MasterChef Australia (2009–…): Season 14, Episode 22 - Episode #14.22 - full transcript

VOICEOVER: Previously,
on MasterChef Australia...

..the excitement was brewing...

(ALL EXCLAIM AND LAUGH)

..with a challenge
that dialled up the intensity.

Argh!

Bring the wobble.
Yeah.

They all gave it their best shot...

JOCK: That is how you feature
coffee. Very well done.

..but Ali's unusual combination...

ALI: Coffee-marinated eggplant
with tofu latte.

..won her dish of the day.



Leaving Harry, Jenn, Minoli and Sarah
in the bottom four.

Tonight, a pressure test
will be the end of the road...

MINOLI: I'm terrified.
I could be going home.

..for one of these amazing cooks.

# '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
# You don't really wanna stay, no

# You
# But you don't really wanna 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. #

Daylesford is absolutely stunning.

You can see the gumtrees,

the birds chirping.

It really does transport you
straight out of the city,

right into the country feels.

JENN: Ooh.
I know! On the lake.

Wow. It's so pretty.

SARAH: Everything's just so vibrant.

It's so calming
to be out of the city.

Even though we're in an elimination,
I feel more relaxed today, for sure.

I've never been in an elimination
pressure test before

so I'm feeling the nerves.

Here they come.

OK. I think that's Alla Wolf-Tasker.
(HARRY LAUGHS)

Oh, my God.

I adore Alla.

Her food ethos, what she's created,

her life story, her business,
her career.

She's such an incredible woman.

It's gonna be really interesting
to see

what challenge she sets us today.

Hi.
Morning.

Good morning.
SARAH: Ready for the day.

Oh, my God. (LAUGHS)

Good morning, everybody.
ALL: Good morning.

Welcome to the picturesque
Lake House in Daylesford...

..one of Australia's
most highly regarded gourmet escapes.

And also, a huge welcome
and good morning

to one of our favourite people,
living legend Alla Wolf-Tasker.

Yay.

Welcome, welcome.
So lovely to have you here.

The whole place was always meant
to be immersed locally.

When you sit in a place like this
and you look out on the seasons,

it should reflect the plate,

so provenance, seasonality, local,
if possible, and know your producer.

They're the central tenets of
what drives the food in this place.

Today, you're gonna want
to have your wits about you

because you're gonna be cooking
one of Alla's dishes...

..without a recipe.

Alla and her head chef, Brendan,

are gonna run you through
this amazing dish.

Once the demo's finished, we're gonna
head back to the MasterChef kitchen

where you'll have to cook
that dish by memory.

JENN: What?! What?!

No recipe? Like, I'm not prepared
for this. At all.

Alright, ladies, this is
the head chef at Lake House, Brendan.

Hello, welcome.

Alla, shall we start?
Absolutely.

The dish today is summer cucumbers
with Murray cod.

One of my favourite ingredients -
the humble cucumber.

Doesn't get used a lot nowadays

but I have fond memories
of steamed fish,

turned cucumbers, butter sauce.

HARRY: I couldn't be happier
to be given a pressure test

that's an intuitive cook with vegies.

That is literally how I cook.

So, we're doing three things
with cucumber,

three different textures
with cucumber.

Bit of a challenge today because
it's got quite a few techniques.

This dish is deceptively simple.

There's not a lot of ingredients,
it's a lot of technique.

Starting with one side
of the Murray cod,

Brendan's just gonna separate out
the loin from the belly.

One of the tricky things
about this demonstration

is that Brendan's cooking
the entire dish

and Alla is trying to talk us
through the whole thing.

Trim off any extra fat,

slicing in fine slices,
diagonally, about 2mm.

You're going to need
about 18 to 20 slices,

so somewhere between a carpaccio
and a sashimi.

Having to remember amounts
and temperatures and diameters

and all this kind of stuff
without any pen or paper

is really, really difficult.

Brendan is going to slice off
the cucumbers in about 2mm.

We want them to be pliable

so we're going to salt and vinegar
them a little bit.

We're going to put these into
a pickling liquid with pinch of salt

and about a tablespoon
of white wine vinegar.

We're gonna do the linguine.

These ones you peel,

but the peel goes into the bowl
with everything else.

The flavour of the cucumber
is strongest in the peel

so when you get to
do your vichyssoise,

what you want is that really
punchy cucumber flavour.

SARAH: I'm just watching
the techniques that are being used

and I'm just seeing the precision.

I know that those
classical techniques

and training I've had in the past is
what's gonna have to come into play

in full swing today.

You collect your slices
and then basically julienne them.

So we're going to drain these
but retain the liquid.

The sliced Murray cod
goes into that pickling liquid

but we've added
a little bit of sugar to it.

It's really only to just give it
a light pickle.

JENN: There is obviously a lot
of information being thrown at us,

especially when there are
multiple elements going at once.

Then we just lay the fish
across this.

And they we're just going to
roll these up.

Pretty much equal diameter.

Leave them in the fridge to set.

It's a lot of information -
thicknesses of ingredients,

certain temperatures
you're meant to cook them at.

Little bit of oil in the bag stops
the bag from completely collapsing.

And now that's going to
go into the water bath, 6.5 minutes.

Now, Brendan's going to start
working on the vichyssoise.

What we want is a cucumber flavour.

We don't want a potato flavour.

That goes in.

They make it look so simple!

Think that's enough, Brendan.

So one of the rolls was a little bit
thicker than this one

and this one, look,
it's got plenty of resistance

but the other one still felt

as though there was not much
resistance there so...

JOCK: So you really need some
intuition here

because at the end of the day,
it's not exact.

No, it's not exact.
All loins aren't going to be
exactly the same size.

No. They're not going to be exact...
No.

I definitely use my instincts a lot
when I cook a protein.

Alla's also saying, "Go with your
instincts. You know how to cook."

It's really comforting to hear her
say that but at the same time,

I'm like,
"This is your recipe so you know!"

Right, the last thing we're going to
move onto is the dill oil.

And the dish kind of comes together
really quickly.

The vichyssoise, we just need to
check that it's chilled enough

and also, check the seasoning
once it has been chilled.

So I'm hoping
I can re-create it just as quickly.

And now we're going to plate it.

Small half-tablespoon full
of the linguine twist.

The summer cucumber
and Murray cod dish

is chalk and cheese
to how I normally cook.

And then the Murray cod roe
around the outer edges.

I know that this is going to be
a challenge for me today.

So this is our...summer cucumber
and Murray cod dish.

And that's your challenge for today.

Beautiful.

Wanna try it?
ALL: Yes!

Course you do.

Oh, my gosh.

The balance of Alla's final dish
is perfect.

Cucumber-forward,
supported by Murray cod.

The Murray cod is cooked perfectly

and I'm just left with this
lingering balanced cucumber flavour
in my mouth,

which I've never had before.

It looks like summer.

It's so good.
It's so simple yet so complex.

And the seasoning on it
is just perfect.

There's so much finesse here and
it's just so beautiful and inviting

and the way you've transformed
the ingredients

is just really, really inspiring.

Alright, time to head back
to the MasterChef kitchen.

I'll see you there.

Thank you so much.
ALL: Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

MINOLI: I've seen Alla and Brendan
cook now,

I know there's five main elements
and four garnishes

and I'm hoping that I can remember it
on the drive home.

SARAH: EV is charged,
we have fuel, let's go.

Let's go.
Let's do this.
Let's go.

My memory
can be touch and go at times,

some things just get wiped
from my brain completely

and other times, I can remember
everything so specifically.

I'm hoping the latter
is what happens today.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yes, Sarah!

Welcome back
to the MasterChef kitchen.

I hope that you have remembered
everything very, very well

and in fine detail.

You will have 90 minutes
to re-create four perfect plates

of Alla's summer cucumbers
with Murray cod.

And the cook that creates the dish
that least resembles Alla's dish...

..will be going home.

Good luck, everybody.

Your 90 minutes starts now.

(APPLAUSE)

(CALLS OF ENCOURAGEMENT)

I had a blast watching
Alla's demonstration.

I'm feeling really inspired,
I feel ready to cook.

Firstly, I'm jotting down points
of significance about the dish

that I feel like if I start
to panic, I may forget.

My memory's pretty good.

My partner, Vincent,
always says I remember too much.

So hopefully, it's gonna help
in this case. (CHUCKLES)

Come on, girls!

C'mon, Jenn.

Let's go, Harry.

Come on, guys.

Go, Sarah.
Go, Minoli.

MINOLI: This dish is unfamiliar to me

so I want all the detail
to be on paper.

I know how to cure, I know how
to pickle, I know how to make oils,

but the main things for me
that I don't know how to do

are the vichyssoise
and sous videing fish.

90 minutes should be plenty of time
to re-create this dish.

I just need to breathe,
take a moment,

and hopefully,
let that re-sink into my brain.

Let's go, girls!
Whoo!

(APPLAUSE)

HARRY: Yeah, first pressure test
and meeting Alla

and going out to Daylesford
was just absolutely incredible.

Just wanna do the dish justice.

The thing that I want to start on
straightaway is my fish.

I remember watching Brendan do it,
so as soon as I get the fillets out,

I remember to take off the ribs then
clean off all the fat from the fish

and then I can start
slicing my thinner pieces of fish

that are gonna get pickled
for the cucumber roll.

Come off, you little skin.

And then I'm going to remove the skin

and clean up the pieces of loin
for the medallion.

I'm feeling really confused about
what I'm going to do with my pin
today.

Considering that this dish feels
so aligned with how I cook already,

I don't wanna go home

but I don't wanna go home with a pin
even more than that.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Go, girls! Come on.

Go, Sarah!
Go, Sare.

It's my first time doing
a pressure test back this time.

I feel I have a lot more to prove

because I have done so much
since MasterChef.

I love Alla and I think
she's just so incredible.

I still to this day remember
the challenge that we had together

in my season.

The dish we're doing today...

Looks beautiful.

Yeah, I'm excited to do it.

Well, it's a challenge.
That's what you're here for.
It is a challenge and I like that.

So think I'm very happy
that I got the opportunity

to have this challenge today.

I really admire what Alla has done,

creating a really different
experience in Daylesford

is kind of what I've done in Goa.

So I really look up to her.

Alla and Jock have arrived, so that
means you've got 75 minutes to go!

(APPLAUSE)

Alla and Jock
are back in the kitchen now

and the nerves are really rolling in

because I'm cooking for Alla
and I want to do it justice.

BILLIE: I think this challenge
is really hard.

Going offsite to a restaurant
and learning a dish,

not being able to write anything
down and just doing it from memory,

I reckon is probably
one of the hardest challenges yet.

MINOLI: Ooh!

Keep hustling, Minoli,
you're doing well, mate!

I feel like I'm taking
so long to prep this fish.

I've only got 70 minutes left
and I'm only slicing now.

I know one of the big parts
of this recipe

is getting the balance right.

Because I tried it
and it was beautiful.

The summer cucumber and Murray cod
dish is the furthest thing

from how I normally cook.

The fine detail that Alla gives
to her food was what stuck with me

when I was watching her cook.

So I'm gonna try and re-create the
dish just as Alla and Brendan did it.

If this is what Alla does
and this is how particular she is,

then this is what I need to do.

(SIGHS) And Alla's here.

So I need to just do this
recipe justice.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Go, Sarah!
Come on, guys!

It's such a simple dish
but it's complex.

I've got my Murry cod loins
in the brine and I pat dry my slices

and put them back in the fridge,

to be used later
inside the pickled cucumber roll.

Now I can crack on
to my pickled cucumbers

for the outside
of the pickled cucumber roll

and the cucumber linguine.

The pickled cucumbers are sliced thin

and then these are gonna be pickled
with salt and white wine vinegar.

We haven't been given any
measurements at all for this process

and even when Alla was doing it,
she was completely going off by feel.

She'd sprinkle some salt,
put it through the cucumber.

Touch it, look at it, taste it,

and then decide whether or not it
needed any more salt or vinegar.

It's calming
because there's nothing to follow.

So it feels like
you're cooking at home

and you're just cooking lovely food
that tastes good

and that's what's important.

I really have to trust my palate.

It may not be as experienced as
Alla's but it's tasted the final dish

and I'm hoping it remembers.
(GIGGLES)

It was so lovely this morning
to watch Alla cook.

Her philosophy about food
is very inspiring

and I feel like that's sort of like
the food that I've been searching for

so I feel very blessed -
as strange as it sounds -

to be in this pressure test.

Usually, with a pressure test,
of course,

they have a very detailed recipe
to follow to the letter

if they want to succeed.

Today, it's all about
how much they can remember

and how much instinct
they can apply.

Mmm. They're not looking nervous
at the moment at all.

No.
And...

Should they be, though?

The thing is, if you get too relaxed
and one little thing goes wrong,

it'll throw you.
Yeah.

It'll throw you much more than

if you're actually on adrenaline
all the time.

There's a lot of sort of looking
at the thinness of the cucumbers.

That's probably not as important
as some of the other things.

(CALLS OF ENCOURAGEMENT)

My gosh, this is a lot of cucumbers.
(LAUGHS)

There is a lot of prep work
with the cucumbers and fish

but this is
an Alla Wolf-Tasker dish.

Slice and then basically julienne
them to make the linguine.

And it's all in the precision.

I've spent time being
as detailed as possible

yet the time is just flying
out the door.

I really need to motor now.

Good work, Sare.
Go, Sarah.

I have my sliced cucumbers pickled.

I have my julienne cucumber linguine
pickling

and now, I'm moving on
to confiting my Murray cod.

I need to really make sure I get it
into a perfect kind of cylinder

so that it cooks perfectly

and stays that same thickness
all the way through.

You got this, Sarah, come on.

I came back into this competition
because I wanted to grow again.

When you get into
opening your own restaurant,

you're not learning
from any other restaurateurs.

So, to have this opportunity today
to cook with Alla is a real benefit

and I feel really thankful.

Hope you've got a good memory 'cause
you've only got 45 minutes to go.

(APPLAUSE)
Come on, guys.

Oh, my God, it's just gone
so quickly. Isn't it crazy?

MINOLI: Ooh.

I didn't feel
the pressure at the start

but now I'm feeling the pressure.

This dish kind of comes together
at the end

and I feel like
I've taken up too much time

just slicing cucumbers
and Murray cod.

ALVIN: How long does your fish need
to be in the water bath?

Like, 6.5 minutes.
OK, cool.

But I'm gonna do it now.

I still have to get
my two cod medallions

into the sous vide machine.

I've got to make my dill oil.

I need to roll my cucumber
and cod rolls

and get onto my vichyssoise stat.

Minoli.
Hi, Andy.

Ooh, crucial moment here?
Am I right?

Yep.
(ALL LAUGH)

I think the whole thing's crucial!

We always choose the best times
to come and say g'day, don't we?

You look a bit flustered.

Oh, I'm just like so laser focused
at the moment.

Right. Gotcha.
Good.

I just wanna make sure that
I'm here at the end of this cook.

Yep. How are you feeling
about the vichyssoise?

Good.
Oh, great.

Oh. Well...
No, that's fantastic.

I just wasn't sure how you were
feeling about it.

I didn't even know what it
was before today.

(LAUGHS)
But I understand the concept.
Now she feels good about it!

This vichyssoise is the most
important thing on this dish

so I just need to motor on
to get everything done.

So I can focus on that.

(LAUGHS) This is wild.

Go, Minoli!

Go, Sarah.

It seems like there's time but
there's never time in this kitchen.
(TIMER BEEPS)

Time just goes really fast so...
I really have to crack on.

My time is up and I need to check
my confit Murray cod loin.

The perfectly cooked Murray cod
should be

just set in the middle
with a touch of pink.

I don't know what texture
I'm looking for

'cause I didn't get to touch the fish
when Alla did her demonstration.

So, one of the rolls was a little
bit thicker than this one

and this one, it's got plenty
of resistance but the other one,

there was really
not much resistance there.

But Alla said trust your instincts,
trust your intuition.

Uh, my instincts say this fish
is perfect to go in the ice bath.

Yep.
So I'm gonna pop him in.

This one feels a bit different.

It feels a lot softer.
Yeah.

I'm gonna rest it another minute

'cause Alla did mention
resting the fish

to allow it to just gently
keep cooking a little bit

before you plunge it
into the ice bath.

You can always keep cooking,
you can't un-cook the fish.

There's the scientific brain.

Yeah, exactly right.
I love her recall.

Yeah, dentist
is really coming to the fore now.

(LAUGHS)

Good stuff, Jenn.
Nailed it.
Thank you so much.

This dish has such simple elements

that everything must be done
to absolute perfection.

HARRY: As I'm prepping some herbs
for my herb oil,

I get this feeling that the timer
should have maybe gone off

for my fish by now.

I look and my timer's stopped.

Argh!

I have no idea how long my fish
has been in the water bath for.

I was in such a good position.

This could be the beginning
of the unravelling of my dish.

ALI: It's a really strange vibe
today.

We don't know what they're cooking.

You know, it's a very strange,
kind of pin drop

kind of silence in here today.

HARRY: The vibe in the kitchen today
is really, really intense.

I look down and my timer's stopped.

I have no idea how long my fish
has been in the water bath for.

And now,
it's completely based on feel.

That one's fine.

I feel the smaller one and I'm
confident that it's cooked enough.

But I'm really worried
because ultimately,

I'm not gonna know what it's like
until right at the end

when you go in to cut it.

Other one's still in, is it?
Yep.

I just need to continue to trust
in my palate and my cooking

and get through to a point
where I feel comfortable

and then make a decision on what
I'm going to do with my pin today.

She's a little bit nervous.

They all are.
Are they?

It's you. You make people nervous.
No, she's really a little nervous

and there's not much
to be nervous about.

Well, one of them's gonna go home.

It's only cucumbers and cod
and you have only 30 minutes to go.

Let's go, ladies!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Go, girls! Come on! Go, Sarah!

It's just flown. It's crazy.

Go, Minoli!

Good work, guys.

Go, girls, let's go!

JENN: I'm really happy with my cook
today.

I'm working on my vichyssoise.

Alla said traditionally,
a vichyssoise is a cold potato soup.

But in the case of this dish,

it's actually going to be
a cold cucumber and dill sauce.

I remember Alla didn't let her
shallots take on any colour.

Jenn, just do one potato, yeah?
One potato?

It's more than enough.
OK. Thanks.

Then we add in some grated potatoes.

She described the potatoes
as the binder.

Otherwise, the cucumber will split.
So it's finding the balance.

This sauce is about the cucumbers,
not the potatoes.

MINOLI: I'm getting my cucumbers
for my vichyssoise.

Alla said there's a lot of flavour
in the outside

and these cucumbers
are kind of different

to what I saw this morning.

They've got a lot more seeds in them

so I just need to make sure
that I've got more flesh.

Because cucumber flavour,
it has to be front and centre.

Sarah.
Hi. How long are you gonna stay.

(LAUGHS)
Oh, not too long.

I need to run over.
What have you gotta do?

Because honestly...
Blend this vichyssoise.

Yep.
And I have to...make my rolls.

Yep.
To cure my fish.

And then plate four perfect plates.
Yes.

You've got some work to do.
Yep.

Let's go.
Let's go! Go, come on!

(APPLAUSE)

I feel like my food journey
in the MasterChef kitchen
has only just begun.

Especially after today's session
with Alla.

I feel like I'm finally finding
that thing I've been looking for.

Doing things instinctively
like Alla and Brendan

is definitely
the way I aspire to cook.

This challenge,
I feel like I needed to be here

because I needed to be reminded
of the joy of cooking.

As with every pressure test,
the energy has gone up a level.

15 minutes to go!

Definitely taken it up a notch.
Oh, my God.

Come on, girls, come on!

Whoo!

I am blending my vichyssoise and
I feel the hit of pressure right now.

This is so crazy.

I've realised time
is just running away from me.

Oh! Alla. (LAUGHS)
You made it look so easy.

Hang in there. Hang in there.

I am moving on
to my cucumber and cod roll

and I remember the refinement
in how Alla put this together.

Every part of the cucumber slices was
covered with cod in that tight roll

so that it really holds together
when I slice.

I'm just trying to really envision
that so I can replicate it now.

I definitely thought it was gonna
be plenty of time

but I can see now that
it's gonna be tight.

I still have a lot to do.

And to add to that,
I need to plate four perfect dishes.

I'm not sure if I'm gonna get it
all done. I am really worried.

I was getting stressed
by how slowly they were working.

Come on, guys.

This one's not gonna make it.

Come on, Minoli, come on!
Keep going, Minoli!

Come on, Minoli.

Ooh! What am I doing?

I'm running out of time.

Let's get this vichyssoise on.

I still have so much to do.

I haven't got the vichyssoise done.

I remember them cooking
some shallots.

Adding a grated potato.

I need to do the dill oil.

I've got some cod here.

Murray cod is sitting on the bench
right now.

The cucumber rolls
aren't actually rolled yet.

Go, Minoli.

The cucumber has gotten the better
of me but I refuse to give up.

You know what?

If this is gonna be my last cook,
I'm going down with a bang.

I'm giving it everything.

It was very relaxed and now
it's starting to really speed up.

JOCK: They've got a long way to go.

Oh, God,
I'm worried about those kids.

They were looking so confident
in the beginning.

ANDY: Yeah. Now it's gone...

Now it's gone ballistic
and the problem is at the end,

the things at the end are the things
they really need to be careful of,

like the flavour of...
Yeah.

You know, undercooking the shallots
and all that stuff.

And the plating too.

Like,
they've never plated four plates.

You have to have everything
in front of you,

10 minutes beforehand at least.

Things are getting
really, really intense.

The state of most of the benches
look pretty hectic

but I'm watching Minoli and there's
a lot going on on the bench

and I'm starting to feel
a bit nervous.

I know how great she is
in this kitchen.

Oh, God.

And how she can turn something
around really quickly.

ALVIN: Minoli, check
your vichyssoise.
Yep.

But the time just seems to be going
really quickly

and it feels like she might not have
enough time to get everything out.

Come on, Minoli! Come on!

We want four perfect plates

in 10 minutes!

(CALLS OF ENCOURAGEMENT)

10 minutes to go
and I have to slice my confit cod.

Thank God.

Yes, Sarah! Come on!

Thankfully, it's cooked.

I just remember Alla's having
some beautiful pink to the centre

and just being set
around the outside.

So I'm choosing my pieces carefully.

I'm thinking these four.

This one's a bit thinner
so I've gone a little bit higher.

Pick the four best ones
for yourself.
Yep.

I've got hardly any time left to
plate these four perfect dishes

and I don't have a lot of time
to taste everything together.

I'm worried about balancing

and getting the last final touches
on the plates.

I've got my confit cod.

I've got my cod roll.

I've got my julienned cucumber
linguine.

I've got my dill oil.

I've got my vichyssoise,
cucumber flowers, cod roe.

So many different elements.

I have to start plating so I can
just make sure everything's balanced.

I can remember what it looked like,
I'm just hoping I can replicate that.

(APPLAUSE)

MATT: Keep motoring.
You've got five minutes.

What time?
Five minutes.

So much vichyssoise is cooling down
in the ice bath.

Now it's just a matter of getting
everything together and plating up.

I feel like I'm in an OK spot

but I'm starting to wonder whether
today is the day to take a risk.

Cutting into the fish
is super, super nerve-racking.

I've cut into the first one.

ALI: Her other fish was over.

Cutting into my first piece of fish
and seeing that it's over,

I kind of already know that
my second one will be as well.

I have to make the call now.

It's run with this fish
that you know is a little bit over

or play your pin.

(CLUCKS TONGUE)

There it is.
MINDY: Yeah, good on you, Haz.

Good work, girl.

I think a wise move.

Seen your fish. Well done.
Ooh. (LAUGHS)

I'll take the pin now.
(LAUGHTER)

Alright, Harry,
this means you are safe.

(APPLAUSE)
Head up to the gantry. Well done.

Good call, Harry!

Good work.

That was our final pin
left in the competition

and the three of you
have three minutes to go!

Let's go!
(APPLAUSE)

Let's go!
Come on, guys.
You can do this!

SARAH: All I'm thinking is,

"This pressure test of four people
has just dropped to three."

It's not good odds.

If my dish isn't perfect,
I could be going home.

I'm really nervous.

OK.

JENN: I'm plating up. This is Alla's
beautiful plate of food.

I need to do it justice.

If this is being served at the Lake
House, it needs to look beautiful.

My fish, it's beautiful,
it's perfectly cooked.

This day, as strange as it sounds,
has been a magical day for me.

MATT: Looks good, Jenn.
Thanks.

This dish has helped me realise
the joy of cooking again

and the joy of food and
the happiness food represents to me.

ALI: Jenn, just take your time.

I got this.
Yeah, you got it. You got it.

I'm really happy
with the vichyssoise.

The balance is right,
the flavours taste good.

It's cucumber-forward.

Go!

I know I've managed to remember
everything on the plate

down to the fresh dill
and dill pollen.

They just need to make it
on the plate right now.

Come on, Minoli, come on.

JULIE: Do you just need
one bit of fish?

Don't cut it if you don't need it.

Buddy, get your plates out.

MINOLI: I'm terrified right now.

(HUFFS)

It's dawned on me that
I could be going home.

Great work, Minoli.

Time's running out
and I have nothing on the plate.

I don't even have my plates out.

Is that enough, Minoli?

Huh?
Have you got enough? Just go.

Hurry up, you've only got
90 seconds! Come on!

ALDO AND JULIE: Minoli!

ALDO: Go, Sarah!

Go, you can do this.
One thing after another.

I just wanna get something
on to the plate right now.

Where's my other jug?
BILLIE: Are they in the fridge?

Come on, Minoli!
Come on, Minoli, come on!

What?
Oh, my God.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Plate it up, Minoli,
get it on the plate.

What have I done? Oh!

Don't worry.
Get it on the plate.

I don't wanna do this
but 30 seconds...

Come on, Min!

Come on, guys, let's go!

This is insane.

Come on, Minoli.

Good work.
Yes!

Great job. She's bloody coming back.
Yeah.

And here is the countdown!

10!

ALL: 9, 8...
Come on, guys!

7, 6, 5,

4, 3, 2, 1.

That's it.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, my God.

Oh.

MELANIE: So bloody proud of you,
Jenn.

Me too.
(BOTH LAUGH)

It's been such a great cook.

I was in my zone, in my element

and I'm just so happy
and so proud of myself.

I think I've done Alla's dish
justice.

That was so much harder
than I thought.

I'm feeling really annoyed

because I had my noodles
and I didn't get them on the plate.

I didn't strain my oil.

Um, I tasted it.
I tasted the vichyssoise.

Like, I really liked that.

And you know what, I don't know.
I don't...

I can't believe I'm serving Alla
this food.

(CRIES)

As a Favourite, I feel like we have
an expectation to live up to.

But no matter how many good cooks
you have in the kitchen,

there's always gonna be bad ones.

(SIGHS)

And...I'm gonna let myself
feel the pain of having...

..cooked the way I did today because
I think that's the only way to grow.

VOICEOVER: Enjoy another taste of
MasterChef with full masterclasses,

best bits
and delicious exclusives at:

SARAH: Good luck, Jenn.

Hello.

Hi, Jenn.
Hello, hello.

I come bearing gifts.
(LAUGHS)

Love it.
Spectacular.

Thank you.

Jenn.

You were quite emotional
at the end of the cook.

It was a lot of, like, build-up
of emotions, obviously.

Overwhelming happiness, though,
was what I felt

because I felt like
I finally get it now.

Like, cooking shouldn't be about
what the other person wants,

it should be about what
I want the receiving end to get.

The thing I saw with you when your
plates were up was unbridled joy.

And when you get that
from the act of cooking,

you know you've chosen
the right path.

Cooking is for you.

That's exactly how I felt.
(LAUGHS)

Would you like to finish up
and then we'll taste.

OK.

Thank you so much, Jenn.

Here's hoping that joy translates

into the plates of food
in front of us.

Thanks, Jenn.
Thanks, Jenn.

Thank you, Jenny.
Thank you.

OK.

What do we think before we tuck in?

The assembly looks good.

The colour of the vichyssoise
looks good.

The texture of the vichyssoise
looks good.

It's not getting watery
around the edges.

The plating's not quite dead-on
but that's alright.

So far, so good.

Alla, earlier, you said
that this dish

really does come down to
accurate seasoning

and it's really a dish of textures
and refreshment and refinement.

I thought the seasoning
was fantastic,

especially in the cucumber noodles.

You can pick up that little lick
of the vinegar

but it's really about the salt
and the crunch and that freshness.

The fish, I think it's fantastic.

The protein's just set.

This is meant to be a summer dish
and it eats like a summer dish.

She's got the crunch
in the pickled cucumber,

she's got the crunch
in the linguine.

The vichyssoise is
a nice balancing flavour.

I think she's done a fantastic job.

There was a touch more acidity
in your one, Alla.

In the roll, I think.
It's so close but, you know,

considering it's the first time
she's made it, though,

I gotta say,
it's a pretty good effort.

Very close to the way yours was.

JENN: Good luck.
SARAH: Good luck, Minoli.

MINOLI: The disappointment
right now,

I'm serving this
to Alla Wolf-Tasker,

is more than I can vocalise.

I'm hoping that some of my flavours
are there but...

..my hands are tied and I think
that's what's the hardest part.

Thank you.

Minoli...

..how was the cook?

I had such a fun day and...

(GULPS AND SIGHS)

I'm just really bummed that
I didn't get my noodles on the plate

and my roe.

It's like the last couple of minutes
really just disappointed.

I think I was focusing too much
on the flavour of the vichyssoise

because for me, that was, like,
the star of the show on your dish.

But I'm hoping that at least some
of it is nice. (CHUCKLES WRYLY)

Do not lose heart in these little
minor blips in your cooking journey

because each one of them
strengthens who you are.

No, I gave it everything
until the last second

so I'm really happy that I...

(SIGHS)
Like, I just didn't give up.

It's not over yet.
We've still gotta try the dish.

Do you wanna finish it?

Sure thing.

Thanks, Minoli.
ALLA: Thank you.

Thanks.

The vichyssoise itself,
really beautiful.

It is bright, it's beautifully
seasoned, it's nicely balanced.

Unfortunately, that's...
that's where it ends.

She hasn't done herself
or your dish justice today.

Dill oil, not strained,
no dill fronds,

the fish is overcooked
and no noodles.

Minoli's such a talented cook.

I believe that she has the skills
to do this dish,

it's clear
that she just ran out of time.

Minoli just chronically overthought
every single element on the plate.

I'm so sad for her

because we know that she can produce
brilliant flavours

and really wonderfully
complete dishes.

But today was not her day.

By this stage, I think
if you really want to be cooking,

you do have to be able to flex
right and left and centre.

Doesn't mean that everyone's going
to be good at every style of cooking

but you can't just rely on
what is familiar.

We'll just see where that lands her.

Hey, Sarah.
Hello.

Hello, Sarah.

Looking at my plates, I...think that
I have replicated most of the dish

but I've realised
I've left off dill fronds.

And also, I didn't have enough time
to taste each element properly.

I just don't know
if I've done enough today

because the smallest thing
can send you home.

Thanks, Sarah.
No worries.

Alla, thoughts on the presentation?

It's a little more precise,

however, it's missing
the dill fronds

and I'm just trying to work out
whether the vichyssoise is splitting

or there's water somewhere.

It's actually the vichyssoise
that is splitting out.

Just tasting the liquid,
it tastes a little potatoey.

MEL: Mmm.

So I think it's just not been
quite cooked out enough.

It's funny about the dill
'cause I miss the dill

and that's a perfect example of...
a herb not just as a garnish

but an integral part of the dish.

For me, the butchery on the fish
within the roll was problematic.

Because I got a huge chunk
of sinewy chewiness

and it was extremely unpleasant.

Mel, I gotta agree with the butchery

of the fish
inside the rolled cucumber

'cause I actually got a bone.
A bone?

Oh.
Yeah.

Mel, I gotta agree with the butchery
of the fish

inside the rolled cucumber
'cause I actually got a bone.

You got a bone?
ALLA: Ooh.

Yeah. It's only tiny
but she's definitely there.

The vichyssoise has split and it does
taste that little bit more potatoey.

In saying that, I think
it's definitely a good dish.

For the only element that was
left off to be the dill,

I thought it was pretty impressive.

Beautiful cucumber.

The pickle on the cucumber roll,
the slices of fish, is beautiful

although, much small than your roll.

But I think she's done very well
and it's nicely, precisely plated.

The fish is just a fraction over,
just a fraction over

but not enough to ruin it.

Alla, thank you so much for today

and to push these guys
to the very top of their game.

(APPLAUSE)

I can't think of anyone in life
who has been successful at something

who hasn't had disappointments
and disruptions.

And as long as you keep learning,

give it lots of love,
give it lots of attention,

don't forget about the people around
you, they're really important.

But good on you, everyone,
for giving it all you've got.

OK, Harry, when you played
your immunity pin,

that left us with three cooks
fighting for their place

in this competition.

Jenn,

you said you felt joy
when you cooked this dish

and we tasted that joy on the plate.

Yours was a commendable
representation of Alla's dish

so well done, you are safe.

Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)

Sarah.

Overall, it was a solid effort
but we missed the dill on the plate.

Your vichyssoise was slightly watery

and Andy's fish had a bone in it.

Minoli, your vichyssoise
was well balanced.

But unfortunately,

everything else on the plate suffered
from your running out of time.

Your fish was overcooked,
there were missing elements

and your dill oil was
unfortunately, a puree.

And that's why, Minoli,

I'm so sorry but you're going home.

MINOLI: (SIGHS) Um...

..it was a joy cooking for you,
Alla.

But you're right, there are
so many disappointments in life

and all I can say is just

give it everything that you have
in every single cook.

But yeah, I'm just gonna sit in this
for a little bit

and just learn from it and...

..I'm REALLY grateful
for the opportunity so thank you.

ANDY: Well, Minoli,
we cannot tell you

how much we absolutely love
your food.

There are very few cooks
that have walked through those doors

that can create flavour
the way that you do.

You've brought us so many dishes
over the past two years

that have just made us happy.

And you yourself,
you're an absolute ray of sunshine.

It's not gonna be long before us
three - or even maybe us four -

will sit down in your
very successful restaurant

and eat your tasty food once again.

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

Well done, Sarah.

Come on.

This year,
I came back wanting to win.

But you can't always cook
an amazing dish every single day.

(LAUGHS)

I'm so happy that...

..I've gotten so much
out of the comp this season.

(APPLAUSE)

Give it up for Minoli, everybody!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Because I feel like I'm ready.

I've got the conviction and the guts
and the grit

to go out and now take on the world.

VOICEOVER: Tomorrow night
on MasterChef Australia -

love is in the air.

We want the perfect
date night meal.

Oooooh.
(LAUGHTER)

But they'll need
to deliver

on a massive team
challenge...

Hustle, hustle, hustle!

..to avoid
elimination.

Captions by Red Bee Media

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.