Episode 5

The second heat of the week can only mean one thing – a fresh four professional chefs have signed up to show Matt, Marcus and Monica what they are made of. Each of them will want a place in the quarter-finals, but inevitably, some will be heading home.

First up, Marcus, Monica and Matt welcome 2020 professional finalist Philli Armitage-Mattin back into the driving seat. She has picked two of her own recipes that are sure to challenge the contestants. With a huge social media following for her dishes specialising in Asian flavours, Philli asks the first two chefs to recreate her chicken wings stuffed with a Thai-flavoured pork mince together with a soy caramel sauce. Small wings need boning with care, and for the tasty mince filling, the professionals can use anything from the ingredients provided. Bold and punchy is the order of the day, but overfill the chicken wings, and they run the risk of bursting in the fryer.

It’s then the next two chefs’ turns to wow Philli and the judges with the second recipe – Japanese souffle pancakes with sake-poached plums. These pancakes are bang on trend, but making them can be quite a pickle. The chefs need to make a meringue and a pancake batter, and fold them together to create a mix that will deliver the perfect fluffy cloud.

After being put through the mill, all four chefs will need to dust themselves off for their last challenge of the heat and deliver their perfect signature dish. This might seem a breeze after what they have been through, but a lot is riding on this one plate of food.

After the tasting, Marcus, Monica and Matt must break the news and reveal which contestants are through to the quarter-finals and still in with a shot at becoming this year’s champion.