Episode 7

The third week of heats beckons, which means there’s a fresh group of professional chefs waiting in the wings of the MasterChef kitchen, ready to demonstrate their exceptional talent. All four are committed to their goal of securing a place in this week’s quarter-final, but two huge challenges stand in their way.

First, there’s the daunting skills test, where the contestants come face to face with the three judges and take on a recipe of a former finalist or champion. This week, it’s 2022 champion Nikita Pathakji, who runs monthly supper clubs serving food rooted in the French classics, but which also often celebrate her passion for Asian flavours.

The first two chefs in this round will be tasked with Nikita’s king prawns, served in a coconut and lemongrass broth alongside some prawn toast. Getting depth of flavour in the broth is crucial, but with only 20 minutes to attack the task, how will the chefs fare? Cooking the prawns and toast to perfection will require a deft touch. The bench has everything the pros need to create the dish, but how they use them remains to be seen.

Nikita and the judges taste the dishes and assess the skills on show, hopefully sending the contestants off with a spring in their step.

Then it’s the turn of the last two chefs, who each step into the ring to re-create Nikita’s peach baked alaska: a delicious layering of sponge, peaches, ice cream and meringue. There is no easy road to success, and each of the professionals must keep a close eye on quantities and temperatures, as the slightest deviation will ruin the dish.

Having dusted themselves off, the four competitors will have one more chance to prove they are quarter-final-worthy as they deliver their signature dish to the judges – their own food that not only tastes like a million dollars but also shows true professional prowess. They may have practised in their own kitchens, but whether they can replicate the dish under the pressure of the MasterChef kitchen is another story.

Ninety minutes and four tastings later, Marcus, Matt, and Monica deliver the news. Which chefs have done enough to sail into the quarter-final? Only the best will be able to cope with what’s thrown at them next as the hunt for the MasterChef: The Professionals champion continues.