ANNOUNCER: Previously on MasterChef Australia, a cooking free-for-all... You can cook whatever want. ..produced some of the best food of the season. Reynold impressed with his dessert... Look at that! ..but he couldn't match Jessica for flavour... That is gorgeous. I mean, that's what food's meant to do. ..and she won a big advantage. It's just the most amazing feeling in the world. Tonight, it's the ultimate gesture of trust... Today, I'm handing the Press Club keys over. ..in the most important cook of the season. The winning dish today puts their maker into the semi-final. Then move it! Come on! Let's go! With the boss prowling the pass... Energy now, not later! ..our contestants must each re-create an elaborate George Calombaris classic... It's an absolute monster. ..for a room full of VIPs. Are you going to get there? Uh...don't know. This is a challenge that will change everything... I can't cook everything and plate everything. ..with the winner going through to the semis. Which one of you is safe and who is going into elimination? # Burning up # in my heart # like a flame, # like the brightest shooting star. # In our souls, # we all know our dreams make us who we are. # Burning up # in my heart # like a flame, # like the brightest shooting star. Supertext Captions by Ericsson. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Able 2016 REYNOLD: As we're walking up around the corner, I look to my left and there's The Press Club. The Press Club is one of the most acclaimed restaurants in Australia. It's going to be a tough day today. It's not going to be easy. And the further we get down there, I can see the Press Club Projects. JESSICA: I'm really excited for today. I'm always nervous going into these things. That feeling never goes away. Welcome, guys. Good morning. Hello. Welcome, welcome. But I'm so happy that I have an advantage and I'm going to try and use it to the best of my ability. Welcome to The Press Club, or more specifically, Press Club Projects. This is my little test kitchen. This is where I dream to be brave. In this very kitchen, this is where we test every single idea, concept, dish before it goes into The Press Club. So we'll test, we'll taste, we'll eat and when we're happy, it ends up on the menu next door. And in case you haven't guessed, today I'm handing the Press Club keys over. GEORGIA: My heart literally stops and I kind of feel like I want to faint and throw up all at the same time. This is terrifying. Today, you're cooking in my baby... ..The Press Club. You're cooking my food in my kitchen for 35 of the best chefs and the best restaurateurs in this country. There's no doubt about it, they're going to be a tough audience, and the pressure's on. But I'm going to be in there with you, pushing you every step of the way. BILLIE: I think today's challenge is definitely going to be the toughest so far. We're taking over The Press Club and if that's not scary enough, cooking for those 35 top chefs, top restaurateurs, that just makes the whole challenge way more harder. You have no idea the quality of chefs and restaurateurs that will be sitting down and eating your food. His reputation is absolutely on the line. If you produce the best dish, if you're the best performer in the kitchen today, then you go straight through to the semi-finals. That means you're only one step away from the big prize, and that's MasterChef 2015. JESSICA: That is absolutely massive. It's starting to sink in that it's that close now, so I really want to win today. However, if you get it wrong today, for three of you, you will go straight into tomorrow's elimination and one of you will leave the competition. So, today you'll be cooking a four-course menu. All of those dishes are on the current Press Club menu. Each one of you will be responsible for one course each. Right. Course one... ..is a monochrome, a Green Greek Salad. So it's all things green, but done in a style of a Greek salad. With that, you'll be making one of the breads. This is a tsoureki bread. A traditional Greek Easter bread. Course two, The Whiting That Wants To Be Lamb Tzatziki. So whiting cooked in lamb fat, a little compressed and charred cucumber. Yoghurt. Fermented black garlic. And whoever gets this course will also be cooking the second bread. This is a treacle bread and this recipe has been given to me by Sat Bains. BILLIE: I want to stay as far away from that fish as I can because I had to do so much fish in that Marco service challenge and, um, it really eats up your prep time. Final savoury course. Devil's Footsteps. Now, the idea is that wherever the devil walked, onions and leeks grew. Matt gave me that story. Now to the dish. On here, we've got a whole roasted onion. We've got onion soubise, onion puree, a potato fondant cooked in the juice of shallots. We've got a leek, but that leek's been stuffed with chicken. And then a straight onion ring. Now, we need a little bit of meat to go with our vegetables, yeah? Can't go to a Greek restaurant without having a barbecue and without having lamb. A lamb kalamaki - lamb belly, lamb sweetbreads, a sheftalia, which is a traditional Cypriot patty. Barbecued and then obviously served on the plate at the table. JESSICA: I'm looking at that lamb dish and there are so many elements on there. I know that the actual time management today is going to be super important. And then finally, dessert. Creme Brulee a la Greque. So this is our version of a creme brulee. Underneath that, we've got a little fennel seed sponge. We've got mascarpone cream, Caramelia mousse. We've got star-anise cream. GEORGIA: Wow! And also a little Commandaria snow. Commandaria is a traditional Cypriot brandy, OK? And we cook that in liquid nitrogen. Wow. And there you go. Right. So there you have it. They're the four dishes that you're going to have to produce today for 35 VIPs. Now, Jessica, you won an advantage yesterday, alright, so your advantage is a beauty. You get to pick which course you want to prepare, cook and plate up. JESSICA: I'm really torn, looking at the dishes. They all look really difficult. I'm tossing up between the fish and the lamb dishes. What's it going to be? Um, I think I'm going to go with the lamb. Excellent. It's your type of flavours. Yeah. I think that's where my instinctual cooking, I think that's probably where I'm best. I think the key is too you've got to enjoy what you're doing, so I reckon that's a great choice. If you think you're going to love that, then go for your life. That's the one I want to eat the most. Brilliant stuff. Well, Jessica's made her choice. That leaves the three of you. So the way we going to pick who's going to cook what is obviously a MasterChef knife pull. These knives are numbered one through to three. If you pick number one, you get first choice. Easy? Yeah. Who wants to go first? Go for it, Billie. Two. OK. So you get second choice. Ah, Georgia gets first pick. This is the first time in a MasterChef knife pull that I've pulled number one. I'm pretty happy about it. Reynold. Obviously you get to go last. I really wanted the dessert and I'm really hoping that Georgia is going to pick fish. I mean, she's really good at fish. Or Billie. Though, she's had experience from that Marco challenge, so fingers crossed that it's going to be, for me, dessert. So, Georgia, what's it going to be? I think I'm going to go with the Green Greek Salad. OK. Brilliant. Reason? Um, I just think it's beautiful and I really want to taste it as well. Pressure's on because you're first dish into the dining room. Yeah. Absolutely. Um, Billie, you picked number two, so you get to go next. I'm going to do the dessert. Whoa. Interesting. Not because Reynold is amazing at it and I don't want him to do it. It's because I did the fish in that Marco challenge and it was... mental. Reynold, that means that you're doing the Whiting That Wants To Be A Lamb Tzatziki. Should be alright. Um, I'll give it a crack. I'm really worried about making this second course. Fish isn't really a strength of mine. I love to eat it, but I'm not really good with filleting at all and whiting is a fish that I'm really unfamiliar with. So, all the dishes are picked. We must be getting excited. So, I'm sure you want to know the rules now. You have 4.5 hours of preparation before service starts. Now, remember, we are feeding 35 VIPs - chefs and restaurateurs. Myself and Matt will be tasting your food. The winning dish today, don't forget, puts their maker into the semi-final. That's what you're fighting for today. If, however, you are one of the other three you're going into the pressure test tomorrow and from there, one of you is going home. All clear? Right. You ready? You pumped? You better be. You better be a little nervous. You're holding The Press Club and George's reputation in your hands. George, lead them away. Let's do it, guys. Come on. GEORGIA: I'd absolutely love to be the person who's safe today, but to be honest, my biggest focus is just doing the dish that I have to cook proud, doing George proud and getting through this challenge well. Alright, guys. That's it. The clock has started, yeah? So, you've got a dish in front of you that you're cooking. Taste it, look at it. Read the recipe and then let's start, yeah? And I mean start. Go like the clappers. Do you understand me? ALL: Yes, George. Excellent. The first thing I do is read through my recipe. I want to know clearly what I need to do. You've had a quick scan of the recipe. What are you going to start on first? I'm starting on the anise cream and then while that's heating up, I'll start on the caramel tuile. OK. Good. Yeah. So, have a strategy, obviously, but in your head, go, "OK, I've got to get that on "and get this on and get that on and do that." This isn't an ordinary creme brulee. There are three different types of creams. There's a sponge, a tuile, and you use liquid nitrogen, so it's very different to a standard brulee. JESSICA: The Press Club kitchen is beautiful. It's laid out amazingly. We all have our own section to work in. We've all got our own stove, which is amazing because normally we're jammed into a little corner, sharing one little bench together. What's your plan of attack? I'm going to get the lamb in first. The leeks and the fondant are my next two things. They're the big jobs. Yeah. Even though there's a lot of elements, service for you should be simple. OK. OK? So go like the clappers now, Jessica, yeah? Thank you. And I want you to smile all the way, you hear me? Done. 'Cause we're gonna have fun today, yeah? The lamb belly is the first thing that I'm getting on to because it takes two hours to cook. The hardest thing about this recipe is that it's absolutely massive. Um, I've just got heaps and heaps to do today, so I'm getting the lamb belly in straightaway and then trying to just move as fast as I can the whole time, or I'm not going to get it done. REYNOLD: I'm feeling the pressure today, especially with fish. I wish that I... that I could have had the dessert. Reynold, today's the day. We know you can cook dessert. You would have... You would have knocked that dessert out with your eyes closed. Today's the day to prove something. To get into the semi-final, but also to prove that not only can you cook amazing desserts, you can nail a savoury dish. You got me? Yeah. Alright? Come on. Let's go. The first thing I'm going to do is make the treacle bread and while that's proving, I'm going to start on the whiting. I'm definitely out of my comfort zone, but I'm not going to let that get the best of me. George's reputation is on the line. If I can do this dish well, especially not having to do whiting before, I'll be happy with that. The two things I'm doing today are the Easter bread, the tsoureki, and I'm doing the Green Greek Salad as well. 4.5 hours to cook a salad sounds like a piece of cake, but this is definitely not a piece of cake. This salad is complex. I've decided to make the Easter bread first. It needs the most amount of time to prove and to be ready for service. But I really need to get a crack on with the salad elements. One of the difficult things today is how much time we have and how to use it wisely. We do have 4.5 hours, but half an hour has already gone and I've only just made the bread. Let's go! Come on! Let's move! My anise cream is setting in the fridge, so I move on to sifting my tuile mix onto a silpat. I'm just really concentrating on getting the thickness right. It's got to be about 2mm thick so that when they cook, it melts down and it's wafer thin. Faster! Faster! Faster! I want to do the yelling now so later, in service, it's just harmony. Yes? ALL: Yes, George! Yes, George! Yes, George! Come on! Let's go! When I've done two trays of tuiles, I take them over to the oven... ..and the trays don't fit in the oven. You need to use the smaller mats. Oh, rightio. OK. Use the smaller mats. I'll start again. It's such a silly mistake it's such a simple thing to check how big the trays are and if they'll fit in the oven, but I just didn't even think about that. I was concentrating on the actual tuiles themselves. So this has cost me time and I need to start again. Guys, you've used up an hour. You've got three and a half hours to go, right? What I want to see within the next two hours, prep nearly done. You hear me? Yes, George! Then move it! Come on! Let's go! Energy now, not later! Now, not later, you got me? Yes, George! Come on! I've got my dough proving and the next thing I do is start gutting the fish. I'm moving really slowly 'cause I'm just scared I might ruin the fish and if I don't gut this properly, it's not going to be a nice fillet when I cut it. I feel I'm like I'm gonna be falling behind with the fish because I've got to gut it, scale it, fillet and then pin-bone. I've only done about three fishes, so I'm a bit worried for timing. I was hoping that I can get all 20 fish done within an hour. So I just need to move faster. GEORGIA: I've got my bread on, proving, and now I'm just getting the kale ready for the kale puree. The first thing I need to do for the Green Greek Salad is to make the kale puree. The kale puree is really important. It's a huge element on the dish. It's that greenness and that base of the dish that's so important. I need to blend it until it's nice and smooth. What's going on with that kale puree? I'm just about to strain it now. I push it into the fine sieve and just green water comes out. It's not right. It's got to be pureed enough where you can... At the moment, you're pushing out the juice. Try getting it all back in there. If it doesn't work, you have to start again. Oh, my gosh. If I have to do this again, it's going to take forever. I'm just freaking out now because I've got so much to do. I don't have time for mistakes like this. This is one element on the dish that's full of elements. There's no time to stuff around with the puree when I've got a million other things to do. This is not good. This is not good. . GEORGE: What's going on with that kale puree? Today's challenge is massive. We are taking over the Press Club for a lunch service. It's not right. Try getting it all back in there. If it doesn't work, you have to start again. My kale puree for the Green Greek Salad isn't the right consistency, so I pop it back in to let it blend some more. Hopefully this works for me. BILLIE: Do you need help with anything? You can do it. Just keep going. This dish is the first of the courses. If I let this kale puree set me behind now, I'm going to be in SO much trouble when it comes to service. How are you going? Uh, yeah, that's just, um... Nearly done? I check on my kale. It looks good. It's going to work. I don't have to redo it. Whew! Get it cooled down quickly! Yes, George! Now I can get onto the other steps in the recipe. I've really got to move, because I really want to win today. I want to get that pass straight through to the semi-finals. You're two hours down! That means you're nearly halfway through your prep! Guys, you need to push! You hear me? ALL: Yes, George! REYNOLD: I'm almost halfway through the cook and I'm just still gutting, still scaling, and I still need to fillet AND pin-bone. I'm not confident with fish and it's just taking so long. Yeah, I think I'm in trouble. This fish is the second course and I've still got so many other elements to make. I'm falling behind massively. I am up to step 10 out of 53. My dish isn't going out until the third course, so it is a long time, but it's starting to dawn on me the actual enormity of this recipe and how many things there are to be done. I am only up to getting my leeks on. The lamb took quite a while. The next step I'm gonna do is start the chicken mousse for these little leek cannellonis. They're gonna take some time to assemble, so I need to get started as soon as possible. I'm loving this. There's a lot to do, but it's truly amazing to be in George's kitchen. Like, he let us in his kitchen - it's just amazing. I take my ganache out of the fridge and put it into the stand mixer and whip it to stiff peaks. As I'm whipping this ganache, I'm watching it and it's sort of splitting. It's looking a little bit oily. Use your myalo! Yeah? That's our brains. Come on! Use 'em. Be smart. Think! Yes? ALL: Yes, George! My ganache is split and I have no choice but to make a new one. It needs about an hour in the fridge to chill before I can whip it again. I'm feeling pressed for time now. Oh, it's totally gonna set me back in terms of time. I, um, still have to make my sponge cake. Yeah, I've got to get moving. Guys, 90 minutes to go, yeah? Oh, my God! 90 minutes before service starts. Yes? ALL: Yes, George. Come on! Let's go! Move! ALL: Yes, George. I've gutted and scaled 20 fish finally, which took so long. I still need to fillet and pin-bone them, but I've got to start on my black garlic puree now, or it won't be done in time for service. There's a lot of stuff in this dish. How far behind am I? How far? Look at me. Your brain is getting on top of you. Yep. You hear me? Yeah. Why? Oh, I just feel like I'm falling behind. I wasted a lot of time on that fish. Don't worry about falling behind! Move! Faster! Reynold, faster. Come on. Yep. Come on. Come on. Look around you, man. This is it. MasterChef's gonna be over soon. Stop and smell and go, "How beautiful is this? "I'm in a kitchen and I'm about to serve 35 of the best chefs and the best managers in this country." YOU'RE gonna do that. Yep. Not me. It's you. I've handed it over. Alright? Yes?! Yes, George. Come on, then! I've got to move faster now, 'cause I've fallen behind. 90 minutes to service and I'm only just doing the garlic puree. I've still got to do the cucumber, I've still got to fillet AND pin-bone the fish, so this is taking a lot of time. Come on! Let's go! Move! Faster! Go! I am...attempting to start multi-tasking properly. I'm gonna do my fondant potatoes, cook them down, and also pipe my little leeks. To make the leek cannelloni, I take little squares of leek skin, then pipe on the chicken mousse and roll them up in cling film and tie them off nice and tight for steaming. Jessica, you're doing well, huh? Thank you, George. But do NOT stop, yeah? No, George. Do not stop. No-one stops! GEORGIA: Yes, George. And at the end of this, at the end of service, we'll sit down, we'll have a cold beer and a souva. Do you promise? Do you promise? How does that sound? Yep. My shout! Alright? (ALL LAUGH) Making 40 of these leek cannelloni is really, really time-consuming. It's quite fiddly. I've piped out 30... and there is not enough to finish in there. I don't know that I'm gonna have enough mousse! (CHUCKLES) How many have you got? This will be 30, and then I've got what's left in there. So you're gonna have to make some more. George says that I have to go and make more chicken mousse, but I've got literally a million other things that need to get on this plate as well, so I either don't have enough cannelloni or I don't have other stuff done. I'm not gonna yell, I'm not gonna scream, but I will just let you know, you've got one hour... Oh, my God. ..till service starts. Holy shit! So start making decisions on how you're gonna make this hour the best hour of prep you've ever done in MasterChef. You hear me? ALL: Yes, George! Let's go. I've just finished doing the shallots. I've done the kale puree. I've done the fetta puree. Now that I've got some momentum and I'm actually starting to get through a few of these elements, I'm feeling pretty good. I've got The Little Train That Could in my head, like, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." OK. I'm gonna go there now. You're going? Yep. One of the ingredients in the salad is fresh herbs, and I need to go and source them myself. Hey, nice green stuff, huh? Yep. Nice green herbs. Yep. Alright, off you go. Luke's gonna go with you. Go. Go, go, go, go! Run, huh? I need to go over to the community garden at Federation Square and get some herbs from there. There's nothing worse than waiting for a light when you're under time, is there? Yeah! (LAUGHS) OK. Let's go. Let's go, let's go. Come on. I run around and around and I end up in this beautiful vegie patch, and there's herbs growing everywhere. It's absolutely beautiful. You want those? Yes. OK. Go, go, go, go, go. I choose some nasturtiums, some oregano... (LAUGHS, PANTS) I have no time to do this right now! None at all! ..some Greek basil and some curry plant. Let's go. Let's go. I'm still puffed from running there and now I've got to run back! (PANTS) There's a treadmill... in the house, but... I do a really half-arsed attempt. OK, go, go, go, go, go! Yes! You did it! Good girl. Did you get some nice stuff? (BREATHLESSLY) Yes! Yeah? Is it nice out there? Yes. It's rainy and...hot as. A bit of fresh air? My black garlic puree mixture is already done, so I've got to start filleting the whiting. (TUTS, SIGHS) I'm trying to work out how to fillet it, and I just can't get it right. I don't know how to do this. 'Cause it's really slippery - I don't know how to keep it steady. This fish shouldn't be hard to fillet, but I'm struggling with it. Uh...yeah, I'm not...I'm not really good with handling fish. One. The fish is the second course and there are a lot of elements on the dish. I'm starting to wonder if I'm gonna be able to get anything up on the plate during service. I've got heaps to do, but, yeah, I'm not gonna give up, because we've got, um, really big names coming through those doors, so I don't want to let George down, especially not to disappoint those guys. Kalispera. Welcome. This way, please. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy your meal. Guys, there's 15 minutes to go before that first docket hits the pass, yeah? See through that window? They're chefs and restaurateurs, yeah? A lot of them are my fellow peers in the industry, yeah, that I look up to, yeah? And as well as that, some of my mentors, the people that taught me. Yeah? ALL: Yes, George. Let's go. Come on! I look up through the window of the Press Club kitchen... Oh, my God. That's Alla Wolf-Tasker. BILLIE: Ohhh! JESSICA: (LAUGHS) Holy crap! Oh, my God. I'm definitely feeling under the pump right now. Um...if I hadn't felt the pressure already today, I'm definitely feeling it right now. This salad is the first course. I've got to pod peas, fry kale, fry Brussels sprouts, get the bread in the oven, get the pass ready for service, my mise en place out, ready to start plating up. A lot to do. I'm first dish up. I just don't know how it's gonna happen. Me either, babe. This leek step is taking a long time. I've still got a lot to do for this dish. George told me that I need to make more chicken mousse, because I don't have enough. Push! Yes, George. Push! Come on! But I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place here, 'cause I either make more or another element's not gonna get on the plate. So annoying! So I have scraped out every last little tiny scrap of chicken mousse from this piping bag and I've made exactly 37 portions, which is enough just for the diners and the two judges. Jessica, how are you going? If I do these two, I won't have to make any more. So...as long as nothing goes wrong with them, I've got enough. Two minutes to go! BILLIE: Yes, George. Don't work on your own. Yep. Yeah? We work together. OK? Even though it's your own dish and that's what you're getting judged on, we've got to work together, or it will not last, I'm telling you. Alright? Yes, George. You know what's on the line - a place in the semi-final. Come on! Georgia, you're first up, yeah? When that docket comes in... ..I want that Green Greek Salad on the pass in four minutes. Yes, George. "Yes, George." Yes, George. "Yes, George." YES, George! There's so much pressure in here right now. In these last few minutes of prep before service starts, it's like the beginning of a storm. Georgia, 30 seconds, the first docket's gonna be in, yeah? Yes, George. It's going to pass, but until it does, I've really got to push. MAITRE D': OK, Chef, we're up! First table is a table of three. We can go with salad. Cheque on! Three covers, yep? This is it. Service is starting. That means three green salad. How long, Georgia? Four minutes, George. Let's go, yeah? I've got to get 35 of these complex salads plated up perfectly NOW, otherwise... I'm in elimination tomorrow. Georgia, how long? . Cheque on! That means three green salad. How long? Georgia. Four minutes, George. Let's go, yeah? Today we're cooking at The Press Club for 35 of the country's most renowned chefs. My dish is George's Green Greek Salad - the first of the courses. It's such a complicated dish to plate up. There's so many layers. Lots and lots of them and it has to be perfect. Right. I need it. I'm plating up the first order of salads and I'm putting those herbs that I ran and sourced from the garden. Georgia, how long? Georgia, how long? Georgia, how long? 20 seconds, George. And even though I'm so stressed and panicked, it's just the best rush. That is spectacular. You do them all like that... Yep. You do them all like that and I'm going to love you! I feel so good right now and I just want more. Like, give me more orders. I'm going to do this. Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Yes, George. Yeah? I'm just finishing off siphoning my cakes, but I've still got to fix that ganache that I split before. I take my ganache out of the fridge and it looks great, but I won't know until I actually whip it whether it's going to be usable or not. This second ganache has to work because I won't have time to make a third batch. That's better. It's really smooth and creamy, so I get that into a piping bag and rest it in the fridge, ready for service. I need it, I need it, I need it, I need it, I need it. It's coming, George. It's coming. Yes? Yeah. Honestly, 30 seconds, George. Faster! Faster! Faster! Yes, George. Yes, George. George is running that pass... Start on the six. Yes. Six of them? ..and there is no denying that the pressure is on. How long on two green salads? Less than a minute, George. I've never worked like this before. I am so determined to do a good job today. Two Greek salad, George. Gotcha. I'm so proud of this dish and it's just the most amazing feeling, but I've spent so much time on the kale puree, I just hope that it's perfect. Ooh! Look at that. I think it looks beautiful. It really does. MATT: Yeah. You know what strikes me straightaway is it's almost identical to George's, and the green, in fact, pops - this puree off the plate - I hate to say it, a little more than his did. (LAUGHS) No, it really does. Maybe it's the light. If we were sitting in The Press Club, normal service and this came out, would we think an amateur cook had done this? I don't think so. Certainly not on looks. Let's see how it goes on taste. Mm. Mmm. (CHUCKLES) You know what? I think she's done really well. I like the salt. I like the pickled anchovy. And I like finding all those different elements in there. You know, the caramelised Brussels sprouts. The crispy kale. The little herbs. And then that sweet and sour shallot jam, which is really delicious. It's tasty. It's really tasty. Well, they're Press Club dishes, so I expect the standard to be very high. The first course was actually really delicious. Brilliant texture. Great acid balance. Really good seasoning. Absolutely wonderful. Look, I worked for George for seven years and this dish is the same standard as what we would have been doing back then, so well done. Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. Let's go, let's go, let's go. Yes, George. Yeah? Yes, George. That means whiting goes soon because they've started on their Green Greek Salad. Yeah? So think about it. Feeling heaps of pressure at the moment. I mean, um... George's reputation is on the line. I'm running out of time and I'm really worried I'm going to let George down. I'm trimming the fish the best... to my ability and it's not great. And I'm trying to take as much care as possible and... I'm just running out of time, really. I'm worried that I'm going to let George down today and it sucks. It really does. Look at me. Look at me. Are you going to get there? Uh...don't know. I really don't. Look around. Obviously some are more ahead than others, yeah? And I'm worried 'cause your dish is second off the rank. Maybe you need to ask the question of one of your fellow teammates. I can help you, Reynold. Whenever you're free, Billie. I need help. Yep. OK. I've finished all of my prep for the dessert. Do you want to help him with some whiting? Yep. What can I do? Is it pin-boning? Yes, please. So I jump over and help Reynold pin-bone and trim that fish. And I'm starting to move a lot faster. So now I've got to get all my mise en place ready and then I'm pretty much done. How long, Reynold? How long? Uh...two minutes, George. Good boy. Two minutes is good. I like that. Time is a massive concern for me right now. Um, at this stage, I don't really see how it's all going to get done. I'm up next after the fish, so I've got to get these fondant potatoes on now or they're not going to be ready for service. Literally, you just leave them in here. You don't... You don't transfer them out of anything. Fondant potatoes are little round pieces of potato that's cooked really slowly down in butter and you should really be able to cut through them with your fork. You know, everything's taking its time, because I'm trying to do it perfectly, so yeah, I really need to keep motoring. I'm starting to get really, really overwhelmed about this dish. I don't how I'm going to get all of these million elements on the plate. It just doesn't seem possible. Reynold, you've got three whitings, yeah? Yes, George. I've got everything ready to go. I've got the black garlic, the yoghurt and the garlic chips and the cucumber and George calls out three whiting to go, so I've got to cook this fish to order. Don't forget lamb fat on both sides. Skin side down. Underneath the grill, yeah? Yes, George. The dish is called Whiting That Wants To Be A Lamb Tzatziki, so it's got to taste like lamb. As I'm adding the lamb fat, I'm hoping that's going to coat enough. It's going to have to coat the fish. Good... Yeah. Good amount of fat. Don't be afraid to give it fat. I'm finding this really hard. This is out of my comfort zone. I've got to make sure I cook this fish perfectly in the salamander so I don't overcook it or undercook it. Come on. Get it on there. Come on. As I'm plating up, I'm just hoping that it's going to be cooked perfectly. WOMAN: ...on the skin. WOMAN: Are you enjoying everything so far? Thank you. Everything OK, sir? You look concerned. It's a little bit undercooked. No worries. Let me just take this back in the kitchen. Many apologies about that. Thank you. It's raw. Chef. Table 3. One fish was raw. It's unforgivable to send out raw food. I feel like that's going to send me to the bottom three. . REYNOLD: Service seems to be going pretty well at the start. I feel like I'm in rhythm. I'm getting all the dishes out. And I look up and the maitre d' is bringing back a plate of fish. Chef. Table 3. One fish was raw. The first fish is raw and this could really send me to that elimination tomorrow. It's unforgivable to send out raw food. Get another one on. Yep. Quickly! Get another one on and we fix it, yeah? Yes, George. After that first whiting came back raw, I'm going to make sure that this time it's going to be cooked perfectly all the way through and making sure that all the other fish are going to be cooked perfectly as well. How long on my fish? How long on the fish? They're almost there. Almost there. I need whiting for 3, then I need it for 5. 5, 5, 5. It's a lot of pressure for everyone in this kitchen because this is George's kitchen and this is his menu and there's a lot riding on this because it's his reputation as well that's on the line. Come on, mate. Come on, come on. Go. Finish the garlic. Finish the garlic. Finish your garlic. Come on. Yes, George. Yes, George. I didn't think I'm going to get any dishes up in service, but I'm actually getting them out. Right. Service. Hopefully the rest are all cooked perfectly and taste like lamb tzatziki, because the semi-finals, that position is at stake. Wow. When I compare it to George's, it's not as sharp. It's not as clean. It's not as shiny. And maybe he struggled a little bit with the preparation. Mine's a little bit wavy and moving around. The detail's good, though. You know, the dried lemon zest on one side and not on the other. The same number of dots of black garlic puree. So much is going to depend on how that fish is cooked, isn't it? I tell you what, that black garlic adds so much to that dish. And the combination of the yoghurt and that fermented black garlic is absolutely delicious. For me, excluding the whiting, it's absolutely perfect. I wouldn't mind a little bit more salt. Just a little bit of salt. Well, you know what I was thinking it was? It's the lamb fat. Not enough lamb fat. That was my next question, because the whole idea is this is the whiting that thinks it's a lamb. At no point do I think of this as a lamb dish. No. It's always a whiting dish. It's a beautiful whiting dish, but the gag doesn't really pay off. I just had the whiting with black garlic and...and lamb, apparently. Lamb was a little bit subtle. Amazing combinations of textures and flavours. They all worked together beautifully. Yeah, it was lovely. Cooked fantastically. I thought it was a great dish. This is beautiful. It's perfectly balanced and delicious. Great textures as well. Once this whiting leaves the pass, then we go on the lamb, yeah? This is when it gets interesting. I'm really starting to doubt myself. This is absolutely the most important challenge we've done to date. Whoever's going to win is going through to the semi-finals. We're in George's restaurant, cooking for all these amazing people. (SNIFFLES) You right? What's wrong? I don't know how I'm going to do this. I've just got to clean down my bench and then I'm all yours, hon. I'm trying, with everything that I have, to keep it together... OK. ..but I can feel the pressure starting to build inside me. Away, three lamb. Yes, George. How long? Uh...a few minutes, George. Every plate will have a lamb skewer and a leek tempura, and I've got to cook them to order. Jessica, you can do it. Come on. I'm really, really frustrated with myself today. I had the advantage that, you know, could have set me up for success and I have chosen what is now quickly becoming clearly the hardest dish of the day. How long on three lamb, Jessica? About 10 seconds. I've got... Well, not to plate, but to give you all the stuff. How long on three lamb, Jessica? Am I plating them? Yeah. Get the girls to help you. I pretty much buried myself today. Definitely regretting the dish that I've chosen. Arrgh! Look at me. Just talk to us. Tell us what you need. You're the chef of this section. (TEARFULLY) I can't cook everything and plate everything. OK. Alright. I honestly don't see how I'm going to get any food up today, but I just have to keep cooking until it happens. Breathe, sweetheart. Just breathe. You can do it. We're here to help you, OK? Georgia, you start plating up there, yeah? Sure. (EXHALES) What? I'm going to walk out? I don't think so. Not on George. Right. Let's go. This is three lamb, table 3. After that, Jessica, I need a three, and then a five. I'm so proud of Jessica. She's had such a tough day today, but she's powering through. The first lamb's hit the table, Jessica, and can I tell you, there's smiles on their faces, yeah? Thanks, George. So, you know what? Those tears in here are turning into smiles out there and that's what it's about, you hear me? Yes, George. Yeah? So, come on! Keep going! Yes? Yes, George. Come on! I am absolutely in a blur of service. I'm trying to do tempura and three different meats and heat up my fondants and leeks, all at the same time. I need now three lamb, then a five lamb. Yes, George. And I'm supposed to be plating, but Georgia's doing that for me. (GASPS) Oh, no. Oh, my God. I don't... OK. Quick. I don't have any spare of these. Shit. And within that blur, I've dropped two of my leek cannellonis on the floor, which I don't have any spares for. Jessica, what's going on? Nothing's going right for me today. . I need, now, three lamb, then a five lamb. I am absolutely in a blur of service. Yep, they're... (GASPS) GEORGIA: Oh no. Oh, my God. I don't have any spare of these. Shit. And...within that blur, two of my leek cannellonis are on the floor. GEORGE: Jessica, what's going on? I've only made 37 - one for every person and the judges. So there are none to spare. I've got a problem. I just dropped two of my leeks and I don't have any spare. You need to make a decision what you want to do about that. GEORGIA: Can you cut them in half, Jess? You either cut them in half, you don't serve it to the customer, you go and explain it to the customer. Whatever - you make the choice. Yeah. That's what it's about, yeah? My only option is to serve a customer a half portion of these little cannelloni. Right, service. We'll take the barbecues out, yeah? So, I'm gonna take that dish out myself so I can apologise for the incomplete dish. TEARFULLY: 'I need to apologise to your table but you only have a little halfer of your little leeks. 'Um, I had some problems today. (LAUGHS) I thoroughly hope you enjoy the rest of it.' MAN: Thank you. Thank you. I'm really glad that I apologised because it was the right thing to do. But...it's just the most embarrassing thing. That is the difference, yeah? And I'm proud of you, yeah? Because you stood up to your mistakes. That's what it's about. Yeah? You did it. You hear me? You picked the hardest dish, alright? And I'm proud of you. Come on. Thank you. Let's go. The fact that George is proud of me today is definitely something to hold onto. GEORGIA: Come on, Jess. Last one. Last one. That's good, Georgia. You support, yeah? Yes, George. It's a team. It's a team here, yeah? Yes, George. Alright? That's what hospitality is. It's one big team. We look after each other. We support each other. It's about pride and dignity, yeah? ALL: Yes, George. JESSICA: I'm so glad I got through it. GEORGE: Service! I was under the pump the entire time, so I just hope everything had enough time to cook. Immediate reaction? Well, certainly, the skewer, the puree, and even the fondant, to some degree, look absolutely delicious. Well, let's hope that all the hard work Jess has put in... Yeah. ..manifests itself in terms of flavour with what she does on the plate. The onion is delicious, though. What I'm struggling with is because some elements aren't perfect, they become superfluous. So, that fondant, which... I love fondant potatoes 'cause they're soft and delicious, kind of oozy and buttery. That's not. It's undercooked. It's got another 15, 20 minutes to go. On the plus side, love that soubise puree, love that soft onion. It's delicious. And that little meat skewer, with all those elements, that's meaty and delicious and barbecue-y and really beautiful. That and the onions I'm very, very impressed with. The lamb belly is absolutely perfect. It's delicious, melty, falls apart, goes so well with the sweetness of the onion puree. So, you feel, with this dish, that if Jessica maybe had one or two less elements to do... Yeah. ..she would have done an amazing job. As it is, the sheer workload may have defeated her. I had the lamb dish. It was very good. Um, the potato was a bit under. But other than that, the flavour was good. Uh, we just ate the lamb. Delicious. Delicious. The onion's beautiful - beautiful, sweet. The tempura really made the dish. It was great. GEORGE: Desserts are about to start, yeah? I start plating up my desserts. I'm really happy with the way they're looking. The tuiles are looking good. GEORGE: How long for my desserts, Billie? Three minutes, George. And may I please have the liquid nitrogen? Yes, Billie. It's time to make my snow with the liquid nitrogen and I've sort of been dreading this point because I haven't ever used it before. But I'm really excited to try it. GEORGE: Billie? Yes, George. You can do the nitrogen yourself, yeah? OK, George. But you have to wear the goggles and the gloves, yeah? It feels so weird to put on these little goggles and the gloves and open this big canister of liquid nitrogen. OK, squirt it gently. Slowly. And then squirting the snow mix in there, I feel a bit like I'm in a lab rather than a kitchen. GEORGE: Ready? Just about, George. Whoo! But it's really cool and it's actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. So, yeah, I'm happy with what I've made. I need brulees for six. How long, Billie? Two minutes, George. Good girl. I'm loving this. It's so amazing to be in George Calombaris's kitchen at The Press Club, cooking his food, to serve to these, you know, top-chef diners. Come on. Last one. That's it. Come on, Billie. Yes, George. Finish it up. Winning today's challenge would be huge. It would mean that I would have a spot in the semi-finals. How long? Number 5. Come on. Five seconds. This is it. Hey, they invented the marathon, the Greeks. Didn't they? ALL: Yes, George. This was definitely a marathon today, wasn't it? ALL: Yes, George. BILLIE: I'm happy with my version of the creme brulee. But it just takes one element that's not right to send me into elimination. When the waiter started his spiel, I totally forgot that it wasn't George's normal team in the kitchen. Mmm. It looked that clean. And she's cut those plums well, hasn't she? Yeah. Really, really gossamer-thin. Really fine. Really fine. I had no problem finishing that at all. (LAUGHS) You look at the dish. The textures. The way the fennel part and the anise cream bounce off each other. The beautiful theatre of that biscuit, you know, collapsing over the sponge and kind of like, you know, almost marbling that sponge with the melted sugar. The lightness of the sponge, and it is... Super-light. Super-light. And the balance of flavours. Um, it's a really... It's spicy. It's delicious. Yeah, and just perfectly balanced. You know the only thing, I think, is that mascarpone cream is a little heavy. It's almost on the verge where it almost could be broken or split, but because it was hidden by the little caramel crunch, I didn't really pick it up until I started examining it. We've just had the dessert. It was absolutely gorgeous. The extra technique of the nitrogen Commandaria, the dessert wine, is absolutely spectacular, and the bruleeing of the caramel at the end is really nice. It was, you know, really good. Loved it. It's probably on par with the first course as my favourite. Yeah, very impressed. Very talented in there, today, I think. I'm so proud of the four of you. That was the toughest challenge I think you've been through in terms of, you know, a restaurant challenge. In saying that, cheers. Right? REYNOLD: Cheers. This is a well-deserved beer. Alright? Even though I don't drink beer... (OTHERS LAUGH) ..I'm gonna have one with you 'cause I need it as well. Yeah? Well done, guys. Cheers. I feel proud and I feel like I did what I set out to do. I hope that I'm going to win. I'm so ready for the semi-final. . We talk about unforgettable experiences in this competition and I think you can put today down as truly unforgettable. You're not gonna forget this one in a hurry, are you? The privilege of being handed the keys to The Press Club kitchen by George, where you ran a service, cooked four courses, for 35 of the best chefs and restaurateurs in the country - that is no small task. BILLIE: There is so much at stake today. The winner of this challenge goes straight through to semi-finals. I really hope I'm the top dish, but if I've made any mistakes with my dish today, that could send me into elimination. The question is which one of you is safe and who is going into tomorrow's elimination? George, how did they go in the kitchen? It was a tough service. There's no doubt about it. And what I might have thought - and you might have thought - wasn't that good in there, out here, they were loving it. So, words can't explain how proud of the four of you I am of the hard work that you put in today. And even though it was judged on individual dishes, it's nice to see - Georgia, Billie - you helping Jessica out. And actually, I can hear what you were saying to her - "Come on, Jessica." That's important. That's what teamwork is all about. MATT: Jessica, Reynold, you both had problems in the kitchen. And I'm sorry - that's why the two of you will be going forward to the elimination tomorrow. It's no surprise. Billie, Georgia, both of your performances in the kitchen was fantastic. We loved your commitment to teamwork. In terms of the dishes, every table I talked to singled out the entree and the dessert as the two standout dishes of the day. GEORGIA: These people are the best of the best of the best. And to hear that they liked my dish is amazing. Georgia, we loved the punchy flavours and the brightness of that puree. Billie, George felt that your dish looked the closest to his original. Well done. Thanks. Super-light sponge, perfect caramel crunch. And that Commandaria ice, delicious. We loved both your dishes, but we loved one, as we always do, just a little bit more. It was sweet. It was salty. It was also a little acidic. But it was also, at its heart, still very, very... ..green. And that's why, Georgia... Oh, my gosh. ..you have won The Press Club challenge and you are through to the semi-final of MasterChef 2015. (LAUGHS) Well done. (APPLAUSE) I'm safe - me - going through to the semi-final, and I actually can't believe it. Georgia, how do you feel? I'm really shocked, actually. Why? Why are you shocked? I feel like the day I got my apron, all of a sudden, for some reason. I'm getting emotional. Um, it was an amazing day and I'm so glad that I did George's dish proud, and your kitchen and your restaurant. So, thank you. Sometimes things can sound really impossible... GARY: Mm. And I just didn't give up. And I just wanted to do you proud, so... GARY: That's good. So, Georgia, well done. But, of course, for the rest of you, we'll see you in tomorrow's elimination. And as we always say - but this time directed at George - go home and get some rest. (ALL LAUGH) See you, guys. Well done today. See you later. Thanks, George. Thank you. Good job. I came into MasterChef as an ordinary home cook and now I'm one spot away from the semi-finals. So, I'm gonna fight 100% because I don't want to go home. I want to be part of the top 3. ANNOUNCER: Next time ` they're three of Australia's best amateurs. I'm gonna give today everything I've got. But if they want to make the semi-finals, they must conquer a pressure test... Brett Graham! ..devised by the highest-ranked Australian chef in the world. To survive this challenge... REYNOLD: I hope it's alright. That's a brave move. ..they must cook their fish to Michelin-star standard. JESSICA: It's the last thing that I wanted to happen. This could really cost me. And this time, just the smallest mistake... Beautiful. Spot-on. That's an absolute smash. ..will send someone home. Able 2016