Zumbo's Just Desserts (2016–2020): Season 2, Episode 8 - Smoke and Mirrors - full transcript

[narrator] Previously on
Zumbo's Just Desserts...

[cackles]

The dessert makers
got the fright of their lives.

Welcome to the dreaded Dessert Factory.

-[screams]
-[laughs]

[narrator] Catherine's poison apple
won Dessert of the Day.

[chuckles]

[narrator] But for everyone else...

Kylie, Simon and Jeff...

[narrator] ...their worst nightmare
came true.

[Rachel Khoo] We want to find the best,



so we're putting you all
to the Zumbo Test.

-[all] What?
-[Kylie] It's too late for me now.

[narrator] Kylie was eliminated.

And the top four became three.

Coming up...

Congratulations on being our top three.

[narrator] The fight to the finish is on.

This is cool, man.

-[sighs]
-[Simon] I'm coming for you, Catherine.

[laughs]

[theme music playing]

[Catherine] This is definitely
a proud moment for me.

There's only three of us left. And to win,
it could be life-changing for me.

-Oh, wow.
-[all chuckle]



[Catherine] What is this?

[Simon] It's a Golden Ticket.

I'm feeling really excited now.

This competition means the world to me.

My future as a dessert maker
is on the line.

Hello, dessert makers.

-Hello.
-Hi.

Congratulations on being our top three.

[Jeff] Making the top three
just brings that goal of winning

ever so much closer.

I can almost see it, smell it, touch it.

We have a little surprise for you.

[all chuckle nervously]

[Zumbo] Today...

there's no elimination.

-Yay!
-[Jeff] Wow!

[all laugh]

Phew. [chuckles]

[Zumbo] Today, the highest-scoring
dessert maker

will win themselves a Golden Ticket.

[all exclaim]

This is your fast track
to the Grand Final.

I want to get that ticket first.

[Jeff] Right now,
the biggest goal of my life

is to be in that Grand Final.

And not just to be in it,
but to win it.

Up until now, the bottom two
have gone into the Zumbo Test.

But today, the aim is to make it
into the Zumbo Test.

That's a big twist.

In round one, your Sweet Sensations Task,

the top two will qualify
for the Zumbo Test,

where you'll then fight it out
for that Golden Ticket to the Grand Final.

Now, this Golden Ticket
won't come easily, will it, Zumbo?

No, it won't.

For this Sweet Sensations Task,

we want a dessert that
more than meets the eye.

I call it... Smoke and Mirrors.

-[Simon chuckles]
-Oh.

[Khoo] You'll need to dazzle us
with a reflective mirror-like dessert.

And use smoke as an extra element
in your presentation.

[Catherine] This task could mean
a lot of things.

Literally, smoke and mirrors.

Or you could have something magical,
something that's a bit of an illusion.

Hopefully, I can do it.

Time to head to your benches.

[Jeff] All through this competition,

Catherine and Simon have been
the ones to watch.

But, hopefully, I'm just timing it right
to hit my stride.

Power-up your dessert stations.

[Simon] The last challenge,
I played it safe.

But today, I'm going back to
using bold flavors.

I'm in it to win it.

You'll have three hours
on the Factory Clock.

Good luck.

Your time starts now.

I want some of that.

[Catherine] I have never been
in Zumbo Test.

And, you know, I kinda
wanna be in it today. [chuckles]

In this Sweet Sensations Task,
the top two get to go into the Zumbo Test

and then fight it out
for that Golden Ticket.

Going straight into the Grand Final
would be amazing.

So today, I'm going to be making
a reflective dessert.

My dessert today will be
a reflective cylinder

with a baked lemon cheesecake,
grapefruit sorbet and meringue.

The mirror element is the reflection
of the cheesecake

with the meringue underneath.

And then, there'll be some smoke
inside the sugar cylinder,

so when it fades away,
you'll see the reflection.

So, first, I'm going to do the cheesecake.

It's just going to be
a very creamy cheesecake

that will go well
with the other elements in this dish,

with the blackberry, the sage.

And I really wanna nail this brief today

because I have high expectations
on what I can do.

I'm really gonna nail it.

Today, I'm going with
kind of classic flavors

and things that I love.
I just wanna cook from the heart.

I'm gonna poach some figs
in little bit of cinnamon.

For the Sweet Sensation Task,
I'm creating a mirrored honey cake

with smoked cinnamon yogurt sorbet
and fresh figs.

On one side is half the dessert,

and then reflecting the plating
on the other side with the other half.

And then I want to add in smoke flavors,
taking the brief to the next level.

This is the honey cake.

I'm trying to stick with flavors
that I know go together.

So, fig goes well with honey.

I've often received feedback
about flavors being a bit complicated,

and to try and pare it down,
so that's what I'm gonna try today.

Is that the perfect pear
that you're paring?

Yes, I am preparing
the perfect pear today.

[laughs]

For my Sweet Sensation Task today,
I am making Pear-fect.

It's a pear, but not as it seems.

It's made of pear mousse
coated with a shiny mirror glaze,

sitting on a rosemary-walnut biscuit
with blue cheese ganache.

I'm gonna add lemon and thyme granita
around the base.

And pour my liquid nitrogen onto it.

And then I'll have smoke.

Now, I'm working on my pear jelly inserts.

To enhance the pear flavor,
I'm gonna make pear jelly inserts

that will go into my pear mousse.

So, I've got pear juice, sugar, agar-agar
and some lemon juice in here.

I wanna show the judges flavors
that you normally don't see on a dessert.

Like, who has blue cheese
in their dessert?

I'm not gonna play it safe today.

So, I've taken my gel,
I've given it a quick blitz,

and I'm gonna put that in my molds
and then freeze it.

[Catherine] I've put my baked
lemon cheesecake into the oven,

and I move on to making my sugar cylinder,

which is one of the most important parts
of my dessert.

My sugar is getting there.

The sugar is the part
I'm most worried about.

I just hope it goes right.

The most difficult part of the cylinder

is getting a really thin shell
around it.

Try to concentrate on this
'cause it's the most important bit for me.

Too thick, I can't put it on there.

But then, if it's too thin and it cracks,
then I can't get it on there either.

Really getting that right is important.

Otherwise, I could be out of the running
for that Golden Ticket.

Ooh, nearly put it on Simon's thing.

This is the honey cake.
I'm gonna roll it out.

Kind of like you would gingerbread.

I roll it out thinly,

and then I bake those off
into a crisp.

Now, it's time to move onto the sorbet.

This is the base for the smoked cinnamon
yogurt sorbet.

I'm hoping that I've really
interpreted the brief well today.

The idea of smoking the yogurt sorbet
is a little bit different.

I'm going to grate some cinnamon quill.

Put that in the smoking gun.

You pop the little wood chips in the top,
light it,

and let that smoke flavor
get into the yogurt.

I'll leave this just to
infuse for a little bit,

uh, and then check the flavor.

Smoking adds a bitterness,

so I need to try and make sure that
I don't overdo it.

I'm just gonna be making my granita.

It's a flavored ice.

This case, I've got lemon and thyme.

Mmm, that smells good.

I have very savory flavors in my dessert.
They're very risky.

But it's for the Golden Ticket,
so I gotta take that risk.

So, I'll just take these sprigs out.

I'll need to freeze it down as fast
as I can, then I'm gonna break it up.

It's gonna come out
nice and fluffy like snow.

Like it's smoking. [chuckles]

-Ooh. Wait, wait, wait.
-Yep.

Thank you.

[Catherine] I'm feeling a little bit
nervous about my sugar cylinders.

I need them to work

because it's my whole
smoke and mirrors element.

They look great now,

but you really don't know
until you take them out of the molds.

Please work. Okay.

I've made three sugar cylinders.

Because this is such delicate work,
you really just gotta have backups.

I need this to work.

It's got some cracks, but it looks okay.

[sighs and laughs]

I think it's gonna work out.
I think everything will be okay.

But it's not over,
I've got to cut out the top.

[chuckles]

I heat up some metal cookie cutters
with a blowtorch.

And then I use that to cut out the hole
from the top of the cylinder.

My gosh.

Anything could go wrong.

And I'm so worried about
that sugar cylinder not working.

Just this one corner.

[shatters]

The first cylinder cracks.

Not great, but I've got two more.

This one looks okay, so far.

[cracks]

The second one cracks.

[groans]

It's okay. I have one more. [chuckles]

This is difficult, because
without the sugared cylinder...

I've gotta make this as hot as possible.

...my dessert's not going to work.

Ooh.

That means me not getting
that Golden Ticket.

[gasps]

This is a really big disaster for me.

I did work really hard
on trying to get it to work.

And I really don't know
what to do right now.

I'm gonna have to
rethink my whole dessert.

Okay, Zumbo, smoke and mirrors?

Simon, Catherine and Jeff are all
battling it out to be in the Zumbo Test.

Simon, I think, is really taking a risk.

He's doing a pear mousse

with blue cheese,
white chocolate ganache.

[Zumbo] I think it's a great flavor.

But I think it's a lot about
selection of blue cheese,

'cause there's so many different types.

You have to pick the right cheese.

You know, I think,
I like to use a Dolce cheese,

which is a sweeter blue cheese.

Picking the right cheese
is gonna be key to this.

I'm runnin' with these flavors
because the judges thought

I was playing it safe,

and I wanna come back to
that place where I wasn't playing it safe.

There's a lot of flavors in my dessert
and it's a risk.

It's gonna be tricky to balance them out.

I'll need to get this flavor right.

Blue cheese is, like,
a very strong flavor.

And I wanna try and mellow it down.

I don't want it to be really strong,
'cause it's just gonna ruin my whole dish.

I might just add some more cream to it.

[whirring]

This is the raspberry fluid gel.

I start mixing it with agar-agar.

Add a bit of lemon juice, a little bit
of vanilla just to round out the flavor.

And I blitz it all up.

Raspberry's a flavor
that goes well with figs.

To get a nice, smooth consistency,

I put it into a vacuum-seal bag
and suck all the air out.

Air bubbles makes it cloudy.
This makes it look clearer.

Here we go.

And that'll be ready
to pipe onto the plate.

[Catherine] I can feel that Golden Ticket
slipping away.

My sugar cylinder was an epic fail,

so I have to think of
another plan quickly.

So, I'm making my grapefruit sorbet now.

I'm thinking of a plan B.

I'm gonna use all the same elements
and make a frozen pond.

Whatever it takes,
I'm going to save this dessert.

I know I can make this good,
and it fits the brief.

There will be a grapefruit sorbet.

Grapefruits are a little bit bitter,
and I feel like that goes well

with the creamy texture of the cheesecake.

The smoke element will be dry ice
creating, like, a vapor,

so it will look like a frozen pond.

I can still make this just as amazing.

If I can do that,
it really shows the judges

that I deserve to be here.

As I've been doing this competition,
I realized how much it means to me.

I started to realize if I try hard enough,
I could probably make a career out of it.

If I've gotten this far,
why can't I go further?

I think I can win. [chuckles]

The honey cake is out of the oven
and I've got my cream filling ready.

Now, I need to assemble it.

I layer it all up,
pipe in the cream filling.

I'm really focused today.

I know what I have to do,
and I know how I go about it.

I'm not gonna let anything faze me.

[Simon] The granita's solid.

So, I got my granita out.

I want to turn my granita into snow.

Happy with that.

It's gonna give off this steam effect.

The way to do that
is using liquid nitrogen.

The nutty afro professor. [chuckles]

This is the first time I've used this.

Let's have some fun, eh?

So, I'm trying to
shock freeze the granita.

I want it all to freeze in there.

Oh, my gosh.

This is cool, man!

-[both chuckle]
-[Simon] Far out!

It's solid. Literally, in seconds.

[pulsating]

So, I want it to turn into snow.

It's a really cool effect.

So, this is the smoke element
of my dessert.

I'm getting excited. Like, wow!

Yeah, look at that.

Whoo!

This is a good opportunity
to bring out the big guns

and put a show on.

It's snowing!

I'm feeling confident.

All right. Now I put this in the freezer,
so I can use it to, um, plate up.

I wanna get into that Grand Final.

Come on! I can do it. [chuckles]

Thirty minutes left.
Make it special.

Make some rocks.

I cut different shapes of cheesecake.

They're going to look like
rocks and pebbles.

It's like the rocks on the steaming pond.

They're gonna have a chocolate glaze
with silver luster.

I really gotta nail that mirror element
in my dessert,

if I want to fight it out
for that Golden Ticket.

[Simon] Yay! They look good.

My pears look great.

Nice and hard. They're ready to be glazed.

So, this is my mirror glaze.

This is gonna be my mirror effect
on my dessert.

I can't really see my face, but, you know,
it's got that nice shine about it.

I'm gonna airbrush my pears
to just get that realistic look.

[hissing]

I think I've pulled it off.
It looks good. Yeah.

This is quite an important part
of my dish.

This is an isomalt shard.

And I wanna make it look like a mirror.

Isomalt is like sugar,
but it's not as sweet.

I wanna see if I can get it
as fine as possible.

I want it to be like
a little thin pane of glass.

But it still needs to be thick enough
to hold the silver foil as well.

I push it out thinly, and once it's cool,
I then go to check it.

Ah, too thin.

It's way too fine.
There's almost nothing to it.

So, I have to do another one.

[Catherine] So, I'm plating up now.

I really try to leave time
for presentation,

but I'm feeling very rushed.

Hopefully, it'll be enough.
Yeah, I'm a bit nervous.

'Cause I look at Simon's
and it looks amazing.

[Simon] I'm feeling confident.
The pear looks great.

I'm getting all my components
onto my plate.

And now it's time for the granita,
which is gonna be my smoke effect.

I just wanna put some of this in.

[sighs]

Oh!

It seems to not be vaping, you know.
Like, there's no smoke coming out of it.

Like, it's supposed to, like, poof.

But it's not doing that.

All I got now is snow.

[groans]

I'm in trouble now.

It's not working.

This could be an absolute disaster.

If I don't have smoke, I've failed.

Five minutes to go.
You're almost there.

[Jeff] I need to get onto plating,

but I've really gotta get
this shard of isomalt right.

Oh, come on.

The isomalt's just breaking.
I want a bigger shard.

If I can't get the isomalt on the plate,
I know that I'll get marked down.

Without a mirror,
it's just smoke, you know.

[Simon] Right now,
I really need to plate this up.

I have all my components on my plate,

but there's no smoke effect
in my dessert.

It's gone.

And this is my first time
doing liquid nitrogen,

and at this stage,
I'm not sure how to fix that.

So, if there's no smoke,
I missed the brief.

[Jeff] I can't just keep on trying this.

I think I've just got to go with it.

It's the size that I need,
so I'm just gonna run with it.

And then I've got to get
edible silver foil onto it.

This is almost impossible to deal with.

This mirror aspect is the biggest part
of the smoke and mirrors.

It also is going to add some height
and drama to the plate.

Come on, plate it.

[Zumbo] Two minutes left, dessert makers.

[Catherine] My frozen pond
is coming together.

I really got to make it look good

because I've got comments
on my presentation in the past.

It was tough changing my mind
in the last minute,

but, you know, it had to be done.

I've gotta finesse it. Make sure that
I don't just make a big mess.

Oops, like that.

Just one minute left. One minute.

I've gotta come up with a plan B.
I can't serve this without smoke.

I gotta think fast on my feet.

I can still use it.

Like, I put some dry ice onto the plate.

That's the only way I could do it.

Dry ice could save me.

[judges] Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three,

-two, one...
-[steam whistle blows]

Time's up, guys. Well done.

[Jeff] I'm happy with the colors.

You know, there's some lovely flavors
in there.

I think it looks pretty good.

[Simon] I'm very disappointed
that my granita didn't work out.

[inhales sharply] I just hope my dish
is good enough

for the Golden Ticket to the Grand Final.

[Khoo] Jeff, will you please
bring us your dessert?

[Jeff] I'm happy with my dessert.

I really feel like
I've interpreted the brief well,

and I'm hoping they'll see that.

[Khoo] Jeff, you made
a mirrored honey cake,

with smoked cinnamon yogurt sorbet
and fresh figs.

Jeff, I really loved your presentation.

-I thought it was very clever...
-Thank you.

...how you did this mirrored effect
of your dessert.

I really enjoyed your honey cake
with, uh, the cream.

With the yogurt cinnamon smokiness...

I, um, I don't know,
I wasn't getting enough smokiness.

But, overall, I think
you're showing more confidence,

like, I'm gonna stick to few key flavors,
and I'm gonna go for that.

And that's paid off.

Great. Thank you.

Jeff, today you really hit it back nicely.

For me, this is probably
your dish of the competition so far.

-Thank you.
-And I think it's, uh,

it's light, it's subtle.

The honey cake and the mascarpone filling,
I think it's delicious.

Oh, good.

I think you've really stepped up.
I'd love to see more of this.

-Uh, so, well done.
-Thank you.

I'm really confident that I'll get through
to the next challenge.

Isn't it amazing how things change?

Here I am, hoping that
I'm gonna get into a Zumbo Test.

Catherine, pop on over.

[Catherine] The smoke is the frozen pond,
so there's smoke coming off it.

And the rocks, uh,
got a bit of silver on them,

so they're, like, shining in the pond.

I came up with this plan B really quickly,
so I hope I've done enough.

Catherine, I really enjoyed the flavors.

That sorbet was just so fresh and vibrant.

You got fantastic textures and flavors.

They're really in balance.

But for me... [sighs]

I'm not feeling the mirror
and the smokiness.

After everything that I went through,
those weren't the words I wanted to hear.

Catherine...

I actually liked
your interpretation of it,

-like, smoke coming out the bottom.
-[chuckles] Yay.

Grapefruit is one of my favorite flavors.

-[laughs]
-[Zumbo] It's, uh, it's delicious.

Reflection, you could've done
a little bit more.

-Mmm-hmm.
-But, flavors, textures,

color, presentation,
I thought it was beautiful.

[giggles] Thank you.

I'm so happy that Zumbo liked my dessert,

but now the judges are divided.

I've got everything crossed that I've done
enough to get into that Zumbo Test.

Simon, please bring up your creation.

[Simon] I think I've rescued
my smoky effect.

I've nailed the mirror effect.

Now, it just comes down to my flavors.

It's bold flavors that I'm using today.
It's all in their hands.

Please be good to me.

And please love the blue cheese.

How did you incorporate smoke
into your dessert?

I quickly thought of using dry ice.

Yeah.

And what kind of blue cheese did you use?

I used Gorgonzola blue cheese.

I'm hoping this blue cheese works,
because that was a risky business.

[Khoo] I must say...

-I really enjoyed the blue cheese.
-No way.

-Yeah. It was a nice little surprise.
-[laughs]

It really came alive
when you ate everything together.

That little bit of saltiness,
that bit of tang.

-So, risky move...
-Yes, very risky.

But, for me, it paid off.

Thank you.

Simon, beautiful-looking dessert.

Real stunning, beautiful colors,
elegantly plated.

But then...

-you kinda lost the pear.
-[groans]

-It's very subtle.
-You've got some strong flavors there.

Yeah.

-It's a great dessert.
-[Simon] Mmm.

I just felt the blue cheese
was just a little bit too intense for me.

[Simon] Both judges have
different thoughts on my dish.

So, I'm hoping I still have a chance
of getting into the Zumbo Test.

Two of you will be going through
to the Zumbo Test,

to fight it out for a guaranteed spot
in the Grand Final.

[softly] Cool.

-[Jeff] Uh-oh.
-[chuckles]

So, the first person with a chance
to grab that Golden Ticket is...

Jeff.

Oh, great.

-[Simon] Wow.
-[Catherine laughs]

Congratulations, man.

[chuckles]

[Zumbo] Jeff, you know,
I really liked the story you put on there.

Flavors went really well.

You've really come through
at the right time.

Thank you. Means a lot to me.

I'm really happy with myself.

And my family would be so stoked
if I could make it to the Grand Final.

-Phew.
-[Catherine chuckling]

Now, that leaves Catherine and Simon.

[giggling]

Who will be joining Jeff
in the Zumbo Test,

to fight for an express pass
to the Grand Final?

[Catherine] I'm really nervous.
I don't know if I've done enough.

[Simon] I want them to say my name.

[groans]

The dessert maker
going into the Zumbo Test is...

Catherine.

-Oh, wow. Congratulations.
-Thank you.

[Zumbo] Catherine, I really loved
your flavors today in your dish.

I really think you should just

-lift your desserts to that next level.
-Yeah.

I'm so happy I'm one step closer
to that Golden Ticket.

Simon, it's not over for you yet.

[chuckles]

You still have one more chance
to secure a place in the Grand Final.

-Mmm.
-[Khoo] But for now,

you'll be a spectator. Please take a seat.

Thanks.

Good luck, guys.

I can't believe it, I missed out.

But I still got one more chance,
so it's not over for me yet.

Catherine and Jeff,

under this dome
is one of Zumbo's original creations.

Instead of the cloche this time,
there's a barbecue.

[Jeff] What on earth could it be?

Conquer this dessert,
and you'll snatch that Golden Ticket

and go straight into the Grand Final.

-Zumbo?
-Well, as the old saying goes...

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

[Simon] Oh!

-Oh, my goodness.
-[laughs]

And for this test,
I wanna heat things up.

Oh, you're kidding.

Whoa!

[Catherine chuckles nervously]

I see my dinner. [laughs]

-Wow! Amazing!
-[chuckles]

I call this one Time for a Grilling.

-[laughs]
-[Catherine] Oh.

We're thinking desserts,
but we're looking at a barbecue dinner.

This is crazy.

It's a dessert in disguise.

-[Simon] Yeah.
-[Catherine] Yeah.

Ah!

[Zumbo] All smoke and mirrors, right?

-[Khoo] Fantastic.
-[Zumbo] What you see

is not really what you get.

We have the tomato
which is a tomato jelly,

and a strawberry compote.

And then a burnt vanilla cream.

And the corn is a salted popcorn mousse
with a pineapple compote,

Manchego cheese,
and then sprayed with a butter spray.

The potato is a version of Mont Blanc.

It's meringue flavored with lime
and passion fruit,

vanilla cream and with a candied chestnut
in the center.

-Lucky last, chicken leg...
-[chuckles]

...is a salted caramel
and chicken jus mousse

with, uh, coconut and hazelnut
crunchy namelaka, soft ganache.

Oh, my gosh.

All right, guys. Give it a taste
and tell us what you think.

[Catherine] Oh, man.

It tastes like chicken.

[sighs]

-The whole thing just blows my mind.
-[Khoo chuckles]

I really wanna see realistic stuff.

-Okay, so you've got to...
-[Catherine] Mmm-hmm.

-...pay extra attention to the detail...
-[Catherine] Mmm.

...on the finishing.

[Jeff] It's like cooking four desserts.

But I know that if I break it down
into its individual components,

that I can master this.

Catherine and Jeff, your recipes
are on your benches.

Take to your stations.

Whoo-hoo!

[Catherine] I'm definitely feeling nervous
going up against Jeff.

He has so much more experience.

It's gonna be a tough battle.

You have three-and-a-half hours
on the Factory Clock.

-Good luck, guys. And make some magic.
-[chuckles nervously]

Your time starts now.

[Jeff] Catherine is the youngest person
in the competition.

She is an amazing dessert maker,

but my experience
is a huge advantage as well.

You know, I really want
that Golden Ticket.

So, it's my very first Zumbo Test.

I'm a bit nervous,
but, you know, I can do it.

First thing I do
is work on the coconut sponge.

That's gonna be in all the elements.

I guess I am a pretty fast worker,
you know, just go, like, faster.

And make sure everything is perfect.

[Jeff] I've done some good sponges before,
so I'm just gonna...

do that again, hopefully.

I know I can deliver Zumbo's dessert
in the time frame

and make sure every element is good.

I really want this more than anything.

The sponge looks beautiful.

I'm gonna quickly get it into the oven,
and move onto my meringue.

[Catherine] My sponge is done.
It looks great.

The right thickness of sponge
is really important in the dessert.

I don't want too thick, too thin.

Jeff is obviously a lot older than me,
and got the techniques up his sleeve,

but I'm very competitive
and I definitely want that Golden Ticket.

[Simon cheering and clapping]

Really exciting. There's a Golden Ticket
to the Grand Final up for grabs here.

We have two amazing dessert makers.

-Jeff, the experience, the wisdom of age.
-[Zumbo chuckles]

[Jeff] I'm trying to be methodical
and keeping track of where I'm at,

and what I've done, and what I need to do.

And then, Catherine.
You know, she's got that youthful energy.

Now, these are tomatoes, not potatoes.

I mean, these are strawberries.
See, oh, my gosh. [groans]

Yeah, totally. It's like chalk and cheese,
all right. It's, uh, complete opposites.

[Catherine] I take my sponge
out of the oven.

How's it looking, Catherine?

I don't know. It looks really brown,
but it's really soft.

That sponge is in every single element.

It's gonna stick. Ooh, ooh, ooh.

It's very soft. And I can't have
a mushy sponge.

We'll leave it for now.

-Is your sponge undercooked?
-[Catherine] It's just soft.

-[Jeff] All right.
-Is yours okay?

[Jeff] Yep. Perfect.

-Perfect? Gosh!
-[Jeff chuckles]

That sponge could really be the one thing
that sets me and Jeff apart.

[sighs]

[Zumbo] One and a half hours to go.
You're halfway there.

Big contest here today.

One of these guys is gonna take
that Golden Ticket,

which will take them
straight to the Grand Final.

-And the other...
-[Catherine] Ooh.

...will have to fight it out with Simon
for that last place in that Grand Final.

Tough competition.

Just gotta get a move on.

It's neck and neck at the moment.

So, it'll be interesting
who comes out front.

Time to start on this salted caramel
chicken jus mousse

for the chicken drumstick.

I've used lots of quirky ingredients,

but never anything as quirky as
chicken jus in a dessert.

Zumbo's the master.
I'm just trusting him on this one.

If there was too much chicken jus
in there, it would taste fowl. [chuckles]

Hey, Catherine, how are ya?
What's happenin'?

I'm just trying to get everything done
as fast as I can.

So, have you made your coconut sponge?

Yes, it's over there.
It's looking a bit soft.

Like, I'm happy with it.
Except, I'm just a little bit worried.

Like, it's looking a bit soft and sticky.

-Right there.
-Yeah.

I think I might've underbaked it
a little bit.

I really want everything
in this Zumbo Test to be 100%.

I was thinking of remaking it. [sighs]

Well, how much do you want
this Golden Ticket?

This sponge cake
could really be the difference

between whether
I get that Golden Ticket or not.

[Zumbo] Work smart, work fast, yeah?

I'm just gonna take the chance
and make another one.

Making a second sponge
is definitely gonna set me back on time

because I can't assemble anything
until it's fully cooked.

It's really got to be good.

Every single element
has that sponge in it.

It's very competitive right now.
Gotta win this.

One hour to go, dessert makers.
Just one hour.

[Jeff] For my potato, I need vanilla
Chantilly cream, coconut sponge...

I really need to focus.

...passion fruit lime meringue...

It's gonna take a perfect dessert
to win this Zumbo Test.

And that's it.

[chuckles]

[whirring]

That looks good and tastes good.
Done.

Construction time.

Now, I need to assemble it in the mold.

Sponge for the potato.

I start with the largest first.

These are
gonna take the longest to freeze.

We gotta put vanilla Chantilly
on the sponge.

I put some chestnut puree on the meringue,

add some chopped-up chestnuts,
pop it in the mold.

Definitely gotta pace it up.

I pop this into the blast chiller,
and then move onto the corn.

The test is going to be won
on being mentally on the ball.

I'm definitely up for the challenge.

But the corn comes together quite easily.

I'm tracking along well.

I really want to win this.
There's no prize for second place.

[Catherine] It looks good.

I'm super happy that my second sponge cake
has worked out.

But I don't have much time left.

I start making my first mold
for my chicken drumstick.

It looks delicious.

It's, um, very important
that you get every layer perfect.

Doesn't look too bad.

For the tomato, we've got the tomato
and berry cream.

We've got the strawberries
and the jelly on the top.

I wanna make sure
they get good contact on the sides.

They are sitting up quite high.

But I just move on.

Jeff's looking like
he's smashing it in the kitchen today.

Way to go, Jeff!
He really wants this Golden Ticket.

Uh, I need to get my potato
into the blast chiller as soon as I can,

so I'm just gonna work
as quickly as I can.

My potato is still
not in the blast chiller.

I'm a little bit concerned it won't set,
but, um, doing what I can now.

If the potato doesn't set in time,
I'm going to have mash potato.

Ooh.

Catherine's looking a little bit frantic,
little bit rushed.

Chestnut cream.

Go, go, go. Come on, Catherine,
get it in the blast chiller.

Where's my piece of paper
with all the diagrams?

I wonder whether Catherine's inexperience

of not being in a Zumbo Test
is kinda showing.

Could be a little bit of a downfall today.

Okay, done.

Go, Catherine! Whoo! [applauding]

Hopefully, it sets on time.

Jeff's taking his molds
out of the blast chiller,

and I just got mine in. [chuckles]

Corn on the cob, anybody?

Now comes the fun part, presentation.

Here we go.

To finish the corn, I need to spray it
with a hot cocoa butter.

This is exciting to see this
all come together.

With the chicken,
I baste it with a ponzu glaze.

Look at that.

Looks like a drumstick to me.

Fifteen minutes left, just 15 minutes.

[Catherine] I'm a little bit behind.

Just wanna give this
a little bit of a shape.

Tomatoes aren't perfectly round.

Just making sure they're nice and tidy.

I've just tried the first tomato, and so
I use this to patch up the second tomato.

I'm just chopping little bits of this off
just to make sure that it's really smooth

around the jelly.

I can't afford to have an oozing tomato.

[Catherine] I am moving the fastest
I've ever moved in my life.

It's fine.

I haven't left enough time
for presentation.

[Simon] Whoo-hoo! Let's go, guys!

[Catherine] I want it to look realistic.

There's not much time left on the clock.

My potato seems pretty solid.

Hot potato!

[Catherine exclaims]

How's it look?

Not quite ready.

-Quick, quick, quick.
-[Catherine] My potato's not set.

I'm very stressed. [chuckles nervously]

Five minutes to go.

It's your last chance
for the Golden Ticket.

-Looks good.
-[Zumbo] One minute left.

[Catherine] Yeah, it looks good.

Let's get that potato on, Catherine.

[judges and Simon] Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four,

-three, two, one...
-[Khoo] Time's up, guys.

-[steam whistle blows]
-[Khoo] Well done!

-Whoo!
-[judges and Simon applauding]

-Whoa.
-[Simon] Yeah!

[sighs]

[Simon] Well done.

Well, uh, that was a cook and a half.
[chuckles] Or two, or four.

Four different desserts.

And it looks almost as good as Zumbo's.

I'd love to get that Golden Ticket.

Catherine and Jeff, would you please
bring up your desserts?

[Catherine] Jeff's dessert looks amazing.

He's even got charcoal marks on the corn.

[Jeff] Catherine's presentation,
it's really impressive.

And I'm pretty sure
that it's a really close race.

Catherine and Jeff, one of you
will be our first grand finalist.

[exclaims]

[Khoo] Jeff,
we'll taste your dessert first.

[Jeff] They're really inspecting
every single element of the dessert.

[whispers] Look what you have in here,
in the chocolate layer.

-Yeah, I want this.
-Okay.

[Jeff] I'm so nervous.

I know for sure that it's gonna be
the small details

that will be the difference between
winning and losing this test.

Catherine, we'll try your dessert now.

[Catherine] I'm really worried right now.

They keep, like, tasting it,
and then having a little whisper.

And then they look at it
really, really closely.

This is the most nerve-wracking part
of the entire cook.

I want it to be perfect and I just
really want that Golden Ticket.

Catherine and Jeff, you both fought hard

in what's proven to be
a very tight contest...

but only one of you will score
this Golden Ticket to the Grand Final.

[inhales and exhales sharply]

It's time to critique your desserts,
and score them out of ten.

I have to say, it hasn't been easy.

Jeff, I really liked the attention
to detail you did with your presentation.

You managed to brush on

-that charcoal marks on the corn.
-Thank you.

You had lovely flavors in your cakes,
and great textures.

However, the tomato.

I don't know what happened with the
jelly layer, 'cause it was slightly oozy,

which is unfortunate, 'cause that spoiled
the look of your tomato.

And in your baked potato,
I struggled to find that meringue layer.

Really, the tiny things we're picking out
at the moment. It's like splitting hairs.

-Well done. You did such a fantastic job.
-Thank you.

Jeff, I really loved
your presentation today.

You really put some detail in,
especially that corn.

Chicken drumstick was amazing.

The only problem I had was the tomato.

Didn't have that smooth finish.
It looked a little bit odd-shaped.

But, overall,

-I think you did an amazing job today.
-Thank you.

What a day for barbecuing, eh?

-[all laughing]
-Oh, yes.

It's really encouraging.

If I could make it to the Grand Final,
that would be such a dream come true.

Catherine, first time in the Zumbo Test.

Your presentation was spot on.

I really loved the light, airy textures
you had going on in your baked potato.

The sponge...

-Good job on doing that, again.
-[Catherine chuckles]

-That made your dessert so much better.
-Yep.

You got some beautiful layers
going on in your tomato cake.

It was very neat.

But unfortunately, the crunchy hazelnut
soft ganache layer in your drumstick

was a little bit too thin.

It just needed a tad more.

[Zumbo] Catherine...

I think today, uh,
you put in a good fight.

Your baked potato was delicious.

The textures in there were on point.

Your corn was just missing
those char marks.

It would've added
that extra depth in presentation.

It's really just the little things now.

That really could cost me.

Overall, you put in a massive effort,

-and a fantastic dessert.
-[Catherine chuckles]

Thank you so much.

It's gonna be really, really tight.

Now, to our all important scores
that will decide our Golden Ticket winner.

I have to say,
you've both done an amazing job.

Jeff, for your dessert, I score you...

an eight.

Thank you.

Jeff, for your dessert, I score you...

a nine.

-[gasps]
-Thank you.

Wow! [chuckles]

[Jeff] A nine, especially from Zumbo
himself, is a great success.

Jeff, that gives you a total score
of 17 out of 20.

-Well done.
-Thank you. Thank you.

[softly] My gosh.

I'm fairly sure
Jeff's got this in the bag.

Catherine...

for your dessert, I score you...

a nine.

Whoa!

Catherine, for your dessert,
I score you...

a nine.

No way! [laughs]

-Well done.
-Thank you. You did well, too.

[inhales and exhales deeply]

Catherine, that gives you a total score
of 18 out of 20.

That is the higher score. Congratulations.

-Yay!
-[chuckles]

-Yay! You're through to the Grand Final.
-Yes. [chuckles]

I can't believe
that this has happened to me.

I never thought
that I would make it this far,

and I'm there.

Catherine...

[laughs]

-I think this belongs to you.
-[Catherine] Thank you.

-Congratulations.
-Thank you, so much. Thank you.

-Yay!
-[all laughing]

Got a Golden Ticket. [laughs]

Jeff, it's not over for you quite yet.

There's still one spot in the Grand Final
up for grabs.

[Jeff] I'm feeling disappointed,
but Catherine really knows her stuff.

And for someone so young,
I'm really impressed with her.

The next time we meet,

-you'll be up against Simon.
-[Jeff chuckles]

And battle it out for the remaining spot
in the Grand Final.

-Are you ready for it?
-Sure I am.

-[chuckles] Bring it on.
-[all chuckle]

Until then,
may all your sweet dreams come true.