOMMY: This tart looks like the most
textbook tart you'll ever see.
It looks like
it could be in a museum.
ANDY: It looks perfect.
So...good luck.
(CHUCKLES)
Thanks, Andy. You're really helping
with the nerves. (LAUGHS)
(LAUGHS)
God! I've made, like, three tarts
in my entire life.
And solely because
I'm not good at them.
I don't bother playing with them,
because they're just so meticulous
and my big, grubby fingers
never really work
in the tart casing too well.
Just typical
that on a pressure test,
if I'm going home today,
it's gonna be on a tart.
I suppose everyone's dying to know -
what's on the inside?
Let's do it.
Let's go.
WOMAN: Oh, wow.
Yum!
Oh, my God!
Ohh!
So good. So good.
Ohh!
So, inside the shortcrust
pastry tart shell...
..we have a salted caramel
butterscotch
and then a pecan frangipane made
with pecan puree and brown butter,
then glazed with
a smoked maple syrup glaze.
I may or may not have drooled on it
while waiting, so...
Enjoy.
Looks beautiful.
It is.
And scary. (CHUCKLES)
It is also scary.
Righto, dig in.
Oh, Tommy's going hard!
That's the go.
TOMMY: I'm looking at the tart.
I see the layers.
There's that tart layer,
there's the caramel layer
and the frangipane layer.
I think the layers' ratios is going
to make a really big difference
on how this tart is gonna taste.
I need to make sure
I get these elements perfect.
What are you tasting, mate?
The caramel at the bottom.
Really, like, dark notes of
flavours, which I really love.
Not too sweet. Lots of textures.
It's, like, perfect.
I'm really worried that if I stuff
up one of these elements too badly,
I might just be going home.
Terrifying.
The colour of that tart shell,
it's, like, golden.
Probably past golden, I would say.
I reckon that's got to be
a pressure point.
Absolutely.
The thinness as well is key.
So, that milk caramel,
that's another pressure point.
Absolutely. It's gonna require
constant stirring.
'Cause all they want to do is burn,
and that's gonna give
a quite unpleasant burnt milk taste
to the caramel,
something that we want
to try and avoid.
It seems like you could go on forever
about the pressure points.
That's something I'm getting
a bit worried about.
CHRISTINA: It seems like
every element is a pressure point.
I do not cook a lot of sweet dishes.
So this pressure test does not
play to my strengths at all.
Time for some all-important rules.
You'll have a total
of two hours and 50 minutes
to re-create Gareth's tart.
And you'll have - # Da-da da-da! #
..this entire pantry
at your disposal,
because you'll also need to create
a little side hustle for your tart.
Anything from a sauce to a cream.
We're gonna leave that
entirely up to you.
Yes, 'cause the extremely
difficult tart is not enough.
(LAUGHS)
Now, the least impressive dish of
the day, they'll send its maker home.
Good luck, guys.
Good luck, everyone.
Cheers. Good luck.
Gareth, do you want to kick 'em off?
Good luck.
Your time starts now.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
125 grams unsalted.
This is my first pressure test
this season.
My pressure tests in season five,
I think I broke down
in every single pressure test.
Oh, shake it off. Stop it.
I had a cry.
So, today, I really need
to watch my emotions
and I need to stay on top of them.
MAN: You've got this, Christina.
I've brought a photo of my family
with me today,
because in my previous season,
I always had a photo of my kids
whenever I was in an elimination...
350 plain flour.
..and I found that
that would always ground me.
So I'm hoping that my family photo
today will do the same thing.
Yes, Christina! Whoo!
The shortcrust pastry, first thing
I'll do is cut up all of the butter,
and I put it all
into the stand mixer
along with a little bit of salt,
and then I beat it
with a little bit of the flour
just so it looks like wet sand.
Once it gets to that consistency,
I pour in the cold water,
so then the dough
just comes together.
MICHAEL: Looks good, Christina.
Thanks, Michael.
Good luck, Tommy.
Go, Tommy.
TOMMY: My first element
on the recipe - shortcrust pastry.
The mixture has kind of
all combined...
MAN: Go, Tommy!
..and now I've got to
bring it together by hand
before I put it
in the fridge to rest.
My strategy today is just
get my head down, bum up -
read the recipe, continue cooking,
and then not be fazed
by anything else.
Obviously it's a pressure test,
so you're bound to make mistakes.
I just hope I don't make
a really big one.
Go, Tommy! Go, guys! Come on!
Ho-ho! Bang-on.
One-in-four chance
in leaving MasterChef today.
It's always scary when
you put it into those odds.
"Mix on low speed
until it starts to resemble..."
Especially if you start adding up
the experience
that the favourites have.
WOMAN: You're doing an amazing job.
It sort of makes the odds feel
a little bit shorter.
Uh, I would really hate
to go home today. I'm not ready.
I feel like I've just sort of...
(BOWL CLATTERS)
Hold that thought. (CHUCKLES)
So, while I'm trying
to follow this recipe,
at the same time, I am thinking
about that at the moment.
HARRY: Like a bull
in a china shop, mate!
Yeah, true, eh?
(LAUGHS)
Ooh!
Already off to a rough start,
but I'm just... (LAUGHS)
..I'm just going for it.
I'm just giving it a crack.
I'll try and get
this dough cohesive.
STEPH: Don't... Not too fast.
You're done.
That's it. Done. Stop, stop.
It gets together and I just wrap it
up and throw it into the fridge,
and she's resting now.
Go, Dan! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!
The next step is the milk caramel.
Good job, Dan.
Uh...
MAN: Quick, quick, quick!
Come on! We've got to move, mate.
Go, everybody, go!
My strategy today is
spend a good few minutes
reading through the recipe.
I just block out
everything around me.
Um... (MUMBLES)
Come on.
Matt, come on.
(SIGHS)
I'm looking ahead
and Matt, he's so calm.
He loves tarts.
He is in his element.
And I'm getting super nervous.
"Pour cream into a small saucepan
and warm..."
This recipe is so specific.
I can't even read this thing
properly.
Like, the words are moving around.
It feels like I'm re-reading
the same line
over and over and over again.
"Pour cream into a small saucepan
and warm to simmering point."
But I will get sent home
if I don't finish the dish.
I know that much.
I'm here in the MasterChef kitchen.
I'm addicted to it now,
and I want to see
what I'm gonna be able to do
in the next few weeks.
I'm not ready to go home yet,
so I've just got to keep going.
Keep moving really fast.
Yeah!
Matt, come on.
Go, Matt, go!
MATT: My strategy today
was to really take my time
and read the recipe properly.
But now I'm a little behind
in this cook,
so I need to do these things fast
in order to catch up.
Go, Matty!
Good work, Matt.
"Whisk to ensure the mixture
does not stick to the bottom.
"Cook until it starts to turn
to a medium dark caramel,
"approximately 155 degrees."
The milk caramel is
quite an important layer
on the bottom of the tart.
It kind of gives it a nice,
kind of dark caramelly flavour
that really enhances
the sweet and savoury flavours.
You've got this, Tommy.
You're doing an amazing job.
DANIEL: "Whisking to ensure
"the mixture does not stick
to the bottom of the saucepan."
If any of it burns, it's just gonna
permeate through the dish
and just throw the whole thing off.
So that's just ringing in my head
over and over and over again -
don't screw up the caramel.
Go on, Dan. You got this, buddy.
This is taking forever.
ALVIN: What temperature
does it need to go to?
155. It's sitting at 102.
I just need to start moving quicker,
but this caramel is taking forever.
Tommy's got his on the higher stove.
Cook it on that one?
Yeah.
This is definitely a worry,
because I don't want to fall behind.
That is definitely crucial
in a pressure test.
Come on, Christina. You're working
on your upper body strength!
Beautiful.
Whoo!
You should all be rolling out
your tart shell.
We need to move.
Come on, guys. Pick up the pace.
Come on, guys!
Come on, guys! Come on!
Man, how long is
this caramel taking?!
It's taking forever, right?
A lot of whisky business.
(LAUGHTER)
Go, Matty. Keep moving.
MATT: I know I'm so far behind.
There's definitely
a sinking feeling.
It's an uneasiness.
It's an anxiousness.
Good on you, Matt.
I just need to be frantic
and get this done.
My dough is resting in the fridge.
I'm gonna get onto the milk caramel.
I know I have to start
working on the other elements
while I'm still working
on this milk caramel,
but I can't, 'cause I can't leave it
on the stove or it will burn.
Go on, Matt. Come on.
You can do it.
Come on, guys!
Yes, Christina!
Come on, Tommy.
Tommy, that looks awesome.
Oh, beautiful.
Yeah!
Yeah, she's thickening up nicely.
You're almost there, Dan.
This is taking a while
to get to temperature.
Hasn't started caramelising yet.
(SIGHS) It's taking its time, eh?
Keep going.
CHRISTINA: So, when the caramel
comes to temperature,
I strain it into a baking tray.
Alright, Christina! It's tart time!
Yeah!
Now that the pastry has rested, I
need to roll it out nice and thinly
so I can line the tart shell
with it.
Use your elbow if you need to.
That's right.
Gareth's pastry was
really nice and thin.
It's very hard to get really thin
pastry with a nice, even spread.
I don't cook with pastry at all,
so it's not an easy task.
Why can't it be
a Portuguese pressure test?
(SIGHS)
Make it perfect - it's that simple!
Two hours to go!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Come on, Dan the man. Let's go.
It's getting close, Matty.
Yeah, 139. It's starting to go.
Keep going, Christina.
Go, Christina.
CHRISTINA: My pastry seems to be big
enough to put into the pastry tin.
But I just don't know
if it's thin enough.
I don't want to fall behind,
so I'm just trying to stay
on top of the time.
Come on, guys. Let's go.
Come on, Dan. It looks great.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Go, Dan!
Yeah, OK. Nerves are
kicking in here! (LAUGHS)
Yeah. Great.
Whoo!
You got it!
TOMMY: My shortcrust pastry, I'm
trying to be really finessed with it,
but I need to just make sure I get it
in the oven so it can blind-bake.
Use a knife, Tommy.
Yep. Just patching up some spots.
Get it in the oven, Tom.
If I take too long
to put this tart in the oven,
then I won't be able to finish it.
I'm filling my pastry with some rice
to hold it down
so I can blind-bake it.
The recipe says to put the tart
in the oven for 35 minutes.
Nice. Well done, Tommy.
I now need to move on
to my frangipane filling,
which is kind of the main bulk
of the tart.
Nice, Tommy.
Come on, Christina.
You've got this! Whoo!
Go, Christina!
Alright, Christina, you got this.
Beautiful!
Yes, Dan. Good job.
Go, Matty.
Good work, Matt. You've got it.
MATT: I've made a few
tart shells before,
and I made them pretty successfully.
Thankfully, this is actually
the process I follow
to make my shortcrust pastry
at home.
So, it's nice following something
you're familiar with.
ALI: Matt, if you use a bit of
the offcut of the pastry
to push it into the things,
it's better than using your fingers.
This is how I do at home,
so I'm just used to that.
But I have to be really careful
to push it carefully
into the corners of the pie tin,
making sure there's no air pockets
so that it doesn't shrink...
..and also keep it an even thickness
so it forms a perfectly even crust.
Hey, Matt.
Hello.
What do you think of
the pastry so far?
This is incredibly impressive.
I've got to say, your corners
are looking pretty spot-on.
That's leaving the gluten
absolutely nowhere to go
when it's gonna be in the oven,
so you're hopefully looking
at zero shrinkage.
I think what also is key is
getting that into the oven
as fast as you can.
Yep. Yep.
As time is ticking.
OK. We'll leave you to it.
Keep pushing, OK?
I can tell Gareth's really worried
about the fact
that I'm the only one without
my tart shell in the oven.
Oh, the unsalted.
So, knowing how important timing is
with this cook...
..I'm a bit panicked.
You've only got
an hour and a half to go!
(APPLAUSE)
Lift it, guys!
"Brown butter.
250 grams unsalted..."
Push, push, push!
You've got this!
All we need is one perfect tart.
Come on, guys. Pick up the pace!
MATT: Andy's been
putting the pressure on
because everyone is falling behind
on this cook.
Beautiful, mate.
Perfect, Matt.
And I'm behind all of them.
Everyone else has got
their tart shells
blind-baking in the oven already,
so I am motoring
to get this together.
That's it, Matt.
Good on you, Matt.
I need to do these things fast
in order to catch up.
Good work, Matt.
Go, Matt, go!
With an hour and 15 minutes
to go in the cook,
I need to get onto
the frangipane filling.
This tart's gonna have
a lot of time in the oven
where I'm not doing anything
and can't do anything to it,
so in order to have the time to get
it in, I need to be hustling now.
Come on, guys. Keep going.
CHRISTINA: Time is definitely
playing on my mind,
because I'm struggling
with the frangipane filling
and I'm getting very emotional.
I look at my family photo
and it does help,
but it also really pulls
on the heartstrings.
Breathe. Take a moment.
Alright, Christina, you got this.
But I have to stay on top of my
emotions because I have a job to do.
All good, Christina.
You can multi-task.
Thank you.
I just need to start moving faster
and not let my emotions take over.
Just a couple more minutes
until the tart shell comes out,
so what I'm doing is I'm just
trying to clean my bench down...
Oh, it's actually coming
out of the oven.
Yes! Come on!
Deep breaths. Take it easy.
(SIGHS) Yes, Jock. Yes, Chef.
Go, Christina!
(ALARM BEEPS)
Go on, Dan.
Looks good, Tommy!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
ALVIN: He's actually caught up.
Go, Matty! Whoo!
Come on, guys!
DANIEL: So, I've pulled
my tart shell out of the oven
and the next step is
getting to work with the caramel.
Outer layer. Cool.
I'm putting a nice, even layer
of caramel on the bottom
and it'll be topped
with the frangipane.
With Gareth's tart, there was a
rough line of where the caramel sat,
but it also merged
into the frangipane.
So now I have to try
and actually figure out
where that line of caramel is.
About a sixth of it, yeah.
You just have to make sure
the ratios are correct.
TOMMY: The tart recipe says it needs
50 minutes for its final cook.
I'm so flustered right now.
I'm struggling to get the caramel
nice and evenly
at the bottom of my tart,
but I need to really move on
to my frangipane layer.
I've got my wet mixture and I'm
combining it with my dry ingredients,
then I pour it into my tart shell
on top of the caramel.
I don't really know what a pecan
batter is supposed to look like,
so I hope I get this right.
Guys, I can't see any of these
tarts in the oven.
You need to push!
Yes?! Come on!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
I'm stressed for sure,
but I need to make sure
these pecans look good, right?
Come on, Daniel. Push.
Got to get it in the oven, man.
You're almost there, Dan.
Keep going.
(WHISPERS) OK.
50 minutes, Christina.
I only have 50 minutes left.
If I don't get the tart in,
it's going to be raw.
It's not going to cook
all the way through.
Go, Christina. Come on.
That's it, Christina! Stay focused!
(TEARFULLY) Yeah, trying to.
Nice, Tommy.
Very nice, mate.
I can hear other people's tarts
going back into the oven.
That's it, Matt.
Go, Matt. Almost there. Looking good.
OK.
I need to get this tart
into the oven now.
Keep going, Christina.
You've got this.
But I still have to finish off
that frangipane filling,
and it's very complicated.
(PANTS) "Combine
the warm brown butter
"with the pecan puree in a jug."
The issue with this kitchen is
that I want to stay here so badly.
Is this the brown butter?
Smell it.
Yeah.
And there's all of those
time constraints
and...you overthink things.
Christina, move faster
than you have ever moved before.
I'm trying!
I'm trying to stay on top of my
emotions, but that's not happening.
(SNIFFLES)
I'm just totally losing it
right now.
Go, Christina. You got this.
Keep going, Christina.
You're doing really well.
Go, Christina, you're fine.
Just breathe, mate. Just breathe.
Come on, Christina.
The emotional side of things
is definitely getting to me.
(SNIFFLES)
"Add dry ingredients." OK.
This tart is going to take
50 minutes to cook in the oven,
but I'm still working
on the frangipane filling.
So I just need to take a breath,
calm my nerves,
and just keep moving forward with it.
You've got this, Christina!
Is it going to rise in the oven?
Yes, a little bit.
Only a little bit.
I'm going to fight
till the very end.
I'm definitely not giving up.
Nice, Christina!
Daniel.
Yo!
You got to move, man.
It needs to be in the oven.
Yeah.
Tommy and Matt's tarts
are in the oven already.
So it's just me and Christina
who still don't have them in.
I know I need to motor.
I just chuck these pecans on top.
Ooh, jeez.
Get it in. Good work, mate.
It's going in the oven now.
I don't have any more time to waste.
Well done, mate.
Come on, Christina! Come on!
Yes, Christina!
It's beautiful!
Looks lovely.
Beautiful!
Yes, you!
CHRISTINA: I've popped the tart
into the oven with 40 minutes to go.
Well done.
Thank you.
Give us a hug.
Come on. Do your side hustle now.
Pull it together.
I don't know if that's going
to be enough time to cook it.
Has anyone seen my bag of coffee?
Behind. Behind. Yeah.
This pressure test is interesting,
because the main element, the tart,
is in the oven now.
You can't do anything else
for the tart,
and now we've got this side hustle.
For my side hustle, I'm doing,
like, a coffee anglaise.
Look at that. Hey!
Coffee would go really well
with this tart.
It's got those same dark
savoury notes to it,
and I think it might
really elevate the tart.
I'm really happy with that.
Yep.
I'm now going to work
on my maple glaze.
The maple glaze on the tart,
it's just a beautiful layer
on top of the tart.
It's sweet, but you get
that beautiful smokiness,
which makes it really, really nice.
Let's get this sorted.
I'm blitzing up my maple glaze
to get it nice and shiny.
I strain it into a copper pan
so I can use it later
on top of the tart.
I love it. I love chai. So good.
I've been practising my desserts
and I've learnt a
chai creme diplomat,
which means whipped cream
and custard, essentially.
So I'm going to make that.
I've been practising it and now
it's time to show a little bit
of my dessert skill.
MATT: For my side hustle,
I'm gonna make a simple
whisky Chantilly cream.
How's it taste, buddy?
Get some whisky there?
Yeah, it is coming through.
I don't want too much.
I want the Chantilly cream
not too sweet
to overpower the flavour of
what's not a very sweet tart.
Back in the fridge
for a little bit?
Yeah, 'cause they're gonna
eat it cold.
Good job, Matt.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Oh!
Oh, my God!
Is that too much cream?
Never.
(LAUGHS)
CHRISTINA: The tart is so perfect
on its own,
I don't actually think
it needs anything.
So I decide to whip some creme
fraiche and use some maple syrup
to slightly sweeten it
and bounce off the maple syrup
that's in the tart.
What are you thinking?
Does it need salt or anything?
A little bit of cream.
A little bit of salt.
It's almost tart time.
Two minutes to go.
ANDY: Come on!
(CHEERING)
Come on, guys.
Stunning. Yes, Matt!
Beautiful, Dan.
It's so pretty!
I've pulled my tart shell
out of the oven and I'm stoked.
It looks good. It looks cooked.
It looks a little bit uglier
than some of the others.
But I'm happy with it.
I'm proud of it.
Oh, Tommy!
TOMMY: Looking at my tart shell,
it doesn't look as beautiful
as Gareth's.
Ugh! This is so terrifying!
There's definitely little things
that I'm worried about.
Like, maybe I rushed it too much
and I missed some little details
that I'm not sure of.
But at the end of the day,
it's going to hinge on how well
everybody else did.
And I have no idea where I kind of
sit in the pack today,
so hopefully I've done enough.
Come on, get your tarts
on the plate.
You've only got one minute!
Come on!
OTHERS: One minute!
Oh, my God. It's on the edge.
It's on the edge.
MATT: My tart's looking good.
It doesn't have any cracks in it.
So I'm hopeful that the tart
has cooked through all the way.
I think I've done as much as I can
today to keep myself safe.
Come on, you've got to get it out.
Get it out, Christina.
CHRISTINA: Everyone's taken
the tarts out of the oven.
And I'm just kind of holding myself
back, not wanting to pull it out.
It is so nerve-racking
because all I want to do
is pull it out of the oven,
but I need to leave it in there
so it can cook all the way through.
Come on, Christina!
It's now or never. I've got to get
the tart out of the oven.
ANDY: She's coming out now.
Just pray to the baking tart gods
that it's going to be cooked
all the way through.
30 seconds!
30 seconds! Get it on the plate!
(CHEERING)
Oh, Tommy!
Here we go. Ten!
ALL: Nine, eight, seven...
Christina, bring the plate
closer to it!
..four, three, three, two...
..one!
JOCK: And that's it!
TOMMY: Time's up.
Tart is on the plate.
I can do no more with this tart,
it's up to fate now.
Yes, Dan!
Well done, guys! Whoo!
Well done, boys!
Looking at the other benches,
the tarts all look amazing.
But you can't really tell
until the judges dive into the tart,
and that's the most scariest part,
like, not knowing what will happen
from here on.
Well, the old worry beads
got a workout today. Holy mackerel.
That is some tart.
And of course, we don't even know
how they're going to go,
because you can't open it, right?
Yep, exactly.
They can't see what's inside
that tart until it comes
to the tasting table.
One thing's for sure -
someone's going home.
MATT: Heading into the tasting room,
I'm actually really proud
of what I've done today.
Right, Matt?
How you doing?
I'm doing good. How are YOU doing?
Hopefully good after this.
I feel like I've followed the recipe
in a hugely stressful environment,
under an immense pressure,
and I'm really happy
with how my tart's looking.
Matt. First pressure test in the bag.
How does it feel?
I guess no matter what happens
today,
I feel like I've achieved something.
Fingers crossed it looks good
when you taste it.
What's the side hustle, Matt?
I've done a maple and whisky
Chantilly cream.
Alright, mate. We'll taste it now.
Thanks, buddy.
Thanks.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
ANDY: The tart shell looks great.
I don't think it's the same as yours
in terms of caramelisation,
but it's pretty close.
Agree.
He's had enough time too to finesse
the pecans on top, which is great.
I can't handle it.
I need you to open it.
I was gonna say...
I need you to open it.
Should we see if it's cooked?
OK.
Ooh...
What are you thinking?
I think it looks pretty good.
Pastry looks thin too.
Mm.
It's lovely.
Really nice shell.
Technically we can see in the
corners of where the pastry creases
at that right angle
how even and consistent
the thickness is through there,
which is a real telltale sign
for good technique.
And we were all worried that
she might be raw, but it's not.
It's cooked perfectly.
And great flavour to back it up.
The whisky cream side hustle
is strong, but I kind of like it.
Pecan and whisky - nice.
I think he's done
a really great job.
He nailed it.
Good luck, Dan.
Cheers, guys.
I was slower than almost everyone
else getting my tart into the oven.
And the thing that's killing me is
I don't know what it looks like
on the inside, so I don't know
how cooked it is,
I don't have if the pastry's
blond at all.
Daniel.
G'day, guys.
How are you, mate?
Hey, mate.
(SIGHS)
All these little things are now
playing in my head.
The uncertainty of everything
is killing me inside.
(SIGHS)
VOICEOVER: Hungry for inspiration?
Daniel.
Andy.
First-ever MasterChef pressure test.
What did you think?
That is, um...
That is rough. That is rougher than
hessian underwear, that. It's...
(LAUGHS)
Rougher than hessian underwear?
Yeah. It's just...
(LAUGHS)
It is tough, very hard, yeah.
What about the side hustle?
So, I've done, like, a chai
tea-spiced creme diplomat.
Well, we're gonna cut the thing open,
um, but you have to leave first.
Alright, no worries, guys. Cheers.
MELISSA: Thank you.
Thanks, Daniel.
Pecan placement...
Abstract. At best.
Yeah.
Chaotic.
Yeah.
This is another one
that I'm worried about.
It went in pretty late.
His was...second-last to go in.
There's a bit of movement in the
middle there as you're cutting it,
I can see.
Nope.
Looks great. (LAUGHS)
It's alright.
It's pretty good.
Looks really good.
It looks really, really nice.
The shell's quite even and thin.
It is nice and thin.
Thank you.
It's pretty tasty.
Mm.
He's done a really good job.
I think the chai diplomat is
actually, for me, that's great.
Mm.
Look at that!
It's so thin.
The colour too, it's...
And the colour of the base is...
..is nut brown.
It looks...it looks unreal.
I think this is a great effort
by Daniel.
And first pressure test
and uncomfortable territory, I think
for him, pastry land, anyway.
The frangipane, the cook on his
is so impressive.
Bit rough and ready
with the pecan nuts.
The shell itself, the thickness...
Mm.
..is fantastic.
A tremendous effort from someone
who doesn't make any kind of pastry
on the reg.
It has probably the best
caramelisation on top.
The colour of the baked frangipane
is pretty close to what
we want it to be.
I think we might have
a secret gun pastry cook...
Maybe.
..brewing, you know, in this mix.
TOMMY: See you guys later.
CHRISTINA: You got this.
Walking back into the restaurant
room, I'm terrified.
Tommy.
What up, fam?
How are ya?
Living the dream.
That's good.
(CHUCKLES) Living the dream.
The feelings that it brings back
IS not good.
Your heart kind of drops.
But, you know,
I'm gonna try to stay composed.
Hopefully, I've done enough.
Ooh.
So what did you end up doing
for your side hustle?
Uh, a little coffee anglaise.
A little bit of spices in there.
I think it will go well
with the tart.
Yep.
Well, mate, I reckon we'll taste,
so thanks for that.
Cool. Enjoy, guys. Love ya.
Right.
What are we thinking about the look,
Gareth?
His tart shell's...
..a little on the thick side.
And it is a tiny bit pale.
Mm.
How's it look?
It's...
..surprisingly well held together.
I was expecting it to be
a little bit doughier.
Which is great.
And how's the caramel ratio looking?
Also really good.
Tommy's pastry is, um,
a little bit rough
and a few cracks and holes
and whatnot in the sides,
and a little bit thicker.
The frangipane itself is cooked,
first of all,
which is a massive tick.
The caramel, though, 10 out of 10.
I agree.
The caramel is perfect,
both in the way that it's held up
inside the cake
but also the flavour.
And the coffee custard, I think the
flavour goes well with the pastry.
Yeah, it eats really well
as a one-two combination.
But when I look at Tommy's
tart shell and then the frangipane,
the devil is in the details.
CHRISTINA: First time going into
that tasting room this season,
I am not looking forward to it
at all.
Good luck, Christina.
Good luck, mate.
Thanks, guys.
It's really nerve-racking.
Thank you.
I've...given it everything today.
I haven't left anything behind.
(IN SINGSONG VOICE) Christina.
Hey.
Today, I just wanted to curl up
in a ball.
I cried but I kept pushing through.
I'm very proud that I managed to get
all the elements on the plate...
..but when the judges cut open
that tart,
I have no idea if it's going to be
cooked all the way through.
And it just...
That is a terrible feeling.
But you pulled it together.
You finished.
I was really proud that even though
I was crying,
that I managed to kind of pull it
all together, um,
and just, like, keep pushing.
I've learned how resilient I can be
and produced such an amazing tart.
So hopefully, it tastes good.
(CHUCKLES) Fingers crossed.
What did you end up making
as your side hustle?
I went with like a creme fraiche,
just a whipped creme fraiche.
I have a little bit of maple syrup
in there,
just to echo the maple in the tart.
And I didn't want anything
to compete with the tart,
I want it to be all about that.
And then just hopefully,
that complements it.
Here's hoping you have another
opportunity to cook for us.
Yes.
But it all, I guess, rests on...
..what's happening on the inside
of that tart.
Yep.
So we'll taste and, um,
we'll let you know.
Thank you. Thank you.
ANDY: Thanks, Christina.
Thanks, Christina.
OK, so, Christina's does look
a bit different to your tart.
Look, there's a lot less pecans
on there than there should have been
but I've gotta say,
you can mess around putting
the exact amount of pecans on there
or you can get it in the oven.
(CHUCKLES)
Slice away, mate.
That looks squidgy.
(INHALES)
Oh.
Yeah.
Raw in the middle?
Yep.
Pastry's a touch...thick as well,
gotta say.
Watching Christina cook today,
I mean, she fell apart
and somehow, she managed to scoop
herself up and keep going,
and sadly, it feels a little bit
like that, you know what I mean?
The tart case isn't quite there,
presentation-wise, there isn't
quite enough pecan nuts in there.
There is a very gratifying deep,
rich intensity to her frangipane.
Mm.
The nuts have been roasted properly,
pureed very well.
Sadly, it's just undercooked.
Which is a shame.
I'm absolutely gutted for her
because the flavour is fantastic.
100%. I found myself wanting to go
back for more
because the flavour of it is...
So good.
..pretty brilliant.
It's...exactly how we want it to be.
And with the creme fraiche,
I've always really enjoyed
the acidity
that things like the souring of
yoghurts and creme fraiche can have
and the way they balance
against caramel.
And this is a really great example
of that for me.
Props to her because, honestly,
I didn't think she was gonna finish.
And the creme fraiche was perfect,
you know.
And then, the frangipane
tastes amazingly
but it's got flaws in the technique.
But flavour can do a lot for you
in this kitchen.
Yep.
Well, correct me if I'm wrong,
you won't forget about this pressure
test any time soon, will ya?
ALL: No.
Gareth, how do you reckon
they handled the pressure today?
Given the time constraints
we put on them
and all the pressure points
that we touched on
at the beginning of the cook,
I think we had four
pretty incredible tarts
so I think, yeah, they should all be
very proud of themselves.
I agree.
Yep.
Well, it's been a pleasure
having you in the kitchen.
Everyone, give it up
for Gareth Whitton, everybody!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Right, let's get down to business,
we need to send someone home.
And it comes down to how closely
your tart resembled Gareth's
and the impact of your side hustle.
Two of you really impressed us today.
And surprisingly,
it's the two with the least amount
of experience in this kitchen.
Matt, Daniel...
..your tarts were delicious.
And we... None of us wanted
to stop eating them.
You guys should be so proud of the
effort that both of you put in today.
Safe to say,
you're not going anywhere.
Well done, lads.
Best of luck.
Yes!
Oh, my God.
You just wouldn't...
would not read about it.
Good job.
Best of luck.
The fact that my tart was up there
in the best of today
is just an unbelievable feeling.
Tommy, Christina,
it was clear that the cook
overwhelmed one of you.
And there were flaws
in every part of your dish.
But the greatest problem...
..was that the tart was in the oven
too late
and as such, it didn't cook through.
Which unfortunately, is why,
Christina...
Yep.
..you're going home.
Oh, my God.
I'm gutted that I'm leaving
the competition.
I let the pressure get to me
and the trying to keep up
and I really should have just...
..cooked, um...
..better. (CHUCKLES)
I should have just cooked better.
MELISSA: Well, Christina,
it may be the end of your time here
but this is just one chapter
in the story that you are creating.
And we can't wait to see
what's on the next page.
Yep.
I've had so much fun, I really have.
So happy that I came back. I got
to meet all these cool new people
and I've made some lifelong friends.
Bring her in, bring her in.
Bring her in.
And even though there were
some really low moments,
the highs were just incredible.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
I'm going to start cooking
more Portuguese food
and getting that out there.
So I'm excited to see
what the future holds.
Give it up for Christina, everybody!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
VOICEOVER: Tomorrow night
on MasterChef Australia...
It's Clare Smyth!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
..one of the world's best chefs
brings the ultimate fine dining
service challenge.
HARRY: I'm so pumped.
There is so much
that I can learn from
this incredible woman.
Will her three
Michelin stars...
MINDY: I am just
starstruck.
..inspire a win
for the fans or
the favourites?
Captions by Red Bee Media
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.