ANNOUNCER: Previously on MasterChef Australia... I need 'em up there! ..in the gourmet cinema challenge... Come on, Red! Keep up! ..it was sweet success for the winners. You are in our top 10! You've won the challenge! But for the red team... It's just getting to that end of the competition. ..the reality of elimination. I'm not looking forward to having to battle it out against these guys. Tonight - five contestants, five pantries. We're gonna reveal them one at a time. It's choose... Herbs. ..or lose. Decide what you want more - ingredients or time. The longer they wait... Your second pantry is... ..the less time they'll have. Tick, tick, tick! This can send me home. They're fighting for a place in the top 10. If it's not good enough, start again. Come on, Mimi! You don't want to go home, right? And they'll do everything to get there. If you put up something mediocre, see you later. But one contestant will be eliminated. Yeah, I'm underwhelmed. And... It comes down to the tiniest of details. ..it will have everyone... ..in shock. # 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. Able 2016 MATT SINCLAIR: I had a really restless night. After yesterday, I'm pretty gutted. I took that pretty hard. When you take on the role of the captain, all the big decisions, they lay on your shoulders. My decisions are the reason why the whole crew is in here today. But when you go into elimination, it's got to be all about you and what you're gonna do to get yourself through it. This is not just an everyday cook now. This is cracking it into the top 10. ELISE: This is my seventh time in black. I'm not ready to go home. I know what I have to do. You've just got to really get in there and focus and cook a really good dish. Are we ready? Ready. I'm feeling positive. I'm almost at the top 10, but all the remaining cooks, they're very strong, so I'll just have to really fight for it today. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) HEATHER: Whoo! Come on, guys! BRETT: Go, guys! MATT SINCLAIR: When we walk into the kitchen, behind the judges... ..there's what looks like five mini pantries. I haven't seen anything like this before, so my mind's going a little bit crazy. GARY: Well, you know what? It's good to see that you've all got your game faces on, your serious heads on today, because there's a lot at stake. We've said it from the very beginning - as the competition travels along and we get closer and closer to the top 10... ..the standard obviously goes through the roof. On the upside, four of you will be in this year's top 10. But on the downside, for one of you, the dream will be over and you'll be going home. TRENT: Top 10 is a huge milestone. It's the point where everyone talks about. So making the top 10 would be huge. Today's challenge is a twist on that MasterChef classic... ..a time auction. (ALL GASP, EXCLAIM) Whew! Jeez! There's a twist now. I'm starting to stress. My mind's just ticking over and over, and I'm like, "OK, what are they throwing at us today?" Behind us are five pantries of fresh, beautiful, amazing ingredients. We're gonna reveal them one at a time every 15 minutes. (CHORTLING) MIMI: Ohhh! If you like the first pantry, you'll have 90 minutes... Ooh! ..to cook with that pantry plus the staples over there. If you don't like it, you're gonna have to wait until we reveal the second pantry 15 minutes later. That means you're only gonna have 75 minutes at that point. But if you do wait, you get to use both pantries plus the staples. More ingredients, but less time. And so on and so on...and so on. MATT SINCLAIR: The biggest thing with a challenge like this is it comes down to making good decisions and coming up with a clear plan and being able to piece something together from the get-go. If you wait for all the pantries to be revealed, you will only have 30 minutes to cook. It's very simple. You've just got to decide what you want more - ingredients or time. The best four dishes - you're safe. The worst dish - you go home. TRENT: This challenge is really intense - waiting for that time to tick over so you can see the next ingredients definitely puts the pressure on a lot more. If I see a table where I think I can make a really good dish, I'm just gonna go for it straightaway. So, ready to see what's in the first pantry? Yep. George and Matt? (CHUCKLES) GEORGE: Ready? MATT: Yes. Herbs. (TRENT LAUGHS) BRETT: Jeez. Your 90 minutes has started. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Jeez, there's so much you could do. SO much you can do. Have a think about it. There's lots of beautiful stuff here, isn't there, Matt? Mmm. Think about chlorophylls that you can make. Purees that you can make. TRENT: It's really hard to make an impressive dish with just herbs. I'm definitely gonna wait and see what's under the second pantry. See, right now, if it was meat, Matt would be in there straightaway and you'd be RUNNING to that first pantry! I'm staring at the herbs and I'm trying to challenge myself to think, "Oh, MAYBE, maybe you could come up with a dish." And even though I'd love to have 90 minutes to cook a dish, nothing's jumping out at me. The last thing I want to do is jump out of the blocks too quick, go for that first pantry and then have to muddle through and try to slap together a dish that I'm not happy with. Time's ticking. You know, do you need time? Do you need time to achieve what you want to do? GARY: Do you cook better when you've got less time or you cook better if you've got more time? And that's a crucial bit of wisdom there, Gary. ELISE: Everyone's kind of on edge. We're looking at the clock and... ..we're not cooking. I just...I want chocolate or fruit or something along those lines, because once you bring that into your staples, you can create amazing desserts. Tick, tick, tick! Good think time, though, isn't it? It is, yeah. I'm looking at the second pantry, and who knows, it could be something really amazing. But if it's not, I've just wasted 15 minutes. So it's a massive risk. Ready to see what's in pantry number two? I feel sick. Your second pantry is... WOMAN: Whoa! ..vegetables. Oooh! MATT SINCLAIR: Whew! It's veg. (INHALES SHARPLY) Ohh! Looking at the veg, I can see a dish coming to mind, and...it is a pasta - I'm a little bit apprehensive. I want to put up a complex dish, something that is going to challenge the four other dishes out there today. Yeah. Go and have a look if you want. WOMAN: Whoa! Now, remember, you have 75 minutes left. Guys, if you want to cook, you need to get cooking, huh? There's some cracking ingredients here. I have absolutely no interest in going home. I'm here to push myself. I'm just thinking, "Nah. I'm in vego mode today. "You've got to go." MATT PRESTON: Oh, here we go. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Go, Matt! HEATHER: Come on, Matty! Go, Karmen! Come on, Karmen! Great. It's good to see this. REALLY good to see this. I see the pumpkins straightaway and I think, "Yep, I've got a dish." Today, I really want to push myself. It's an elimination. I know I want to make a dessert. I want to play to my strengths. So that's what I'm going to do today. Time is my enemy, so I don't want to waste any more time thinking about it. Elise, Mimi? Your preference is in ingredients, not time? MIMI: Three people run off to start cooking with just herbs and vegetables, but I don't see a full dish in my head and I don't see the depth of flavour. This is an elimination. I'm willing to take a risk, add more flavour to my dish and give away that 15 minutes. HEATHER: Go, Karmen! Come on, Karmen! HARRY: Come on, Karmen! THERESA: Go, Trent! Go, Trent! BRETT: Come on, Matt! Come on, Matty! Karmen, what are you thinking? About basil, tomato, ricotta, in a dessert. Yum. Beautiful. Today, I'm making a mille-feuille with ricotta, candied tomatoes and a basil ice-cream. I just haven't used these flavours before, so I'm just trying to be a bit inventive with what I've got. I've never made basil ice-cream before. I want to do something different to show skill. I've done a basil panna cotta before, which I really loved, so hopefully I can turn that into an ice-cream. HARRY: It smells so good, Karmen. I'm making a basil oil with the basil and the grapeseed oil. ELENA: Good, Karmen? Yep. And I'm just adding that to a cooled ice-cream base. Yum, Karmen. Karmen's preparing her basil ice-cream and it looks spectacular. It's such a great idea, and I'm just hoping that there's enough basil in there to get a really nice depth of flavour. BRETT: Looks good. Nice work, Trent. I'm making a pumpkin rotolo, which is like a rolled pasta. And I'm just gonna use some pumpkin, some cauliflower, a few of the herbs. I really want to make sure it's nice and hearty and rich, so I'm gonna use some roast caramelised leeks to go with the pumpkin. This is not a very simple pasta dish. It takes a lot of time. There's a lot of different processes involved. I'm definitely gonna try and cook with my heart as much as I possibly can today, so I just have to pour everything I can onto that plate and hopefully get through. Got a good plan, Matt? Yep. The dish I'm gonna cook today is a roast carrot tortellini with confit leeks and a roast tomato and burnt butter sauce. HARRY: Come on, Matt. Good idea. To make the filling for my tortellini, I begin by dicing up carrots real fine, get them in a hot pan, a little bit of butter, some garlic, some thyme, and just really, sort of, slow-roast them and caramelise them. Smells good, Matt. Nice combo. Yeah, this is a pretty big cook today. Didn't really want to be in this position, but it is what it is, so I've just got to give it, you know, everything I've got. When you approach the pointy end of the competition, everyone just steps their game up. I can't be slipping up today. BRETT: Clear heads, girls. Clear heads. Yep. ELISE: There's a lot of pressure on the decision I make today. This could keep me in the competition or this can send me home. What are you hoping for? Fruit. Fruit or chocolate. Fruit or chocolate. What about you, Mimi? Protein or fruit. So, fruit. That's what you're hoping for. Two dessert girls, yeah? Yep. One minute. You might not be able to cook with anything in this pantry, and then we've just wasted 15 minutes. You know, I look at the cooks behind me, Matt, Trent and Karmen, they're so strong in this competition, and you give them a few extra minutes, they're gonna create something huge. d MIMI: This is an elimination and we're all fighting for a spot in the top 10. There's already three people cooking and they have 75 minutes to cook a dish with just herbs and vegetables. It's just me and Elise waiting for that third pantry. Ready? You will only have 60 minutes to cook. Will your dreams come true? Your third pantry...is... ..fruit! It's fruit! It's amazing. You've got apricots. You've got all the berries. It was definitely worth waiting 30 minutes for this pantry. THERESA: Come on, girls! 60-minute challenge now. GARY: Nectarines. Peaches. I mean, you've even got dried fruit there. Dates. Loganberries. I was like, "Wow." One of my faves. At this stage of the competition, the quality of food and the standard is so high that I need to make sure that I stand out from the pack. I want to think outside the box and do something a little bit different. As soon as I see the rhubarb, a dish comes to mind. GEORGE: Go, Mimi! Come on, Mimi! That's it. Ooh, yum! MATT PRESTON: That's great. You want to know what you would have got if you'd waited? (CHUCKLES) You could have chosen... ..poultry! And fish! (ALL EXCLAIM) Bit late now! Time's a-ticking. Keep cooking! CHLOE: Come on, Mimi! I have a few awesome ingredients to work with, which I'm really happy with. I want to bake the rhubarb, and I really love rhubarb and beetroot, so I'm gonna try and play on that today. And I'm thinking of making a beetroot parfait. Good job, Mimi. You've got this. HEATHER: Good work. Keep pushing. Come on. 55 minutes to go! Push, push, push! MATT: Come on, guys! Come on! Let's go, guys! BRETT: Come on, guys! Push! I'm thinking about my dish, and I'm starting to freak out a little bit. There's so many different fruits to choose from. Passionfruit... I'm just feeling a little bit overwhelmed. But I can't waste any more time, so I just picked up what I love to cook. You can do it, huh? Yep. Good girl. Thanks, guys. ELENA: Go, Elise! Come on, Elise! I've decided to make apricot parfait with a passionfruit curd and a thyme crumb. THERESA: Come on, Elise. Did you want to put your moulds in the freezer so they're cold? Uh, yep. I love fruit and I love different flavours, especially when you're incorporating them into a dessert. I'm from Cairns, and there's a lot of good-quality fresh fruit and produce, so I feel very comfortable with these and I can really play to my strengths. You've got this, Elise. Thanks, Theresa. You know what you're doing. You know it's gonna be beautiful, right? Yep. The first thing I need to do is get onto my parfait. I need 40 minutes for it to set perfectly. I've just sauteed my apricots with a bit of sugar just to sweeten them up a little bit, and I'm going to put some of the charred, more sour parts through it as well, so you get, like, two different flavours through there. ELENA: Clever, Elise. HARRY: Sounds wonderful. MATT: The filling for my tortellini is looking good. I'm happy with it. The tomatoes are in the oven. HEATHER: Good job, Matty. What are you gonna do with your leeks? I've got a good idea. With the leeks today, I'm gonna caramelise them in a pan with butter. Basically cook them in, like, a brown butter, and then I'll throw them in the oven, get them really nice and soft and bring out that sweetness. To give myself any opportunity of cracking into that top 10, it needs to be a well-rounded, well thought out dish. At the level of cooking right now, if you put up something that's mediocre... ..see you later. TRENT: You right, Matty? Yep. How are you doing? Yeah, alright. Push it, mate. HARRY: Oh, beautiful, Karmen. A ricotta? KARMEN: Today, I'm making a mille-feuille with ricotta, candied tomatoes, meringue and a basil ice-cream to serve with it. ELENA: You all good, Karmen? Yep. Karmen's going really well. She's got a lot of different elements on the go. Very interesting flavour combination for a sweet dish, so I'm excited to see her pull it off. Today is the day that you want to be standing out for all the right reasons, and she's really powering. With my basil ice-cream in the churner, I need to move on to my rough puff pastry. 'Mille-feuille' means 'millions of leaves', so it's just layers of puff pastry and usually creme patissiere inside. My strength is in desserts, and I like intricate desserts as well. I would really love to have a dessert bar. I'm really pushing myself and I really want the dish to look amazing. So, do you know how you're gonna present the dish? Yes. I'm gonna lie it on its side. So, it's three pastry sheets. Instead of it being layers this way? Yep. You're gonna make it that way and then flip it over? Yep. Right. OK. So, what are you piping in between each layer? In between the layers, I'll make a sweet ricotta cream and some candied tomatoes. OK. Yeah, cool. And the ice-cream - where's that going? Um, ice-cream's just on the side. So, you're feeling confident? I'm...feeling confident about the dish now. It's just the time which is left. Yeah. Good. You know, it's all about timing, and I presume you're fighting for your spot. You don't want to go home, right? No. Yeah, Karmen. Power on. Power on. Come on, Karmen. Push on. Hope all your best laid plans are coming together! 45 minutes to go! Keep cooking! Come on, guys! Come on, guys! I like the double whisking, Elise! THERESA: (LAUGHS) You're doing good! You've got to do it! I love it! Oh, wow, Mimi! HARRY: Good stuff, Mimi. Looks so good, Mims! Come on, Trent. Come on, Trent. TRENT: Today, I'm making a pumpkin and ricotta rotolo with cauliflower puree and a cauliflower pangrattato. Once I've got the pasta resting in the fridge, I move on to the pumpkin filling. I dice it up, sweat it off in a pan with some butter, add a bit of water and just sort of get it cooking out. Right, what's going on here? What's that? Um, I've got pumpkin in there. What is it? Just pumpkin with some, um... What, like...water? Yep. What's cooking all about? Maximising flavour. (CHUCKLES) Flavour. So when you eat it, you go... (GASPS) .."I'm weak at the knees and I love this dish." Right? It's up to you now, but you add water, you dilute flavour. What am I doing adding water to it? I need to make sure that the flavour of everything is spot-on today. The standard of the competition at this stage is so high and just any little mistake could be the one thing that sends me home. # It feels good # In my heart, in my soul when you're here right beside me # I don't ever want this day to end # Yeah # My love # There's a song in my soul when you are around me # You make it easier to sing # No-one can stop me when I taste the feeling. # d TRENT: I don't know what I was thinking boiling my pumpkin in water. George has really hit home about how much I need to make sure that the flavour of everything is spot-on today. This is about getting into the top 10. I really need to intensify that flavour as much as I possibly can. I scrap the pumpkin and just start from scratch. Come on, Trent! (APPLAUSE) Well done, Trent. If it's not good enough, start again. Yeah? Yes, George. That's what it's all about, yeah? Well done. So to fix this, I'm gonna grate some pumpkin nice and fine, get it in the pot with some butter, a tiny splash of milk and just get it cooking out. Yeah, I think I've got a better idea of how I'm gonna maximise the flavour, so, just hopefully, everything that I do ties it all together. Come on, guys! 40 minutes to go! Let's go! HEATHER: Come on, guys. Keep pushing. ELENA: Get it in there, Elise. ELISE: Yep. I've got my parfait in the freezer setting, then I've still got to make the thyme crumb and a passionfruit curd. But I'm looking at all these fruits and I kind of want to incorporate more throughout the dish somewhere. So, apricots... And I'm like, "Yep, perfect. "I'm going to do a beautiful strawberry centre." Just gonna be, yeah, like, a strawberry and thyme coulis that I'm gonna put inside the apricot parfait. I know the flavours work really well together, but I just hope I'm not going too far. BRETT: Karmen's a gun. She's a real weapon in that kitchen. And she's pushing the boat out today. She's really putting her hand up and saying, "Look at me." Which is great. If anyone's gonna really nail it today, I reckon it might be Karmen. Happy with those? They look good. KARMEN: I decide to add a meringue to my dish to add a bit of sweetness, because I've got acidic tomatoes and my ricotta cream isn't that sweet. There are amazing cooks around me and I know my dish is good, but I need to impress the judges if I want to make it into that top 10. Come on, Karmen! There is a lot of sweet going on in Karmen's dessert. I hope that she'll have something planned to relieve all that rich sweetness. There are exceptionally good cooks standing in front of us. There's a lot at stake, and you'd really want a place in the top 10. GEORGE: Matt, you were just out there. MATT: Elise and Mimi would have loved an extra 15 minutes, but when push comes to shove, the fruit is an essential element to both their dishes. My concern with Karmen up the front is that basil ice-cream. Basil can be a funny thing. If you don't treat it in a certain way, it's not gonna be bright green and delicious. I love the idea of Trent's rotolo. We haven't seen one of those for a couple of years. Wow. So it'd be nice to see how sophisticated and pretty it CAN look. What about Matt? You've got a really beautiful depth of flavour in the carrot. I'm looking forward to seeing him put those tortellinis together. Come on, Matt. Let's roll this pasta, dude. Yep. The dish I'm making is a roast carrot tortellini with fondant leeks and a roast tomato and burnt butter sauce. HARRY: Good-looking pasta, Matty. Thanks, mate. When I'm rolling these tortellini, I want to make sure that they are firm enough to stand on their own. I really want to play with the shapes. Nice and plump, Matt. Get some height, buddy. I think it's one of the first times ever that I have pictured how the dish will look at the end right from the beginning. It's like I've got a blueprint in my head and I can see exactly where it's going, and it feels unbelievable. Make them look good. MATT PRESTON: It's head to head to save yourself! 30 minutes to go! CHLOE: Come on, guys! Keep pushing! TRENT: I'm much happier with how the pumpkin turned out. The flavour's really strong and intense. I've got my leek in the oven, my cauliflower puree on the go. I've got my pasta dough rolled out nice and thin - exactly how I want it. HARRY: Trent, what are you making? A rotolo. Oh, cool. Oh, OK. So, these just get poached in some water to start with, and then finish them off in the pan with some brown butter and sage. This is the kind of food that I cook at home. I love all these flavours. I think they go really well together, and one day, I'd love to be able to serve this kind of dish at my restaurant. The paddock-to-plate philosophy is really important to me. Growing up on the farm, I've always been around... ..fresh food and fresh produce. I've sort of come to know how much difference it actually makes. I'd love to open a restaurant where I can have a veggie garden out the back, where we can use all the fruit and vegies in the restaurant. If I could sort of share what I've grown up with with people, it would make me, you know, really happy. I'm so determined today to avoid elimination. All I can think about is making that top 10, so I just really need to make this dish stand out and look amazing. I think it's a great idea, though, personally. MIMI: I have my parfaits in the freezer, the rosemary shortbread on the go and my rhubarb in the oven. I know that I cook my best when I'm thinking creatively and I use ingredients in different ways, so I'm gonna use my beetroot in a caramel. I put some sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it up to a nice golden colour, then whisk through some beetroot juice. CHLOE: You're doing beetroot caramel? (CHUCKLES) Yeah. HEATHER: Get it perfect, Mims. Come on! Do the fruits make a big difference to the dish? It has, yeah. I think the rhubarb really made a difference. And you're not gonna burn that, are you? (CHUCKLES) No. Because if you did, that would be... I've got a second batch. Ooh! Sorry, Matt! See, that serves me right for asking a smart-arse question, doesn't it? (LAUGHS) Sorry! Come on, Mimi. Come on, Mimi! Go, Mimi! I'm really happy with the flavour, um, of the carrot tortellini. I've got 'em made. Just got to cook them off then start putting everything together. I'm feeling pretty good. I've got my carrot tortellini ready to cook, toasted breadcrumbs in a pan, I've finished up with the fondant leeks. The next thing I need to crack on with is my roast tomato and burnt butter sauce. Some herbs in there, mate? Yeah. Um, yeah, so, I've just got a little bit of lemon verbena and sage to put through that butter sauce that I'm gonna dress it with. I think, for me, not having that protein to really provide that backbone of rich flavour to a dish, I want to make sure that I'm pushing all of those flavours right to the very edge. So cool. GARY: Come on, guys! Let's go! You need to move it! 15 minutes to go! Come on! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Go, Karmen! HARRY: Hey, after your pastry's cooked, are you gonna have to put it in the fridge before you pipe stuff in between? Yep. My pastry's in the oven. I need it to finish cooking and then cool down before I can start assembling the dish. This is gonna go right down to the wire. ELENA: What are you working on now, Elise? I'm doing a crumb. I've got my parfait in the freezer setting with the strawberry puree. Now I'm onto the thyme crumb. I need a crunch element to the dish just to help break through the flavours. So, Elise, have you got a dish in mind, or are you kind of...assembling a thing from tasty elements? I've got a dish in mind, and... I love fruit, so I want to use a lot of fruit in there. So I've got strawberries, apricots, thyme, and I've also got passionfruit as well. So, yep, I'm just sticking with the ones that I know that work really well together. So, have you got too many flavours on your plate? Um...yeah, I don't know. My gut sinks. I need to ramp it up to create something amazing, but...if the flavours clash and the judges don't enjoy it, I'll definitely be walking out those doors. My whole future in this competition rides on my dish. I don't know what to do. d (MURMURS QUIETLY) (SIGHS) Matt's asked me if I've incorporated too many flavours into my dish. But I'm confident all these flavours are just gonna pop, so I'm going to go with my gut instinct and keep all my elements. The bar's been raised high, but I can do this. I know I can do it. I've just got to stay focused and get it done. MATT: A place in the top 10 on the line! 10 minutes to go! 10 minutes, guys! Come on! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Come on, Elise! Come on, Mimi! Bring it home! BRETT: Pasta time. MATT SINCLAIR: Yep. Come on, Matty! Come on, guys! Bring it all together! KARMEN: It's time for me to move my basil ice-cream from the churner to the blast chiller so it can properly set. I'm really happy with the flavour. It's not too strong in basil, but it's definitely got the basil there. My shortbread's looking really good. I'm just cutting it out. I'm gonna have the shortbread on the bottom and then the parfait on top. I really want to serve the judges something that they notice and sets me apart from the pack, so I'm gonna crisp up a beetroot leaf and make it nice and salty and crunchy. I absolutely love saltiness in desserts. I think it really balances out the sweetness. Come on, Mimi! TRENT: I'm finishing off my rotolo and I'm just constantly basting it with this brown butter just to have it penetrate all the way through the middle and, yeah, just get that real rich, nutty flavour that I think it needs. I feel like I've really put my heart into it today and I hope it shows. It's time to take my pastry out of the oven. It still needs to cool down, so I'm just praying that it's golden, cooked through - everything that pastry should be. It's golden! Couldn't be any happier. I can see the layers in it. Come on, Karmen! Move! I've just got it in the blast chiller and I'm waiting for it to cool down. If I plate up the pastry too warm, the creams would just melt and that would just be a disaster, so I'm just gonna push them as far as I can and take them out in the last seconds. With these last five minutes, you need to be thinking about making it beautiful and saving yourself. Come on, guys! Come on! Go, guys! Five minutes! Come on, guys! Go! BRETT: Come on, Matt! Push, Matt! MATT SINCLAIR: The standard of cooking in this elimination is through the roof, so any opportunity I've got to kick my dish up another notch, I have to take it. I'm really happy with the way the leeks are looking, but I want to strike while the iron's hot. I want to take any opportunity to boost this flavour. So I'm gonna put them in a little bowl, seal it up and just smoke them away. I think hitting them with that smoke is gonna complement the sweetness. MIMI: My aim is for the judges to get a bit of everything in this dish - so, they get the sweetness from the rhubarb and the caramel, the earthiness from the parfait, and the saltiness from the shortbread. It might not look like much, but it's a massive flavour bomb. Come on, Mimi! Finish strong! ELISE: My parfait and passionfruit curd are looking beautiful. I'm really happy with all the elements on my dish and I'm just hoping that the balance of the flavours work. Come on, Elise! Keep pushing! Come on! Get it on the plate! MATT: Plating for me is something that I've definitely had to work on, and for some reason, I've got this blueprint in my head of exactly how I want this dish to look. It's all coming together and... ..I'm really happy with it. They look really good, Matt. Looks awesome, Matt! HARRY: Karmen, come on! I'm waiting for it to cool! Have you got everything else ready? It's ready. Right now, I'm just standing at the freezer. I've got nothing else to do, because I'm just waiting for this pastry to cool down. I'm taking this risk leaving the pastry in the blast chiller till the last seconds because I don't want to risk having my creamy elements melt onto the plate. One minute to go! One minute! Come on, guys! Get it on the plate! (ALL SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT) Karmen, get it on the plate! ELENA: Go, go, go, go, go, Karmen! My pastry's cool enough for the creams to not melt. I have to get my basil ice-cream back into the freezer and my ricotta cream, my meringue, my tomatoes and the garnishes on my plate in one minute. Karmen! Less than a minute! KARMEN! Go, go, go, girl! Come on! Come on! Go, Karmen! Go, Karmen! I don't really hear anyone else. I just have to go into a zone and just really focus on cooking because I enjoy it. I want to produce something good, and to do that, I have to be focused. THIRTY SECOOOONNNNDDDDSSS! (ALL SHOUT) Come on! THERESA: Feel the love. (LAUGHS) Everything's riding on the next ten seconds! HEATHER: Come on! You can do it! ALL: Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! That's it! Your time's up! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Well done, guys! Beautiful! Well done, love. Good work. How'd you go? Yeah, alright. (CHORTLES) (SIGHS) I can't believe I got everything done. I couldn't be any prouder of myself. It looks amazing and I really want to get into the top 10. But I fought the hardest I could today, and I hope that's enough to get me into the top 10. TRENT: I'm really happy with how the dish looks and I know it'll taste great. Definitely don't want to go home today. I'm so close to the top 10, so... I've tried to do things that I think are gonna impress the judges. Trent, what have you cooked? It's a: Why a rotolo? I'm intrigued. I guess I'm just trying to push it a little bit and just show that I have learnt new techniques, and...yeah, I'm stoked. It's a really rich, sort of hearty dish. I was trying to make a dish that you could have without having meat on there as a nice, big, hearty, filling dish. I'm happy with how I went today. Yep. Well, we'll taste now. Thanks, Trent. Thanks, Trent. Thanks. Oh, I like the look of this dish. Yeah, I like it too. Yeah, so do I. I love all the crunchies on the top. Yeah. And the...the oily, buttery goodness round the outside. Full of promises, isn't it? (LAUGHS) Ooh, they're soft, then, aren't they? It's a clever dish. It's meaty through that, sort of, charred cauliflower. That silky cauliflower puree is rich. The buttery sauce. Rotolo, please come back! (CHUCKLES) In a big way. Because if that's rotolo of 2016, I'm happy. Beautiful balance in terms of... You know, the leek's cooked itself inside its own wrapping, and it's beautiful with the pumpkin and the ricotta. He's done so much. I think it's a really tasty dish. And I'm thinking, "What would I add?" I go, "Don't need to add anything. It's yummy." KARMEN: I'm really happy with my dish and I really hope that the dish is well balanced and that it will taste amazing. I want to make it into that top 10, and I know it's just gonna come down to the smallest of things. What's the dish? Karmen, at the end of the cook, you seemed quite emotional. This competition means a lot to me. Um... I want to prove to myself, but more importantly, my parents, that I want to be in hospitality and I can be successful in hospitality. My dad is a chef, but, you know, he's kind of just been thrown into that. It's not his passion. And it's hard work. It has taken a toll physically as well, on his body, so I think that's why they don't want me to go into that. They want the best for you. But you've just got to follow your heart, don't you? Yep. And do what makes you happy. Karmen, off you go. Thank you. Um, what do you reckon, boys? I love the toasty goldenness of the mille-feuille. Is it gonna be crispy and have those multiple layers? You just can't get over the kind of golden brown of it all, can you? It looks great. It really makes the red of those tomatoes and the white of the meringue and the ricotta really jump. (SIGHS) I think Karmen may have a problem. Yeah. Yeah. f (SIGHS) I think Karmen may have a problem. Yeah. Yeah. I like the idea of the basil ice-cream when it's made perfectly. You know, when it's bright green and smooth and... ..you know, you just get intense basil - I love that. But this challenges me more than I'm happy with. It's just sweet anglaise flavoured with basil rather than basil ice-cream... Infused, yeah. ..that tastes incredibly fresh. Yeah, I'm underwhelmed by the ice-cream, and what I don't get is the meringue. You get this little bit of sugar in it and it's like, "Well...why is it there?" But what I love, I really, really love. I love the sugary rough puff. It's just really... You know, it's crisp and sugary, it's delicious, it's buttery. I love that. MATT SINCLAIR: Walking this dish into the tasting room, I've got to say, I'm proud. I've really kicked a personal goal today nailing the presentation on this dish, so I'm not afraid to walk in there with it. Roast carrot tortellini with confit leeks and a burnt butter sauce. What are you thinking? (SIGHS HEAVILY) I didn't expect to jump at the opportunity to be working with veg today, to be honest. Um...but I was happy and confident with my idea from the beginning, and I really wanted to...nail it and I wanted it to look... you know...to a standard. And I'm happy with that. Thanks, Matt. Thank you. Matt? Nice plating up. (LAUGHS) Thanks! Wow. How absolutely delicious! The rich, intense filling. Just that flavour, cooked down. I love the leek and the acidity of the tomatoes. That hint of smoke in the leek just takes that leek from, you know, butter-cooked leek to something even more. He's got a beautiful dish that just sings. I'd eat that time and time again. Yeah. ELISE: I'm taking a massive risk in going against what the judges have said. But I know these flavours. They work really well together. I'm just hoping that it's really balanced and not too sweet. You always come into this kitchen so positive. I mean, you're a positive human being. But today, there's something else going on. You look very serious. (SIGHS) You sit there and look at those ingredients and you overcomplicate your head with things. Like, we're at top 10, it's so close now, and... ..I don't know, I just... a little fire starts inside and you just... you just want to fight for it. Why is it so important to you? 'Cause I love cooking. Like, I've never experienced anything like this before in my life, and... ..I don't know, there's so much joy when you create something. It's phenomenal. We're gonna taste. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, thank you. What was the fruit that she put inside? Strawberry, yeah. There's a lot of flavours going on there. I mean, apricot, thyme, passionfruit... Strawberry. Passionfruit. ..and the crumble. You know what it reminds me of? Froot Loops. There's confusion there. It could have been balanced out by taking some of that strawberry away and just allowing the herb and the fruit to do its thing. There is, for me, an amazingly delicious dish here. Yeah. There is, yeah. And at its core, those crumbs, the thyme, the charred apricot ice-cream - just...smashing. Yeah. It's very comfortable because it's ice-cream and crunchy things, you know? It's all that kind of... the best bits about, you know, apricot jam on toast with lots of butter. That's...that's what I pick up. There's a great dish in there. But does it stand out from the pack? No. I really feel like I've accomplished what I set out to do. I'm really happy with the flavours. There's salt in there, there's sweetness and there's a bit of earthiness too. I've put up something that I'm proud of today. What did you cook? I cooked a: is this good enough to get you into the top 10? I really think so. Um... I'm really happy with the dish, and I think, yeah, the flavours are there. I've got nothing to say other than I really hope this tastes as good as it sounds. It certainly looks alright. Get out of here. Go on. Thank you. Thanks. I love it. Yeah, I love it too. I think it looks fun. I think it looks incredibly...delicious. Yeah. Nice... Ohh! Ohhhh! OK, there you go. There you go. I'm happy now. That looks fantastic! Yeah, that looks beautiful. Look how shiny that is. Is there any more of that syrup up there? Gary, you don't need any more of the syrup. Yes! Yes, I do! There's enough on your plate. I do! Come on, pass it down. Have you tasted the salt on the leaf? Mmm. It's nice. I like it. Mmm. It's really clever. Really clever. Yum. (MATT CHUCKLES) Yum. Oh! Yum plus. Yeah. Yum plus plus! Yeah. Absolutely. (LAUGHS) There's a kind of molasses-y hit to that beetroot caramel. She's taken the sugar nice and far. The little saltiness of the biscuit, the saltiness of the leaf. Using this vegetable, beetroot, is clever. Yeah. It's not...you know... It's not clever for clever's sake, though, is it? (SNAPS FINGERS) That's right. Delicious is what's been achieved here. And that crisp leaf that she put on here, for me is just... You know, I want to call it genius, but it is. The whole time, you're bouncing around between sweet and savoury, which is...you know, it's where the top chef plays. Yeah, I think so too. Yeah. I really enjoyed that tasting, 'cause there were three dishes that I just thought were really beautiful. Like, if they were all on one restaurant menu, I'd be there regularly. Absolutely. Mmm. They were delicious. But there was definitely two dishes that didn't really hit the mark. You're absolutely right, George. I think both Karmen and Elise are sailing very close to the wind there. I think it has to be between those two. I...feel that one of those dishes is...is just a bit better. Exactly. Well, let's go and tell them. Staying on top can take an extra boost. Sometimes you need an energy drink with something more - something smarter, healthier. Introducing new Berocca Forward. We've added vitamins, minerals and the natural energy of guarana. Now that's forward thinking. Berocca Forward - more than just energy. h Well, this is a bittersweet day for us. On the one hand, we have to send home one of the best cooks in the competition. On the other, the standard of cooking that you're putting up just gets better and better and better. And three of you proved beyond doubt that you are deserving of your place in this year's top 10. If I call your name, please step forward. Mimi. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) The other two dishes that we loved were not only tasty, they were both canny takes on a classic. Matt and Trent, step forward. Great work. Join the others. So, Elise, Karmen, it comes down to the two of you and the dishes that you cooked today. Karmen, you showed us ambition and creativity and we loved that little twist on the mille-feuille. Sweet tomatoes, soft ricotta - very, very clever. Elise, we loved the flavour of the charred apricots, the texture of the parfait, and the saltiness and flavour of thyme in that crumb. On a day when there were SO many good cooks and so much at stake, it comes down to tiny little details. Karmen, we questioned the presence of meringue in a dessert that was already sweet enough. And your basil ice-cream lacked the brightness and the depth of flavour that would have made that dish truly successful. And that's why, Karmen... (ALL GASP) ..we are so sorry, you're going home. We're gonna miss you, Karmen. You're a brilliant cook. And, as we say, it comes down to the tiniest of details as we break into the top 10. Karmen, we've loved having you here. This is incredible. This is delicious. This is what MasterChef's about. That there is a-ma-zing! (CHUCKLES) Thank you so much! NIGELLA LAWSON: And it certainly LOOKS like a divine indulgence. That chocolate ice-cream is just fabulous. # Laaaaa! # Yeah, I was thinking exactly the same thing. This is a dish that belongs in heaven. (WILD CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Ooh! GEORGE: You've given us so many delicious, yummy dishes. We'd be here for days. I've learnt so much. It's been a joy being here. Everyone's been wonderful. I just love being in an environment where I can just talk to people and they understand what you're talking about. (ALL LAUGH) Food nerds, we call 'em. Yeah. Exactly. Food nerds. Thank you so much for bringing your honesty, your integrity, your great cooking and your beautiful personality. But, Karmen, now it's time to say goodbye, it's time to leave the MasterChef kitchen. Good luck, love! (APPLAUSE) ELENA: I'm devastated for Karmen. We've grown really close, so this is really tough. But I know she'll do really well. Good luck, Karmen, yeah? All the best. Yeah? MATT: Good luck. KARMEN: I've loved this experience. So many people have helped me get to where I am today, and...I couldn't be more grateful. I've definitely felt like I've grown. Not just in my cooking skills, but as a person. I don't think any other experience would have done that for me. ANNOUNCER: Next week - one of the greatest chefs in the universe is back. Heston Blumenthal! (CONTESTANTS SCREAM, LAUGH) To mark Heston Week... Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. ..they'll be opening a different pop-up restaurant... That's truly delicious. ..every... Takes me back to being a kid again. ..single... It brings a smile to people's faces. ..day. The proof is gonna be in the chocolate pudding. Starting with the Star. The biggest revolving restaurant in the world. With Heston's galaxy-inspired theme... Black Hole. A Trip Around the Sun. The Big Bang. ..there'll be no stopping. You've got one minute. Up there now! As the wheel keeps spinning, they'll have just two minutes to deliver... You're gonna miss the pod! Oh, my God! It's here! ..before it's too late. This plate's given us an energy. And one team will create something so spectacular, it'll be out of this world. And then there was earth! Captions by Ericsson Access Services Able 2016